Sweeney Todd Will Be Signed: How RST Is Opening Sondheim to the Deaf Community
- 2 days ago
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On Friday, June 12, the most complex score in musical theatre will be interpreted live in ASL — thanks to a team of volunteer interpreters who say it's worth every hour.
There's a reason Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd is considered the Mount Everest of musical theatre interpretation. BUY TICKETS NOW!
The lyrics are dense. The rhythms shift mid-phrase. The wordplay is razor-sharp — sometimes literally. Every line carries weight, and the storytelling layers wrap around themselves like the twisted alleyways of Victorian London.
For an American Sign Language interpreter, signing Sondheim isn't translation. It's performance. It's holding the emotional truth of a song while every musical beat changes underfoot.
This June, that's exactly what's happening at Richey Suncoast Theatre.
An ASL-Interpreted Performance
On Friday, June 12, 2026 at 7:00 PM, RST will present a fully ASL-interpreted performance of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street — open to the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community and to anyone who wants to experience theatre in its most accessible form.
This is part of RST's ongoing commitment to building a theatre that belongs to everyone in our community — not just those who can hear the music.
Meet the Team
ASL interpretation for a full musical is a team sport. It requires:
Months of script study and lyric analysis
Weeks of attending rehearsals
Hours of choreographed signing assignments
And the kind of stamina that comes from loving the work
We are honored to introduce the team making June 12 possible:
Lead Interpreters
Haley Eyster
Victoria McManning
Julio Castro
Kitty Shelton
Staci Blumenfeld
Mentors
Katie Bonneville
Cameron Womack
Box Office Volunteers
Ahmed Carames
Ana Martinez-Carames
Each of them brings their craft, their compassion, and their commitment to this production. They are part of what makes RST a community theatre in the truest sense of the word.
About the Show
Sweeney Todd is Sondheim at his most masterful — a Tony Award-winning Gothic thriller that turns London's underbelly into one of the most haunting stages in musical history. A vengeful barber. A pie shop owner with a secret recipe. Razor-sharp wit and unforgettable songs.
Content Advisory: Recommended for Ages 16+. Contains mature themes, dark humor, and stylized violence. Not suitable for young children.
Performance Schedule
June 5, 6 — 7:00 PM
June 7 — 2:00 PM
June 12 — 7:00 PM (ASL-Interpreted)
June 13 — 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM
June 14 — 2:00 PM
Sponsored by SC Signature Construction & May Solar ASL-Interpreted Sponsor: Coman Certified Interpreting, LLC
Spread the Word
If you know someone in the Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing community who would love this performance —
Please share this blog. Tag them. Send the link. Let them know that on June 12, Sondheim is theirs too. This is what theatre is supposed to do.
