Story lines and characters stay the same, but there are changes.
Hartford Stage produced its first-ever "sensory-friendly" performance this week. The staging of "A Christmas Carol" was geared toward audience members on the autism spectrum.
The performance doesn't rework anything essential to the Charles Dickens classic. Story lines and characters stay the same, but there are changes.
"From a technical perspective, we did alter a number of things in the play," said Max Williams, the show's director. "For example, there's a lot of strobe light effects in the show. We removed those. We kept the house lights just at about 20 percent, so there's a glow in the house rather than plunging into blackness."
The idea was to soften startling stage cues to make the play more enjoyable for people with autism. Support tools like stress balls, blankets, and a quiet room were also provided to parents and kids.
"Normally, you go to the theater, and it's like, somebody's making too much noise -- crinkling a wrapper. They're eating. And you're like, 'Shh! Be quiet! Be quiet!' There can be some judgment in there," Williams said. "Our goal was to create an environment in the theater that was a judgment-free zone."
Williams said the play was well received by the roughly 150 people who attended on Tuesday night. He said Hartford Stage plans to do more of the "sensory-friendly performances" for other shows in the future.
