American Repertory Theater to Offer Sensory-Friendly Performance of THE LIGHT PRINCESS, 1/3

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) has scheduled a sensory-friendly performance of The Light Princess on Friday, January 3 at 2:00pm at the Loeb Drama Center, designed to create a welcoming environment for children with Autism spectrum disorders or other sensitivity issues. Slight alterations will be made to the performance, specially trained volunteers will be on hand, and quiet areas in the lobby will be available for children whoneed to take a break from the show. A social story and a character guide will be provided to all families prior to the performance, to help acclimate family members with Autism spectrum disorders or sensitivity issues to the experience of live theater.

The Light Princess was written by Lila Rose Kaplan with music by MikePettry, directed by Allegra Libonati, with choreography by Jeff and Rick Kuperman. Based on George MacDonald's fairy tale, this world premiere musical tells the story of a young princess cursed to live without gravity. She floats through life unburdened by cares or sorrow, constantly threatened by high winds and low trees. If her parents, the King and Queen, don't help her come back to earth by her birthday, the curse will bepermanent. Lila Rose Kaplan and Mike Pettry's innovative and originaladaptation of the classic story combines gravity defying ensemble choreography, regal costumes, and a larger-than-life fairy tale forest onstage in A.R.T.'s characteristic style of stage magic.

The January 3rd theater experience will include the following alterations:

• House lights will remain dimmed during the performance, rather than completely off;

• The volume of the performance will be reduced;

• Front of House staff will use glow sticks to signal dramatic shifts in action, sound or lighting;

• There will be quiet areas available in the lobby for children who need to take a break from theshow;

• A relaxed and inclusive atmosphere will allow patrons to vocalize during the performance and enter or exit the theater during the show, with the assistance of ushers;

• Trained volunteers will be on hand to assist with patron needs.

• Tablets and smartphones will be permitted to help non-verbal children communicate

Tickets for this performance are available by phone only at (617) 547-8300 during regular box office hours. Special seating arrangements (i.e.: unsold seats between parties) available upon request.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University is a leading force in the American theater, producing groundbreaking work in Cambridge and beyond. The A.R.T. was founded in 1980 by Robert Brustein, who served as Artistic Director until 2002, when he was succeeded by RoBert Woodruff. Diane Paulus began her tenure in 2008, and has since advanced the A.R.T.'s core mission to expand the boundaries of theater by programming events that immerse audiences in transformative theatrical experiences.

Throughout its history, the A.R.T. has been honored with many distinguished awards, including consecutive Tony Awards for Best Revival of a Musical for Pippin (2013) and The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess (2012), both of which Paulus directed, a Pulitzer Prize, a Jujamcyn Prize for outstanding contribution to the development of creative talent, the Tony Award for Best Regional Theater, and numerous Elliot Norton and I.R.N.E. Awards.

The A.R.T. engages with artists around the country and the world to investigate new ways in which to develop and create work. It is currently developing a number of multi-year projects, including the Civil War Project, an initiative thatwill culminate in the staging of three new works in the 2014/15 season. Under Paulus's leadership, the A.R.T.'s club theater, OBERON, has become an incubator for local and emerging artists and has attracted national attention for itsinnovative programming and business models.

As the professional theater on the campus of Harvard University, the A.R.T. catalyzes discourse, interdisciplinary collaboration, and creative exchangeamong a wide range of academic departments and institutions, students and faculty, acting as a conduit between its community of artists and the university. A.R.T. artists also teach courses in directing, dramatic literature, acting, voice, design, and dramaturgy. The A.R.T. Institute for Advanced Theater Training, which is run in partnership with the Moscow Art Theater School, offers graduate-level training in acting, dramaturgy, and voice.

Dedicated to making great theater accessible, the A.R.T. actively engages more than 5,000 community members and local students annually in project-based partnerships, workshops, conversations with artists, and other enrichment activities both at the theater and across the Greater Boston area.

Through all of these initiatives, the A.R.T. is dedicated to producing world-class performances in which the audience is central to the theatrical experience.

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