Touchstone Theatre to Offer Sensory-Friendly Performances of DAPOOCH

Touchstone Theatre presents two sensory-friendly theatrical performances of DaPooch, or The Story of Poochie's Three Hundred and Seventy Second Birthday AND How the Hunga Munga Munga SAVED HIS LIFE! The production is part of the Arts & Access Program, a year-long, Valley-wide celebration of the American with Disabilities Act in honor of its 25th Anniversary. The show performs at Touchstone Theatre on May 21st at 11:00am and 1:00pm; tickets are pay-what-you-will.

The Box Office will be open one hour before each show; as will the Touchstone Café where guests can enjoy coloring, puppet-making, and "Bring Your Own Snack" time. The Café will also be available throughout the 40-minute performance as an alternative quiet space.

DaPooch is performed by master storyteller and Touchstone co-founder Bill George, who first conceived of the fictional world of Poochie as a bedtime story for his children. "On my son Sammy's 5th birthday, he was so worried he wasn't going to have a good birthday it was ruining his day," says George. "So I told him about Poochie's three hundred and seventy second birthday. There's no way he could have a worse birthday than his!"

A few years later, after many requests from his children for more and more stories, George decided to turn the original bedtime story about friendship and facing one's fears into a play, adding songs and theatrics. The show has gone through many periods of evolution, spawning additional episodes of Poochie's adventures, and touring to various venues, across the country and abroad. For this performance, DaPooch will be adapted to be sensory-friendly for audiences.

Touchstone is a proud participant of the Arts and Access Program, founded by the Lehigh Valley Arts Council and Disability Friendly Community. The program aims to unite the arts and social services communities in the Lehigh Valley in order to "expand cultural accessibility, raise public awareness, build audiences, and create a more inclusive region." Over 30 cultural organizations have united with various social service agencies to participate in the program this year, providing over 40 scheduled events from July 2015 to June 2016. More information about the program can be found at www.ARTSandACCESS.org

This production of DaPooch is supported by Arts and Access, Murphy & Murphy, P.C., and ARCH of Lehigh Valley. Touchstone's season is sponsored by First Generation, an integrated marketing communications company, and RCN. Media sponsorship is provided by WDIY, and print sponsorship is provided by Working Dog Press.

DaPooch performs on May 21st at 11:00am and 1:00pm at Touchstone Theatre (321 East Fourth Street, Bethlehem, PA 18015). Tickets are Pay-What-You-Will and can be purchased at the Box Office. Large groups are recommended to call 610-867-1689 to reserve their seats ahead of time.

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