Education & Community Programs > Sensory-Friendly + Inclusive Performances
Jump to:
Photo Credit: Christopher Nelson and Virginia Rodriguez
WHAT IS A SENSORY-FRIENDLY PERFORMANCE?
Sensory-friendly performances are designed to provide a supportive and judgment-free environment for people affected by sensory processing challenges so they may enjoy the shared experience of live theatre.
THEATRE MODIFICATIONS
• ASL available for this performance
• Lower sound level
• Lights remain on at a low level in the theatre during the performance
• A reduction of strobe lighting or lighting focused on the audience
• Patrons are free to talk and leave their seats during the performance
• Designated quiet and activity areas within the theatre
• Space throughout the theatre for standing and movement
• Guidance and sensory supports (fidgets, earplugs, noise cancelling ear-muffs) available in the lobby before the show
• Audience members are welcome to bring their own manipulatives, seat cushions, comfort objects, and extra support items to the show
• Use of tablets, smart phones, and other electronic devices can be used with headphones during the performance
• Extra staff and volunteer support
• STG staff trained to be inviting and accommodating to families' needs
• Specialized therapists will be assigned to every floor to support families in need
Prior to the performance, tours can be scheduled with the Education Department. Please email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Please check back for more information. We will update this page as more details are confirmed. Thank you!
WHAT IS AN INCLUSIVE PERFORMANCE?
An inclusive performance is a welcoming space for all patrons with or without neurodivergent needs. No patron will be asked to leave the performance due to sound, movement or behaviors related to differing cognitive/developmental abilities. This will be a judgement-free environment.
- Designated quiet and activity area within the theatre
- Guidance and sensory supports (fidgets, earplugs, noise cancelling ear-muffs) available in the lobby before the show
- Audience members are welcome to bring their own manipulatives, seat cushions, comfort objects, and extra support items to the show
- STG staff trained to be inviting and accommodating to families' needs
- Specialized therapist will be assigned to your seat section.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Commanding Space
January 10- February 18
Virtual Performance
In the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, young Annie Easley knows she can be something more. In this true story of dreams, hardships, and self-determination, Annie becomes one of the first African American human computers at NASA. Initially working on airplanes, she soon realizes her destiny is to be on the team of mathematicians that launch the Centaur Rocket into the Space Race. Commanding Space is an important story about a persistent and intelligent woman whose desire to succeed in science and technology proved stronger than the prejudice that would have denied her.
Show Credits: By Stephanie Leary, Directed by Joann Yarrow, Performed by Brenna Merritt, Produced by Syracuse Stage – Syracuse, New York, Costume and Prop Design by Kate Laissle, Lighting Design by Dave Bowman, Sound Design by Luther Masanto
Best for grades 3+ / Run time: 45 minutes plus a pre-recorded Q&A /Sensory Friendly materials available/ Closed Captions and ASL available
PAST EVENTS
Dan + Claudia Zanes: Sensory-Friendly Streamed Concert
May 24 - June 4, 2021
Grammy award winning children’s performer Dan Zanes and Haitian-American music therapist / jazz vocalist Claudia Zanes have been making music with each other since the day they met in the fall of 2016. The two decided while sitting at Dan’s kitchen table that afternoon that they would continue singing together and, in the spirit of progress and inclusion, would work with presenters to try and make all of their concerts sensory-friendly.
Disney's FROZEN: Sensory-Friendly Performance
STG, Disney Theatrical Group, TDF and our community partners were proud to offer a sensory-friendly performance of Disney’s FROZEN on February 22, 2020 at 2:00 pm at the Paramount Theatre.
Download the Character Guide here (pdf)
Disney's THE LION KING: Sensory-Friendly Performance
STG, Disney Theatrical Group, TDF and our community partners were proud to offer a sensory-friendly performance of Disney’s The Lion King on January 5, 2019 at 2:00 pm at the Paramount Theatre.
Special thanks to major supporters of the sensory-friendly performance: Columbia Bank, Premera Blue Cross, Sensory Access, TDF, and The Bradley Foundation.
Download the Character Guide here (pdf)
Social Story for Disney's THE LION KING available here (pdf)
A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS LIVE!
STG presented an inclusive performance of A Charlie Brown Christmas, Live On Stage, at The Moore Theatre on Saturday, November 23rd, 2019 at 4:00pm. An inclusive performance is a welcoming space for all patrons with or without neurodiverse needs.
A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS LIVE! RESOURCES
Manual Cinema's Leonardo & Sam: the Terrible Monster and the Most Scaredy-Cat Kid in the Whole World, Respectively
October 18, 2021- November 5, 2021
Virtual Performance
Manual Cinema collaborated with celebrated children’s book author and illustrator Mo Willems to create a new hand made movie for children ages 5 and up. Inspired by Willems’ LEONARDO, THE TERRIBLE MONSTER and SAM, THE MOST SCAREDY-CAT KID IN THE WHOLE WORLD, this 45-minute film premiered at the Kennedy Center as part of their 2021 season.
Leonardo is a terrible monster. He tries so hard to be scary, but he just…isn’t. Then Leonardo finds Sam, the most scaredy-cat kid in the world. Will Leonardo finally get his chance to scare the tuna salad out of an unsuspecting human? Or will it be the start of an unlikely friendship? The plot thickens when this pair meets Kerry and Frankenthaler, an even scaredier-cat and her monster friend. Kerry and Sam will need to make a big decision: will they be friends or will they be controlled by their fears?
Adapted from the beloved children’s books by Mo Willems, and realized through paper puppets, DIY cinema, music, and immersive sound by critically-acclaimed multimedia artists Manual Cinema, LEONARDO & SAM tells the story of a monster who longs to be scary and the big decisions about identity and empathy that we all must make.
QUESTIONS?
Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
