Full Spectrum tweaks Harrell Theatre show for autism

March 23--When watching a play, the boy named Aiden would show strong reactions to sudden lights or sounds, especially bursts of applause.

"You could see it was painful to him," his father, Marques Brown, said. "He would sometimes get up and run right out of the room, screaming and crying."

Such sensitivities are common among people like Aiden, who's been diagnosed with autism. Aiden's reaction to applause made it harder for him to take part in birthday parties or share in the world of his parents: they're both theater teachers.

Aiden, 8, has learned to like the theater, his father said. He anticipates the applause when a song or a show is coming to an end and protectively covers his ears.

Marques Brown and his wife, Ashley Bugg Brown, operate a group called The Full Spectrum Theater Initiative, part of a bigger national movement to bring theater to people with autism and similar conditions.

Marques Brown, 39, said bringing theater to kids with autism matters because they often have a hard time connecting to the world around them. Sometimes art can help them make the connection, he said.

Brown will act as a liaison to Saturday's "sensory-friendly" performance of the musical "Pinkalicious" at The Harrell Theatre in Collierville. The event is sponsored by AutoZone and put on by New Day Children's Theatre.

Among the adjustments for kids with autism and other conditions: the house lights stay on, and no one objects if audience members make noise or decide to walk out, she said.

The volume of recorded music and sound effects is lower. The play starts at 10 a.m., to avoid interfering with bedtime routines. Clapping is discouraged, in favor of snapping fingers or raising hands in the air and shaking them.

"Our goal is to have everyone be able to come and enjoy theater," said Leanne Chasteen, executive director of the children's theater.

The performance illustrates how society is coming to terms with autism, a condition that affects an estimated one out of 68 children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The musical "Pinkalicious" tells the story of a little girl who eats so many pink cupcakes that she turns pink herself. Like other productions of the children's theater, it's performed by kids. Children also help run the lights and other backstage work.

The theater has been doing sensory-friendly performances since the fall of 2015, and unlike "Pinkalicious," other plays required some adjustments to the action on stage, Chasteen said. For instance, the firing of confetti cannons at the end of "The Little Mermaid" was scrapped. For a performance of "The King and I," a scene that involves whipping a runaway girl was likewise cut.

Brown said these shows are also appropriate for people with other conditions, such as Tourette syndrome, which can cause outbursts, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Tim McGee, 60, says his 25-year-old daughter Emily, has severe autism and doesn't speak. He said she likes Disney videos on Youtube, but tends to become disruptive in movie theaters. He heard about the sensory-friend performance of "The Little Mermaid" and brought her. Itwent well, he said, and he brought her to regular shows for a general audience, including "Beauty and the Beast" at Theatre Memphis.

Though Emily McGee can't speak, her giggles and body language make clear that she likes the shows. "She'll start grinning and gazing. And her head will bob with the music and her eyes will be just kind of wonder-filled with all the stuff going on. She'll just have a gaze of wonder in her face," her father said.

He plans to take her to "Pinkalicious" too. "When you go to these sensory-friendly plays you don't have to worry about being embarrassed if your child gets upset or makes noises. . . You feel like you're in a non-judgmental zone."

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