See how this Long Beach show will be extra sensitive

The Long Beach Theatre Guild has been staging theatrical performances since 1972. Over the years it has produced more than 100 musicals, plays and murder mysteries.

Last year the organization added another genre to its repertoire: a sensory-friendly performance, intended primarily for children with sensory processing issues. When the brain struggles to manage information from the senses, such as light and sound — a condition often associated with autism — children may be overwhelmed by the nonstop external stimuli of a live performance.

The guild held its first sensory-friendly performance, of “The Wizard of Oz,” last November, with the stage lighting dimmed and the sound dialed down.

“Last year, the performance was predominantly for school-aged children,” said Nancy Gallinaro, who directed the show. “We handed out fidget spinners and earplugs, and had volunteers assist them.”

The show drew an audience of about 75, and the children responded positively. So there will be another sensory-friendly performance of the company’s new production this month. The guild will present “Peter Pan” in the Lindell Elementary School auditorium beginning on Oct. 28, and the second of four performances, on Oct. 29, at 2 p.m., will be sensory-friendly. And this time, not just children, but adults with sensory issues, have been invited as well.

A number of group homes across Long Island are expected to bring adults with sensory sensitivities to the show. As a result, Gallinaro expects the attendance to be at least double that of last year’s special “Oz” performance.

“We will have a full range of ages, from school-aged children to adults,” she said. “These are people that have sensory sensitivity, so loud noises, or flashes, or anything you’re not expecting, could be disruptive to them.”

Happily, one star of the show will require no changes: Tinker Bell already speaks softly.

There will be volunteers in the audience who can lead any attendees to a quiet room if they became overwhelmed or just need to separate themselves from the environment.

Gallinaro and the production team also work extensively with the cast, which consists of 35 children, teens and adults, the youngest of them 8 years old. They are told that because of the audience members’ sensory challenges, they may call out or make repetitive noises during the show. The cast is trained not to be thrown off by the distractions, and rather to perform through them.

“This is really hard, because our cast is generally really young,” Gallinaro said. “However, so many children are on the spectrum and are people they know, so it’s not that strange. The thing that’s different is that, normally, an audience is quieter.”

To further ease the stress on the sensitive audience members, and to keep them comfortable, they will be given sensory-friendly kits before the show that will include fidget spinners, earplugs and sensory cushions. Sensory cushions are just what they sound like, intended to make the seats more comfortable and allow their occupants to move around more freely if they are in need of distraction.

“We have a number of performances, but this performance is specifically geared for people with sensory issues,” said Phelaine Isaacs, one of the show’s producers. “We’re very excited about this. We know that last year, the people who came enjoyed it, and we know that the people this year are also going to enjoy the performance.”

The regular performances of “Peter Pan” are scheduled for Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 4, at 7:30, and Nov. 5, at 2 p.m. All shows will be in the Lindell Elementary auditorium, and tickets can be purchased on the guild’s website, LBTheatreGuild.org, or by calling (516) 432-2600.

Those interested in volunteering can email LBTheatreGuild@optonline.net.