TDF to Present Autism Friendly Performance of COME FROM AWAY

TDF will present the first in-person autism friendly performance of a Broadway shows in almost 2 years with COME FROM AWAY on Sunday, January 30, 2022 at 1pm at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. Autism friendly performances provide access for families with children and adults on the autism spectrum and other developmental disabilities. The last autism friendly performance prior to the pandemic was on March 1, 2020 at HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD.

Tickets for the January 30 autism friendly performance of COME FROM AWAY are still available for purchase. Click here. Prices range from $42 - $75.

"We're excited to be able to invite our audience back into the theatre," said Lisa Carling, TDF's Director of Accessibility Programs. "We worked to keep them engaged through digital programming during the pandemic but when we polled our audience members to see how they felt about returning to live theatre, the response were a resounding, "we can't wait."

Future autism friendly performances are: Disney's THE LION KING on Sunday, March 6, 2022 at 1pm at the Minskoff Theatre, and Disney's ALADDIN on Sunday, May 1, 2022 at 1pm at the New Amsterdam Theatre. To receive notifications on how and when to purchase tickets to future performances join the e-blast list at www.tdf.org/autism. Tickets to these performances may be purchased only through TDF's website.

TDF AUTISM FRIENDLY PERFORMANCES was founded in 2011 with the first autism friendly Broadway performance of The Lion King. Since then, there have been autism friendly performances of these Broadway productions: Aladdin, Cats, Come From Away, Elf: The Musical, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Kinky Boots, Mary Poppins, Matilda, My Fair Lady, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The King and I, The Phantom of the Opera and Wicked.

The program operates under the umbrella of TDF's Accessibility Programs. To create an autism friendly setting, the shows are performed in a friendly, supportive environment for an audience of families and friends with children or adults diagnosed with autism or other sensory sensitivities. Slight adjustments to the production, where possible, will include reduction of any jarring sounds or strobe lights focused into the audience. In the theatre lobby, there will be staffed break areas, if anyone needs to leave their seats during the performance. For these autism friendly performances, TDF purchases every seat in the theatre and makes tickets available, at discount prices, exclusively to families, groups, schools, etc. whose members include individuals on the autism spectrum. During the pandemic, TDF kept its audiences for autism friendly performances engaged with special virtual experiences. These included The Magic of Kevin Spencer, the original musicals starring the character Little B, and watch parties with discussions for shows such as Newsies.

TDF ACCESSIBILITY PROGRAMS consists of eight programs which make theatregoing possible for young people and adults with physical disabilities, as well as individuals on the autism spectrum. They provide a full range of services, including autism-friendly performances of theatre productions; accessible seating for those with mobility issues; and open captioned, sign language interpreted and audio described performances of Broadway and Off Broadway shows for theatregoers with hearing and vision loss. TDF also trains theatres in the U.S. and abroad on how to set up open captioning programs and autism friendly shows, and offers an educational enrichment program for students who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or with low vision.

TDF collaborates with the Broadway League on developing and maintaining the website theatreaccess.nyc.