People's Light Offers to OFfer First Sensory-Friendly Performance of Annual Holiday Panto

People's Light will offer its first sensory-friendly performance of Arthur and the Tale of the Red Dragon: A Musical Panto on Tuesday, January 6th, 2015 at 7 pm on the Leonard C. Haas Stage. Sensory-friendly performances are designed to create a theatre experience that is welcoming to all families with members (children or adults) on the autism spectrum or with other sensory sensitivities. People's Light is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA 19355. Arthur and the Tale of the Red Dragon: A Musical Panto is sponsored by PECO.

The Panto is a tradition borrowed from England, where almost every town has a Panto during the holiday season. Pantos are a mix between a fractured fairy tale and a variety show, using familiar stories to form the basis for exaggeration, outrageous jokes, and rollicking songs and dances. They incorporate specific elements, including "the dame" (a man dressed as a woman), audience participation (in the form of cheering the heroes and booing the villains), a "messy bit," candy passed out to the audience, and a "silly song" that inspires an audience sing-along.

Arthur is a hilarious yet poignant musical adventure about a young man who discovers how to become a leader thanks to the guidance of a wizard, many magical creatures, knights in armor, and a Panto Dame. For this special performance, the theatre environment at People's Light will be adjusted to provide a sensory-friendly, comfortable and judgment-free space. Adjustments include house lights kept up partially during the entire performance and lowered sound levels; a reduction of strobe lighting; space throughout the theater for standing and movement; designated quiet, safe areas in the lobby; fidget and stress sensory toys available to borrow; and the understanding that patrons may talk and leave their seats during the performance. People's Light staff and artists are trained to be inviting and accommodating to families' needs. Families will also receive a visitor's guide via email prior to the show to specifically prepare audiences for their experience at the theatre.

Director and co-author Pete Pryor adds, "We are very excited to be able to offer a sensory friendly performance for Arthur. The People's Light Panto is a theatrical experience unlike any other and by making it accessible to more families we are fulfilling our mission and enhancing this unique celebration."

People's Light teams up with Art-Reach, VSA Pennsylvania, and Dr. Roger I. Ideishi, JD, OT/L FAOTA Program Director & Associate Professor Program in Occupational Therapy, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences at Temple University to make this performance possible.

Stephanie Borton, Associate Director of Art-Reach explains, "Sensory-friendly performances open up opportunities for individuals to participate that would not be able to do so otherwise. Fear is a funny thing; it can keep people that may be afraid of not fitting in from trying new things. Parents that feel their children may be unable to sit quietly for any length of time, or be frightened of loud noises, may refrain from attending. That is what makes presentations like this one so important. Families and individuals with autism and other sensory disabilities feel welcomed because People's Light is boisterously saying, 'We want you to join us and we will do what it takes to make you feel comfortable and to ensure you have fun.'"

Though this is the first sensory-friendly performance at People's Light, the theatre has a history of working with children with cognitive disabilities. As part of the Theatre's ongoing residencies at The Pathway School in Norristown, PA and General Wayne Elementary in Malvern, PA, professional artists and resident company members work with students with complex learning disabilities, neurological impairment and a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders.

People's Light thanks the partners supporting this new program, including Art-Reach, VSA Pennsylvania, Dr. Roger I. Ideishi, and Dr. Marilyn Benoit , Senior VP and Chief Medical Officer/ Chief Clinical Officer of the Devereux as well as many individual donors that have helped to underwrite this performance.

Tickets to the sensory-friendly performance of Arthur and the Tale of the Red Dragon are $15 including fees. To purchase tickets online, visit peopleslight.org/sensoryfriendly or call the box office at 610.644.3500. If you have questions regarding this performance, please contact Elizabeth Gardner, Director of Audience Services, at 610.647.1900, ext. 103. If you have questions regarding donations, please contact Marcie Bramucci, Director of Community Investment, at 610.647.1900 ext. 143.

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