About the Director
Mara is a leading Sign Language Teacher and Interpreter. She has an extensive list of credits including teaching students and providing advanced instructions for other Sign Language Teachers and Interpreters. Her extensive experience with high profile interpreting for the stage, screen, and television means that she brings the greatest possible depth to her teaching. She is regularly called on to provide consulting for many high level clients. Her students are eloquent in their praise of her. She has all of the major certifications offered in the sign language field. Mara also is a dedicated advocate for the deaf and hard of hearing community.
Her qualifications are extensive:
CERTIFICATIONS:
CI (Certificate of Interpreting)
CSC (Comprehensive Skills Certificate)
OIC/C (Oral Interpreting Certificate / Comprehensive)
TRAINING:
1999 Teacher Education Workshop Series / Sandra Gish
1998 Teacher Education Workshop Series / Sandra Gish
1997 Teacher Education Workshop Series / Sandra Gish
1996 Teacher Education Workshop Series / Sandra Gish
1991 Signing in the Theatre, The Juilliard School
1989 International Sign Interpreting Training, Gallaudet University
1988 Legal Interpreter Training Workshop, Northeastern University
1980 Basic Interpreter Training Program, National Technical Institute for the Deaf
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Broadway Theatrical Interpreting Experience:
Harmony selling to angels
Wizard of Oz
The Inspector Calls
Damn Yankees
Victor, Victoria
The Secret Garden
42nd Street
The Kiss of the Spider Woman
OTHER STAGE & PRESENTATION EXPERIENCE:
2008 Interpret for "Jackie Mason: The Ultimate Jew," on Broadway
2008 Backstage interpreter for "Little Flower of East Orange" at the Public Theater in NYC for Howie Seago, renowned Deaf actor with Philip Seymour Hoffman directing and Ellen Burstyn starring.
2007 and past Interpret international conferences and assignments for extended periods of time up to 3 months
2005 Vagina Monologues
2004 “Harmony,” Barry Manilow Broadway show selling to angels
2002 Get Out The Vote Rally with President Clinton et al
2001 World Trade Center Memorial Services - Yankee Stadium
2001 World Trade Center Memorial Poetry readings - Ground Zero
1999-present Bimonthly poetry readings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
1999 Princess Diana Memorial Service - Central Park
1999 International Video and Documentary Awards
1993-present Feast with Famous Faces Gala Evening
1992 Democratic National Convention
1991-present Broadway Theatrical Interpreting
1991-1997 Children’s Music/Television Group Concert “Sharon, Lois and Bram’s The Elephant Show” in NYC and yearly East Coast Tour
1990 Director of interpreters for “Piano Lesson”, Broadway
1989 International Sign Interpreter, DEAF WAY
1988-present Regularly scheduled stand-up comedy evenings at clubs throughout the East Coast and on Television
1988-1990 Clearwater Music Concert Festival Stage Interpreting
1995 Disney Corporation Board of Directors Annual Meeting - corporate takeover
Other Non Broadway Theatrical Interpreting including Off Broadway and Regional Theater.
SCREEN
1999 Voice interpret for Cochlear Implant documentary - “The Sound and the Fury”
1998 Act role of Interpreter in movie “You’ve got Mail”
Consult on documentary “The Bruce Hlibok Story”
Consultant to Disney for movie script development
2008 Interpreted Judge Maria Lopez Show
2007 Interpreted Judge Lopez Show
2007 CBS Sunday Morning
TEACHER & INTERPRETER EDUCATOR:
2006 Presented interpreting workshop in NJ “Making It Clearer and Easier- Classifiers and Use of Space”
2002-present Teach continuing education semester long courses for interpreters to improve their ASL skills at InterSign Academy
1998-present Present Signs of Art Workshop for beginning students and interpreters in conjunction with the Metropolitan Museum of Art
1998 Presented workshop “Preparation for the Written Test” for Long Island RID
1992 Presented workshop on the National Certification System at New Jersey RID convention
1986-1990 Taught - Interpreter Education Program, New York Society for the Deaf
1989-present Mentor interpreters and interpreting students as part of an ongoing process of improving professional qualifications and skills.
SIGN LANGUAGE TEACHER - UNIVERSITY LEVEL
2002-2005 Taught ASL 1 and 2 at Fordham University various campuses for non-credit classes
2000 Presented Workshop for CUNY College interpreters on skills development
1996-1998 Adjunct Professor - Lehman College (taught ASL)
1990 Mentor in “Interpreter Skills Development through Mentoring” pilot project - Laguardia Community College
Act as consultant for different programs and organizations to develop and or expand their services to Deaf and Hard of Hearing consumers, and to make them compliant under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Ex: International Governments
International Deaf Organizations
Museums in US and Europe
Hospitals
Television Programs
Movies
Commercials
Private Religious School
Religious Seminary of Chicago
MISCELLANEOUS:
Member of New York State Arts Accessibility Advisory Network
Mara is the subject of a Photo Documentary Book being created by professional photographer Mara Letham. This coffee table book will document Ms. Zuckerman’s work showing Sign Language as art.
Mara has been requested to, and is in the process of writing a book on her Interpreting experiences as well.