“Why Are There Two Interpreters?”

AATL
Jan 7
3 min read

Dear Comics: Leave the Interpreters Alone.

I watched a comedy clip recently where two comedians say something intentionally filthy, then pause mid-set and stare at the ASL interpreters.

They squint.

They laugh.

They point.

“Wait… why are there two of them?”

Cue the confusion. Cue the jokes. Cue the audience laughing at the interpreters instead of with the Deaf folks who are literally there to enjoy the show.

And listen — I get it. If you’ve never thought about access before, two interpreters on stage might feel unexpected. It might even feel funny.

But here’s the part no one explained on stage:

The interpreters were doing their job perfectly.

Not extra.

Not dramatic

.Not indulgent.

Correct.

Professional.

Smart.

Comedy is linguistic chaos (and that’s why it’s hard)

Let’s be clear: live comedy is one of the hardest environments to interpret.

You’ve got:

rapid back-and-forth dialogue
overlapping speakers
interruptions
punchlines that live and die by timing
sarcasm, innuendo, tone shifts
audience laughter breaking the flow
zero script
zero rewind

Now take all of that and run it through two languages at the same time, in real time, while standing on a stage under lights.

That’s not “just signing.”

That’s Olympic-level language work.

Why there were two interpreters (and why that’s not weird)

Here’s the part the comedians missed:

When you have two primary speakers in fast, high-energy dialogue, the gold-standard access move is:

One interpreter per speaker.

Why?

cleaner timing
clearer voices
fewer dropped jokes
less lag
better rhythm

Comedy depends on who said the line just as much as what was said. One interpreter juggling both speakers would blur voices, delay punchlines, and flatten the set.

So yes — two interpreters for two comedians isn’t “extra.”

It’s how you protect the comedy.

Ironically, the thing they were joking about was the reason the Deaf audience was actually getting the jokes.

Interpreters don’t react like the audience — and that’s the point

Another reason interpreters become an easy target on stage: they don’t always laugh at the same time as everyone else.

That’s because while the room is laughing, the interpreter is:

finishing processing the joke
deciding how to translate the meaning, not just the words
matching tone, intent, and timing
delivering it clearly so Deaf audience members get the same moment

They don’t get to stop and laugh first.

They laugh later — maybe.

That doesn’t mean they didn’t get the joke.

It means they’re working.

The interpreters are not the punchline

This is the part where I’m going to be very New York about it:

Make fun of yourselves. Make fun of the world. Make fun of literally anything else. But stop making access the joke.

Interpreters aren’t there for the comedians.

They’re not stage props.

They’re not backup dancers.

They’re not the bit.

They’re there for the Deaf people in the room — the people who bought tickets, showed up, and deserve the same show everyone else is getting.

When access becomes the joke, the message is clear (even if it’s unintentional): this wasn’t really built for you.

And that’s not funny.

So… dear comics

If you ever catch yourself wondering: “Why are there two interpreters?”

The answer is simple:

Because the show is moving fast — and Deaf audiences deserve to get it, too.

That’s it. That’s the whole explanation.

And this is where Access ATL comes in

This exact moment — the confusion, the awkward jokes, the “why are there so many interpreters?” — is why Access ATL (AATL) exists.

We help venues, producers, performers, and organizations:

figure out how many interpreters are actually needed
match the right interpreting model to the format (comedy, panels, lectures, performances)
avoid under-staffing and over-staffing
create access that works — without guesswork, embarrassment, or last-minute panic

You don’t have to figure this out on your own. You don’t have to learn the hard way on stage. And you definitely don’t have to make interpreters the punchline.