To the Editor:

On Wednesday, October 23, McCarter Theatre Center was proud to present a “relaxed” performance of The White Snake, the second play in our 2013-14 main stage theater series. British theaters coined the term “relaxed” performance to describe a performance that provides a safe environment for individuals with developmental challenges and their families. Last season McCarter offered its first ever “autism-friendly” production. Based on the success of that performance, as well as feedback we received, we worked to open our doors to a larger group of individuals with learning differences and other sensory and communication needs. The performance adheres to the same high artistic standards as our usual work, but small tweaks are made (mostly to the technical aspects of the production) to create a comfortable environment for those patrons who may have heightened sensitivity to sensory stimulation. For example, the lights in the house remain at a low level throughout and loud or sudden sound and light cues are scaled back. We allow people to exit and enter the theater as needed; we do not “shhh…” or tell them to be quiet; we have a quiet room where they can go to calm down and have an activity room where they can release some energy. We are planning other such performances and will continue to reach out into the community to promote this program.

We are honored to partner with Eden Autism Services, Arc Mercer and Westminster Presbyterian Church in Trenton, all of whom provided invaluable assistance to alerting their communities to this event, arranging transportation and providing professional staff to assist during the performance.

I also want to thank the cast of The White Snake and my colleagues at McCarter who worked together to create a magical evening for the audience of 230 individuals. For many in the audience, it was their first-ever experience of live theatre.

For more information about the relaxed performance, check out the website: www.mccarter.org/thewhitesnake/4-events/relaxedperformance.html.

Thomas J. Muza

General Manager