TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is trying something new on Dec. 27 — a sensory-sensitive performance of “Around the World in 80 Days.”
Such shows have seldom been tried by theater companies in the Bay Area, although they have become more common on the East Coast and in Southern California.
The idea is to help people living with autism spectrum disorders come to the theater and enjoy the show, by making a few modifications in the auditorium and the show itself.
For one thing, foley artist Cameron Wells, who is a big part of the highly comic show, won’t use the loud fire-extinguisher noises every time Phileas Fogg and crew board a train. Even non-sensitive people in the audience tend to jump when that loud noise issues from the orchestra pit.
And, the house lights will be partly on; patrons will be free to talk during the show without being shushed by ushers or staff; and people will be able to get up and walk out, or to the back of the theater, any time they start to feel uncomfortable. Extra staff will be on hand to help as needed.
The idea to try such a performance at TheatreWorks came from Jennifer Gosk, who works in the venerable company’s marketing department, but it’s become a passion project for Syche Phillips, who is acting marketing director of TheatreWorks.
“From ages 10 to 18, I worked at a camp for kids with disabilities,” she explained during a phone interview on Friday, “so it’s a community I feel passionate about. My husband (Drew Phillips) is a social worker, so he’s been encouraging, too.”
Phillips has done a lot of research about how to make such a show work. TheatreWorks offices are in a Sobrato building in Redwood Shores that they share with Community Gatepath, which serves youth and adults with special needs and developmental disabilities and their families in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Phillips said “they hooked us up with occupational therapists who gave us feedback on what we could do to make it more accessible. … we reached out, trying to get actual feedback from people who would know better than we would.”
That’s how it was determined that the fire-extinguisher puffs would have to go.
“The therapist told us the main thing is just awareness,” Phillips said. “We need to warn the audience that it’s coming. There is not a lot of the foley stuff that we are changing.”
When, and what show, had to be discussed at length among TheatreWorks staff.
“We ended up settling on ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ as the first show we would do this way,” said Phillips. “The holiday shows are always family friendly, with families coming together, and they have an extension week that wouldn’t have subscribers. That way we can dedicate it to just this audience.”
Seating, at a discount price of $35 a seat, will be general admission, so people can spread themselves out if they want to, said Phillips. “They are welcome to leave themselves buffer room if they want it.
“Even if they don’t feel like they need the accommodation, they are welcome to purchase the tickets for their own experience, and to support the concept,” Phillips said.
“I feel like it’s a pretty simple way to provide something for an entire audience that otherwise would just be left out.”
For more information, visit https://theatreworks.org/special-events/sensory-sensitive/ or call or 650-463-1960.
