Tonight marked our 8th performance of this year’s “A Christmas Carol” at the Hanover Theatre. We’ve had a great run so far, but this evening the cast was especially excited to share Charles Dickens’ timeless ghost story with an audience of 814 at our first ever Autism-Friendly Performance!
There were several adjustments made to the show to soften some of the edges of our story-telling. For instance, the house-lights lit the audience in a soft glow rather then blackness, startling screams were cut out of the show, the use of fog was decreased, and most notably during the preshow the actors playing Jacob Marley and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come were introduced to the audience to prepare them for some of the scarier scenes. These small changes paved the way for a wonderful night of theatre.
We had a very enthusiastic and attentive audience. They applauded more than any other. One woman leaving the theatre even told me “My favorite part of the show was the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come”! Most of the cast agreed that except for some light changes, this show felt very similar to performing for our student matinees. We were all very honored to be a part of tonight’s show and it was especially touching to receive a standing ovation at the end.
