LENOX, Mass. – This March, Shakespeare & Company will stage sensory-friendly and open-captioned performances of the Northeast Regional Tour of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, directed by Kirstin L. Daniel and Kevin G. Coleman.
The sensory-friendly performance will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 15, at the Tina Packer Playhouse. A pre-show walk-through is planned for Friday, March 14, at 2:30 p.m. While all are welcome to attend, sensory-friendly performances have been adapted to be less overwhelming to the senses and are designed to welcome individuals with various sensory needs, including people on the autism spectrum, those living with cognitive, social, or physical challenges, first-time theatergoers, and others.
Modifications to the performance space, including reduced-intensity lighting and sound effects, dimmed house lights for the duration of the performance, a sensory-friendly guide that includes story synopses, theater maps, and other “what to expect” content, quiet spaces, communication boards, and opportunities to visit the theater the day before the performance to become familiar with the space, create a more relaxed environment.
On Saturday, March 22, the tour returns to stage two open-captioned performances at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Open captioning features a large projection screen above the stage, displaying the text the actors are reciting via “supertitles.” They are accessible to Deaf or hard-of-hearing audience members, though all are welcome to attend.
Shakespeare & Company's sensory-friendly and open-captioned performances were launched in 2023 through the generosity of the GKV Foundation. The 2025 Northeast Regional Tour of Shakespeare is made possible by Shakespeare in American Communities, a program of Arts Midwest, and support from the Virginia and Harvey Kimmel Fund, The Janey Fund Charitable Trust, Mill Town Foundation, and many others. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit shakespeare.org, or call the Box Office at (413) 637-3353. For more information about the pre-show walk-through for the sensory-friendly show, email Kirstin Daniel at kdaniel@shakespeare.org.
