Monday, October 16, 2017
Extra Sensory: Crafting Autism-Friendly Performances
AMERICAN THEATRE: When, in 2014, Children’s Theatre of Charlotte staged Jennifer Overton’s Spelling 2-5-5, a play about a boy and his brother, who is on the autism spectrum, the production brought up questions within the organization about how to authentically portray a character on the autism spectrum onstage, how to bring families with children on the spectrum to the show, and how to create the best theatregoing experience for all. That production sparked the North Carolina theatre’s initiative to present one sensory-friendly performance for each of its mainstage productions, starting in 2016 with A Year With Frog and Toad.
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3 comments:
This article is so interesting to me. I am in general very intrigued with creating truly safe and inviting spaces for disabled people and this theatre has really taken some necessary measures towards accessibility for children on the autism spectrum. These accommodations may not be cost effective but it is really encouraging to me that a theatre would still spend the time and money investing in these accommodations even though they might not immediately turn a profit in the short term. The use of the fidget and the headphones if a child needs to focus on something else so as not to be overwhelmed is amazing to me.
I wonder how much of the collaboration on these efforts was also done between the theatre and either parents of educators of children with autism. Even asking siblings of kids with autism or the kids themselves could really push their efforts over the edge. Disabled people often don't really get the voice they deserve in matters that directly affect them. It is cool that this is a space where the kids are automatically giving their feedback, in a way that is unique to each child and is allowed to be free in the space.
I hope the trend of accessible theatre continues. It's a trend that makes me feel better as a theatre patron and creator.
The way someone creates inclusion and reliability within performances and pieces is by creating creating characters onstage that are just like them and their communities. In this case, its the spectrum, the reason they're attending the performances is because they have a strong sense of reliability to the characters onstage. The same principle could be applied to many different groups in attempts to be inclusive to many more groups. It ranges from characters with severe anxiety like in Dear Evan Hansenn to deaf characters in Tribes and the revival of Spring Awakening, the more representation on stage, the more representation in the house. Additionally, the attention the the design team has paid towards their audience is a lesson for designers and directors everywhere, if they're creating a piece about people with autism, it should be both respectful and friendly towards their needs, such as toning down the lights to decrease the overwhelmingness of being in an audience. The more and more theatre highlighting the needs and perspectives of all people is created, the more and more theatre goers will vary and that only means a greater respect and attention towards theatre as an art form.
I am absolutely in love with the way this theatre company has strived to bring people who normally might not be able to enjoy theatre together. Having a family member on the spectrum, I know it can be hard for a child to be able to have “normal experiences” and enjoy the things their siblings do, such as theatre, so crafting a way that makes a theatrical experience available for all. From a design prospective I can only imagine how difficult the process must have been to make sure the design still held a meaning while also not overwhelming the audience members. By creating this safe environment for the children to enjoy a show, while also giving them a way to pull out of the theatrical environment through the use of weighted animals, headphones, and fidget spinners, is truly an incredible way of creating an environment that welcomes people of disabilities and differences.
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