Neurodiversity Allies Brings First-Ever Sensory-Inclusive Mainstage Musical To Bainbridge Island

After recently announcing the first-ever sensory-friendly mainstage play on Bainbridge Island, Neurodiversity Allies, in partnership with Sensory Access, is proud to announce the first-ever sensory-inclusive mainstage musical on the island. Bainbridge Island now has two small community theatres (ind Theatre and Ovation! Performing Arts Northwest) prioritizing inclusion and accessibility for autistic and other neurodivergent community members.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella - Enchanted Edition, with music by Richard Rodgers, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, adapted for the stage by Tom Briggs, and directed by Scott Breitbarth, will have a Sensory-Inclusive performance on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at 2:00 PM at the Bainbridge High School Theatre on Bainbridge Island. A Sensory Guide for the show and a Social Narrative for the venue will also be available, as is standard practice with Sensory-Inclusive performances.

"Inspired by the acclaimed 1997 teleplay starring Brandy and Whitney Houston, this version of the magical fairy tale is reborn with the Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm and elegance," according to Concord Theatricals.

"Inclusion for neurodivergent community members is personally very important to me, and it's an honor to be directing the first-ever sensory-inclusive mainstage musical on Bainbridge Island!" said Breitbarth.

Sensory-Friendly and Sensory-Inclusive performances both provide relaxed, judgment-free audience experiences. A Sensory-Friendly performance also modifies the production.

Margaret Johnston, producer and Board President of Ovation! Performing Arts Northwest, added, "One of Ovation!'s priorities has always been to make theatre as inclusive as possible, and we're thrilled to partner with Neurodiversity Allies and Sensory Access to make our beautiful production of Cinderella more accessible to our local neurodivergent community members."

"It is so exciting to see Sensory Accessibility finally arrive to theatres on Bainbridge Island," said Neurodiversity Allies co-founder Brian Guy. "Not everyone can afford to travel to Seattle or New York to see a Sensory-Inclusive performance, and I believe this accessibility is even more important to have at our local community theatres. It's the result of a lot of hard work by many volunteers that we now have two theatres on the island (inD Theatre and Ovation! Performing Arts Northwest) stepping up to prioritize inclusion and accessibility for their mainstage productions. Neurodiversity Allies is proud that we were able to help make this happen. Anyone and everyone should be able to enjoy live theatre," Guy said.

Seattle-based Sensory Access helps organizations all over the world implement Sensory-Accessible productions, and co-founder Dr. Daniela Ferdico added, "Our goal at Sensory Access has always been to help remove the barriers neurodivergent individuals face when accessing the arts. The sense of community we build when we share moments in live music and theatre are priceless, and it is critical to have such accessibility available not only at the largest venues but also at the small community stages. We are so happy to help bring this experience and inclusion to Bainbridge Island for the first time."

To purchase tickets to the Sensory-Inclusive performance of Cinderella, please select the December 9 matinee. For the standard performance, please visit ovationmtb.com. To see other upcoming recommended Sensory-Inclusive shows in the Seattle area, please visit ndalllies.org.

To learn more about Sensory Accessibility, please visit sensoryaccess.org and ndallies.org.

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