Sensory-Friendly Performances Open Theater World to People with Autism
People with autism often get uncomfortable in situations like live theater. Sudden loud noises and bright lights can cause distress. With one in 68 children being diagnosed with the condition, lots of Alabama families don’t see musicals or plays. One theater in Birmingham wants to change that by offering one of Alabama’s first “sensory-friendly” performances.
Keith Cromwell, executive director of Red Mountain Theater Company, is directing RMTC’s upcoming production of The Secret Garden. It’s about a young girl named Mary who’s forced to live with a reclusive uncle on a giant English manor. One day, Mary stumbles upon a locked garden that servants say is forbidden. Defiantly, Mary enters to find a breathtaking sanctuary full of mystical wonders.
It’s business as usual for Cromwell and the cast, but one show this month will be slightly different. For the first time, Red Mountain Theater is offering a “sensory-friendly” performance for people with autism. Cromwell worked with officials at the Autism Society of Alabama on what aspects of the performance need to be adjusted. It starts by changing the physical environment.
“We don’t take the house lights all the way down, so that there’s more ambient light in the performance space,” Cromwell says. “We’ll be very careful with sound cues. If you can imagine, loud thunder bursts or something unexpected.”
Vestavia Hills’s Frank Sottosanti and his family have shied away from the theater for years. His 16-year-old son Ryan has autism and is sensitive to sound. Sottosanti says Ryan often gets frightened and uncomfortable when loud noises are going on around him. He remembers, when Ryan was younger, having to put noise cancelation headphones on Ryan so he could comfortably watch fireworks.
That’s why Sottosanti approached Red Mountain Theater about trying a sensory-friendly performance.
“I think by creating a safe environment it just puts everybody in a better spot,” says Sottosanti. People with autism can be hypersensitive to things like darkness, bright lights and loud noises. Some have difficulty sitting still; some have sudden audible outbursts. And any changes to their environment can be traumatic.
“If you think about a theater, it can be dark, often times there are unexpected loud sounds and sometimes it startles the kids,” Sottosanti says.
To create a more welcoming environment, Cromwell says the theater will hold a “meet your seat” night. Families can come and get familiar with the performance space the night before the show. They’re also considering having a story navigator to help the audience prepare for any sensory surprises. During the show this person will follow along with the script.
“If something’s coming, they’ll raise a flag,” says Cromwell. “And that just lets there be an awareness that something’s about to happen.”
Cromwell says it’s all about taming the unexpected. But what should cast members anticipate? James Lekatz from Stages Theater Company near Minneapolis says anything is possible. And he should know. In 2012, Stages became pioneers of sensory-friendly theater. Lekatz remembers one little audience member who was more fixated on the theater’s exit ramps than a recent performance of A Charlie Brown Christmas.
“You could watch him through the whole show just looking at that ramp, wanting it so bad,” Lekatz recalls. “And about half way through, he got up and just started running up and down this ramp, just having a wonderful time.”
And no one complained. What sets sensory-friendly performances apart, Lekatzs says, is that they provide a safe space where people with autism are free to be themselves while also allowing them access to theater. A world that – much like The Secret Garden – was at one time off limits.
Judge denies release of Ghislaine Maxwell grand jury transcripts
President Trump called for the release of the grand jury transcripts after growing pressure to divulge more information about Jeffrey Epstein's case, but the judge on the case said there is nothing new to release.
What’s the deal with claims that birth control is dangerous?
Social media is full of videos saying hormonal contraception can hurt you and promoting natural alternatives. How did the treatments get such a bad reputation and do alternatives work?
Trump’s tariff revenue has skyrocketed. But how big is it, really?
President Trump's new tariffs are pouring in. But it's still only a fraction of overall government revenues — and falls short of new spending in the recent Republican megabill.
Factories are losing immigrant workers, stressing those who remain
Trump campaigned on helping American workers through his immigration policies. Now that he's revoked work authorization for thousands of immigrants, those left behind are feeling taxed by their absence.
Boston Public Library aims to increase access to a vast historic archive using AI
The library is launching a project in collaboration with Harvard Law School and OpenAI this summer to digitize the materials and make them more fully searchable.
Israeli strike kills journalists in Gaza City, worsening the death toll for the media
Israel's military targeted an Al Jazeera correspondent with an airstrike Sunday, killing him, another network journalist and other people, all of whom were sheltering outside the Gaza City Hospital complex.
