Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC), the resident theater company of Chautauqua Institution, today announced the introduction of Sensory-Friendly Performances and the return of pilot programs Pick Your Price (PYP) and Live Audio Descriptions (LAD) for the 2024 season. CTC is committed to fostering inclusivity and promoting the power of storytelling to all audiences.  

“As we shared in our open letter regarding CTC’s commitments to racial and social justice through the lens of IDEA, CTC is actively building the future of the American theater. In doing so, we aim to create space for culturally specific storytelling that leads to dialogue, understanding and empathy. To effectively push our mission forward, we must create a space where those of all abilities and socio-economic backgrounds feel welcome to come as they are to our theater, “shared Producing Artistic Director Jade King Carroll. “Under my leadership, I will continue to find opportunities to make theater accessible while intently working to understand where our industry is headed and all it can be.” 

SENSORY-FRIENDLY PERFORMANCES 

CTC is joining other arts organizations worldwide to make select performances sensory-friendly for neurodiverse audiences. Patrons can expect low house lights, creating a more calming environment with softer and less intense stage lighting and reduced sound levels to minimize sudden loud noises or jarring sounds. Movement around the theater is encouraged as needed. 

Performances selected as sensory-friendly include: 

Noah Haidle’s Birthday Candles — Tuesday, July 16 at 2:30 p.m.  

Lynn Nottage’s Fabulations, or The Re-Education of Undine — Thursday, Aug. 1 at 2:30 p.m. 

Kate Hamill’s The Light and The Dark (the life and times of Artemisia Gentileschi)– Tuesday, Aug. 13 at 7:30 p.m.  

PICK YOUR PRICE PERFORMANCES 

The PYP program is part of a larger movement within the arts, aiming to ensure that people of all socio-economic means can experience and grow their appreciation for the arts. CTC intends to empower individuals to make choices that align with their circumstances. This approach ensures that attending the theater remains within our community’s budgetary considerations: PYP enables people to contribute more generously if they wish or less, aligning with their budgets.  

Performances selected as Pick Your Price include: 

Noah Haidle’s Birthday Candles — Saturday, July 13 at 4:00 p.m.  

Lynn Nottage’s Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine — Saturday, Aug. 3 at 4:00 p.m. 

Kate Hamill’s The Light and The Dark (the life and times of Artemisia Gentileschi) — Saturday, Aug. 17 at 7:30 p.m.  

To learn more and access the Pick Your Price program, visit chq.theater.org/pyp to complete a form.   

LIVE AUDIO DESCRIPTION PERFORMANCES 

LADs are narrated depictions highlighting the crucial visual aspects of a theatrical presentation. These descriptions are read by a professional audio describer and are seamlessly integrated into pauses within the dialogue, enhancing accessibility for individuals who are blind or visually impaired, neurodiverse, or with attention or processing diagnoses. LAD is a complimentary service. 

Performances that will feature LAD: 

Noah Haidle’s Birthday Candles: 
Saturday, July 13 at 4:00 p.m. (Also a PYP performance)  
Tuesday, July 16 at 2:30 p.m. (Also a Sensory-Friendly performance) 

Lynn Nottage’s Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine: 

Wednesday, July 31 at 2:30 p.m. 
Saturday, Aug. 3 at 4:00 p.m. (Also a PYP performance) 

Kate Hamill’s The Light and The Dark (the life and times of Artemisia Gentileschi): 

Saturday, Aug. 17 at 7:30 p.m. (Also a PYP performance) 
Tuesday, Aug. 20 at 2:30 p.m. 

Please note the live audio description starts 15 minutes before the start of the performance. Please arrive at least 20 minutes prior to the performance start time if you wish to engage the LAD. 

Bratton Theater offers a range of accommodations for its patrons. Visit our website to learn more about Accessibility at Bratton Theater, CTC’s artistic home. 

ABOUT CHAUTAUQUA THEATER COMPANY  
Chautauqua Theater Company (CTC) produces high-quality, live theater in a vibrant nine-week summer season. We are committed to the development of new work, the next generation of theater artists, producing galvanizing world premieres as well as exceptional modern and contemporary plays, and infusing fresh insight into the classical canon.   

CTC is dedicated to becoming a national home for exciting new plays: commissioning, developing and producing new and established American playwrights. We are where the finest artists of tomorrow bridge the gap between their training and the professional world. CTC is actively building the future of the American theater. 

ABOUT CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION    
Chautauqua Institution is a not-for-profit, 750-acre community on Chautauqua Lake in southwestern New York State, where approximately 7,500 persons are in residence on any day during a nine-week season, and a total of more than 100,000 attend scheduled public events and even more engage online via the streaming channel CHQ Assembly. Chautauqua is dedicated to the exploration of the best in human values and the enrichment of life through a program that explores the important religious, social and political issues of our times; stimulates provocative, thoughtful involvement of individuals and families in creative response to such issues; and promotes excellence and creativity in the appreciation, performance and teaching of the arts. The Institution will celebrate its sesquicentennial in 2024.  

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