Beth Prevor - Arts accessibility for the deaf and disabled.
- Isobel Arden
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
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Meet Beth Prevor.
In this interview, Mark invited Beth to create her own fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions where there are no wrong answers. Enjoy her journey below.
Beth Prevor is a force of nature in the world of accessible arts. As co-founder and Executive Director of Hands On, Beth Prevor has devoted more than 30 years to ensuring that Deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences can fully engage with theatre, musicals, dance and cultural events. Long before “accessibility” was a buzzword, Beth saw a gap—and leapt into it with gusto, combining her theatre roots with interpreter training and disability advocacy.
Early in her career, Beth Prevor worked as a freelance stage manager, often in regional theatre and even off-Broadway, which gave her a backstage pass to the nuts and bolts of production.
Along the way, she encountered deaf performers and signed productions, and she realised that theatre should not be denied by hearing ability.
She trained in sign language and interpreting, and eventually co-founded Hands On to turn inclusive performance into the new normal.
Under her guidance, Hands On has produced more than 500 interpreted productions at prestigious venues such as Roundabout Theatre, the Public Theatre, Radio City Music Hall, and in Central Park.
Beth Prevor’s work is not limited to performance: she also oversees consulting with theatres to design accessible programming, leads outreach to Deaf communities, and manages a cultural calendar that lists accessible events across New York City.
She also serves as Director of Interpreting Services at the New York City Department of Education, supervising interpreters and paraprofessionals who support deaf students and families.
Beth Prevor’s advisory roles are numerous—she sits on committees for Lincoln Center, the New Jersey Theatre Alliance’s Cultural Access Network, and has contributed to institutional access projects like the Ford’s Theatre evaluation. She was also honoured with the Sheldon Williams Leadership Award by CHC (for her work in deaf arts access).
Beth holds a B.A. in Theatre from Brooklyn College and an M.A. in Deafness Rehabilitation from NYU.
She is a passionate advocate who sees theatre not as entertainment, but as rights in motion—and she’s not stopping until every stage, every audience, every seat is welcoming to all.
Beth's Fantasy Cultural Year ... with a magic wand and time machine to hand.
In their interview, Mark created Beth's fantasy cultural year from the answers to some easy questions.
When asked about her favourite building, Beth initially goes for Carnegie Hall, but quickly changes her mind — “No, no, Lincoln Center!” she says with a smile. Mark lights up — he’s performed there too (on the triangle, no less).
They imagine sitting outside at a pop-up café at Lincoln Center on a sunny June evening. Beth’s got a glass of red wine in hand and a copy of Tom Lake by Ann Patchett — a book she’s just finished and adored.
Mark paints an even bigger picture with his magic wand: Beth has just left a meeting with a wealthy arts foundation that wants to hire her for a year-long, first-class world tour researching accessibility in the arts for deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. There’s a book deal, a TV series, a TED Talk, and even a global lecture tour waiting for her at the end. Beth laughs, “I’m ready to pack my bags!”
She maps out her dream route — starting in New York, heading west to Chicago and LA, then hopping over to the UK. On the plane, she’s told she can only listen to one genre of music for a year — without hesitation, she chooses Broadway showtunes, especially anything by Stephen Sondheim.
In Chicago, she’s whisked off to a dance performance of her choosing — she picks Twyla Tharp, the bold, funky choreographer she loved in college. Dinner afterwards? French cuisine, please.
Next stop: San Francisco. When Mark asks what sport she’d happily watch for two hours, Beth laughs, “Baseball — it’s the only one I understand!”
Then, it’s across the pond to London, where they plan a full week of culture:
Monday: Candlelight Mozart concert.
Tuesday: A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Shakespeare’s Globe.
Wednesday: Hello, Dolly! in the West End.
Thursday: Tosca at the Royal Opera House.
Friday: A film night at an IMAX — or better yet, The Wizard of Oz at the Las Vegas Sphere (“They’ve got wind machines!” Beth laughs).
Finally, over a long, elegant French lunch in London, Mark asks who she’d invite to join her. Without missing a beat: Stephen Sondheim. She’d love to talk to him about his creative process and his songs — she’s seen nearly all his shows.
And who would he invite? Beth thinks for a moment — “Oscar Hammerstein. He was Sondheim’s mentor. That would be a brilliant conversation.”
Explore more about Beth below
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Mark Walmsley FRSA FCIM AGSM
Chief Culture Vulture
Arts & Culture Network
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