Leadership / 09.26.19

Playhouse Square Understands Importance of Sensory-Friendly Productions

Access Staff

Akron Beacon Journal (OH) (09/22/19) Christensen, Holly

Cleveland's Playhouse Square promotes sensory-friendly events under the guidance of theater official Daniel Hahn. Such productions are designed to cater to audiences with sensory processing issues, like children with Downs syndrome, dyslexia or autism. People with sensory processing disorder have a heightened sensitivity to sound, light and touch, which often makes attending live performances impossible. Following Hahn's hiring as vice president of community engagement and education in 2014, Playhouse Square has presented nine sensory-friendly 60-minute-long plays. Each year, the theater hosts one performance for school groups and another for the general public, with tickets only $10. For each production, the theater rents pipes and curtains to set up sensory-deprivation rooms for children who need to recuperate from sensory overload after a performance. Volunteers from the Cuyahoga County Developmental Disability Board also are on hand to give children headphones and fidget toys when they need them. Moreover, Playhouse Square offers deeply discounted tickets for sensory performances.

Read the full article in the Akron Beacon Journal (OH). 

Tags: Accessibility , Theater , News , Leadership