On Tues., Oct. 22, see reporter Bill O’Driscoll interview blind theater accessibility advisor Brian Rutherford at the free Dis/Ability Symposium at the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University.
PITTSBURGH_Ballet fans with vision impairments touched poseable dolls and even dancers themselves before performances to get a better sense of what would happen on stage.
“They would let the sight-impaired folks…know what the different positions of the dancers were,” says 90.5 FM WESA’s Bill O’Driscoll, a longtime arts reporter says in a recent interview. “So when they heard the audio descriptions and they would say the ballerina would make a certain move, they would be able to picture it better in their heads.”
This pre-show opportunity for blind patrons took place several years ago. But O’Driscoll says it was one of the best examples he’s seen of making theater accessible.
“It was really moving, and it was a really an inventive, creative way, I thought, to help new audiences experience the art form,” O’Driscoll says. O’Driscoll says cultural offerings are becoming more accessible throughout the city.
O’Driscoll shares this and other stories in a wide-ranging interview with Darrel Pullie and Joseph Smith–the two participate in the Unabridged Press’ All-Abilities Media Project held at Evolve Coaching’s Joey Travolta/Arts for Autism Film Camp and at the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University.
Since Pullie and Smith are aspiring filmmakers, they ask O’Driscoll about Hollywood films being made in Pittsburgh and the impact on the city’s film community. O’Driscoll mentions some of the best-known projects filmed here were the Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead in the 1960s.
“The way it impacts the film community obviously is it creates jobs, it creates opportunities for people …crew especially,” O’Driscoll says. ”When you’re watching a movie you’re only thinking generally of the actors, maybe the director, but really behind the scenes there’s these big crews of people.
Co-interviewer Darrel Pullie at the Center for Media Innovation at Point Park University.
Image: Joseph Smith/Benevolent Photos
Dogma was shot in 1999 in Pittsburgh. More recently, The Dark Knight Rises and other films brought opportunities for aspiring local filmmakers. Aside from the actors and directors, the shoots offered work for videographers and editors who were able to practice their craft behind the scenes. O’Driscoll never worked on films professionally but he did try his hand as a film student in order to prepare for his beat.
In addition to working for the Pittsburgh City Paper, O’Driscoll freelanced for The Nation and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. O’Driscoll covered hard news started in the early ’90s. Later, he wrote freelance film reviews for the Pittsburgh City Paper until 2003.
“A guy that I knew was the editor of Pittsburgh City Paper and they had a staff movie reviewer position,” O’Driscoll says. “The previous person left and he asked me if I wanted to do it. I didn’t really have that much experience writing about the arts but I said, ‘Sure!’”
The editor position introduced O’Driscoll–and his readers–to literature, dance and the theater arts. In February 2018, O’Driscoll transitioned from print to radio. He admits the new technology and style of writing have been challenging.
“I found just by repetition and working on projects and keeping at it… It becomes intuitive and a lot like muscle memory after a while,” says O’Driscoll. “You write for the ear rather than the eye.”
Even though this may be a dream job for some, O’Driscoll admits that it is not the easiest. He says there aren’t a lot of full-time gigs available. Many online outlets are staffed by stringers. O’Driscoll says that freelancing offers many reporters experience and opportunities.
“It’s a lot of fun,” O’Driscoll says. “There’s a lot going on in Pittsburgh and I’ve been very fortunate to make a living doing that for a decade and a half.”
This article was written by Jennifer Szweda Jordan and Point Park University broadcast production student Brianna McCall. The interview and writing were supported by a grant from the FISA Foundation supporting people with disabilities in southwestern Pennsylvania.