In 2016, Goodspeed offered its first-ever sensory-friendly performance. The program was designed in collaboration with the staff and students of Franklin Academy. Due to the success of that inaugural performance, Goodspeed is offering two this season, each specifically designed to alleviate overly-loud sounds, jarring noises and intense lighting for audience members with sensory processing issues.

The sensory-friendly performances will be "Oklahoma!" at 2 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam and "A Connecticut Christmas Carol" at 2 p.m. Dec. 10 at The Terris Theatre in Chester. These performances are recommended for those families and caregivers who are familiar with and accepting of behaviors exhibited by some individuals with autism — and would like to bring a loved one to the theater.

Tickets for these performances are being sold only to those on the spectrum and their families. To purchase tickets or ask questions about these performances, contact Kate Micari-Miller at (860) 615-0316 or kmicari@goodspeed.org.

Further augmenting its accessibility programming, Goodspeed has a new partnership with Theatre Development Fund through the National Open Captioning Initiative, a TDF program that offers two-year partnerships with regional theaters to sponsor open-captioned performances. The program provides theaters with additional resources to serve patrons with hearing loss more effectively and to increase attendance at the theater by people who are deaf or hard of hearing. For these performances, a small screen displaying the text of the show simultaneously with the performance will be mounted in the theater, and a select group of seats near the display will be available for those requiring this service.

Open captioning will be available for "Oklahoma!" at 8 p.m. Sept. 15 and "A Connecticut Christmas Carol" at 8 p.m. Dec. 8. Call (860) 873-8668 or email boxoffice@goodspeed.org.