NEW YORK CITY: Seats on the Spectrum, a new accessibility initiative, has partnered with Roundabout Theatre Company and New 42’s New Victory Theater to pilot a program making mainstream performances welcoming to audience members on the autism spectrum. The undertaking, in collaboration with Theater Development Fund (TDF), aims to demonstrate to the field at large what more comprehensive inclusion might look like.

“As the mother of a child on the spectrum, I know firsthand the barriers to entry in our shared cultural spaces,” said Adrienne Willis, founding director of Seats on the Spectrum, in a statement. “Too often, the conversation around neurodivergence focuses on challenges rather than solutions. And while a handful of accessible performances during the run of a particular theatre production is a wonderful first step, it can unwittingly further marginalize and segregate a chronically underserved community. Imagining the sense of inclusion and the palpable joy Seats on the Spectrum will generate among this same community is the driving force behind the initiative we’ve undertaken. To have Roundabout Theatre Company, the New Victory Theater, and TDF— leading lights in the industry—and government officials rally around this shared cause gives me so much hope for the future.”

Globally, neurodivergent people make up between 15 to 20 percent of the adult population. The U.S. childhood rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is currently 2.83 percent and growing. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) researchers have reported that ASD rates in the United States increased from one in 150 children in 2 000 to one in 54 in 2016, and the rate now stands at one in 36 children. Approximately 10 percent of individuals in the U.S. are either autistic or the immediate family member of someone on the spectrum.

According to the Broadway League, 12.3 million people attended a Broadway show in the 2022-23 session, but there were only five performances tailored to audience members on the spectrum. At most, those performances served 9,000 neurodivergent attendees and caregivers—less than one percent of the total annual Broadway audience—when individuals on the spectrum represent nearly three percent of the Broadway population.

“New 42 and the New Victory have been on a journey for many years to create spaces where neurodivergent audiences feel not only welcome but a true sense of belonging,” said New 42 president and CEO Russell Granet in a statement. “Our partnership with Seats on the Spectrum helps us to prioritize this work and bring it to the next level. This fall, 10,000 school kids and 20,000 kids and their caregivers will benefit from the services enhanced through this partnership, furthering our aim to bring extraordinary arts and cultural engagement to all of New York City’s young theatregoers. By engaging deeply in this work, we can envision a theatre landscape that is accessible for all at every performance.”

Seats on the Spectrum opted to undertake their first pilot with Roundabout and the New Victory Theater since both organizations have demonstrated a commitment to increasing accessibility. The New Victory, for instance offers support items such as sensory fidgets, foam earplugs, light-sensitivity sunglasses, induction neckloops, and more. They also offer select performances with light and sound elements adjusted for patrons with sensory sensitivities, American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation at select performances and assisted listening devices for all performances, and audio-description for patrons who are blind or have low vision. Roundabout offers a long-running sign-interpreted series, assisted listening devices, pre-recorded captioning and audio description through GalaPro, and relaxed performances at select performances.

Numerous Off-Broadway institutions have begun to offer one or more relaxed performances to each of their productions. While these performances are crucial for those needing sensory modifications, relaxed performances are not necessarily for everyone in need of accommodations. Seats on the Spectrum provides more comprehensive support, making available tickets to mainstream performances to avoid segregation and achieve greater equity. These performances include Roundabout’s production of David Henry Hwang’s Yellow Face at the Todd Haimes Theatre (after the Oct. 1 opening, through the closing on Nov. 24), Theresa Heskins’s adaptation of The Princess and the Pea (Oct. 19-27), Baba Bird Theater Company’s Baba Yaga and the Firebird (Nov. 9-17), and Cirque Mechanics’ Yuletide Factory (Nov. 23 – Dec. 29) at the New Victory Theater.

The pilot will also include other accommodations, training and education measures, and advocacy. Other pilot elements include:

• Social narrative development: Seats on the Spectrum, with Roundabout and the New Victory, and in collaboration with the Anderson Center for Autism, is developing a social narrative template that can be updated for each performance to assist neurodiverse attendees in understanding and preparing for the show.
• Dedicated seating: The theatres will offer designated aisle seats with easy access to exits that will be indicated on seating/ticketing map. Over the three-month pilot, and between Roundabout and the New Victory, Seats on the Spectrum tickets will be available for 96 performances.
• Front-of-house enhancements: Seats on the Spectrum will work with the theatres to update the front-of-house experience in ways that minimize stress and sensory overload for neurodiverse attendees. Offerings will include the option for Seats patrons to pre-purchase sensory bags containing calming items (such as fidget toys and noise-canceling headphones), as well as flexible entry options such as early seating upon arrival or late seating after the audience is settled, which will reduce exposure to large crowds during peak entry times.
• Pre-show space access and tours: Seats on the Spectrum will facilitate pre-show access and tours to familiarize neurodiverse attendees with the theatre environment. 
• Cozy area expansion pre-performance and during performances: In collaboration with Seats on the Spectrum, the theatres will expand and optimize designated cozy areas to accommodate sensory needs.
• Staff training: Seats on the Spectrum will train ushers and front-of-house staff to support and service neurodiverse patrons. Training will also address neurotypical-patron management for when issues arise.  
• Educational materials: Information to increase awareness and sensitivity among general audiences will be developed and distributed.

“For far too long, performing arts patrons on the autism spectrum have not had the opportunity to enjoy Broadway and Off-Broadway shows commensurate with neurotypical patrons,” said N.Y. senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal in a statement. “Their access has been limited to laudable but infrequently staged performances geared to individuals on the spectrum. The time has come for theatres’ practices to be updated so that when someone on the spectrum wants to see a show, they are able to do so. Seats on the Spectrum aims to lead the way in setting standards that will be adopted across the country and beyond.”  

Seats on the Spectrum is the latest incarnation of the nonprofit established in 2000 by philanthropist Solange MacArthur to address critical gaps in the performing arts field and develop industry-wide solutions. In 2018, the organization built and opened LUMBERYARD Center for Film and Performing Arts in Catskill, N.Y., which was the only facility and program in the United States dedicated to providing theatre and dancemakers with technical rehearsals that culminate in out-of-town workshops or premieres. LUMBERYARD provided over 80 artists and their companies with the space, time, and technical and design support they needed to fully realize their creative visions. LUMBERYARD concluded its technical residency program in 2023 to focus on Seats on the Spectrum.