By Sol de Maria Rodriguez
Cincinnati Opera has made a longstanding commitment to accessibility, celebrating diversity, and creating spaces where audiences of all kinds can feel comfortable, included, and welcomed.
In 2022, Cincinnati Opera collaborated with Cincinnati Children's Hospital to present a sensory-friendly rehearsal of the opera The Pirates of Penzance. The Opera partnered closely with Cincinnati Children’s physician Dr. Jennifer Smith, Director of the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program, who assisted with developing the event concept by providing valuable insights into the unique needs of individuals with sensory challenges.
The event was a success, attracting close to 250 participants and offering families the opportunity to enjoy the live opera experience in a relaxed and comfortable environment. Cincinnati Opera and Music Hall staff received advanced training on providing appropriate assistance to patrons, and quiet rooms* with resources like coloring pages, widgets, snacks, and water were provided. Additionally, Cincinnati Opera made noise-canceling headphones and padded seat cushions available for those who needed them. Accessible signs were placed to guide attendees throughout the building, and Cincinnati Opera’s production team ensured that the audience was made aware of any elements of the performance that could be overwhelming, such as loud noises or bright lights, and worked to mitigate them wherever possible.
This year, Cincinnati Opera is building on this effort by hosting two special events: a sensory-friendly rehearsal of The Barber of Seville and an accessible performance of Madame Butterfly.
For the Barber rehearsal, in addition to the previously established protocols, Dr. Smith has again collaborated with Cincinnati Opera to identify any elements in the production that may require warnings or modifications to ensure a completely sensory-friendly experience for the audience. The company anticipates approximately 300 guests to visit Music Hall for this event.
See here for more details about The Barber of Seville's sensory-friendly rehearsal.
On July 29, Cincinnati Opera will host Access Night in conjunction with its closing performance of Madame Butterfly, when special resources will be made available to audience members who may be visually and/or hearing impaired. Developed in partnership with the Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI) and Cincinnati Children's, the event will offer patrons access to large-print programs, braille programs, audio descriptions, and assistive listening systems.
See here for more details about Access Night.
In addition to these initiatives, Cincinnati Opera recently enhanced its website to offer greater accessibility to a wide variety of users, including text magnification, audio description, and translation into multiple languages, among tools.
Do you have suggestions for ways Cincinnati Opera can be more accessible? Please share your thoughts with us at info@cincinnatiopera.org.
* A quiet room is a special place where children can go if they feel overwhelmed. It's a calm space where families can relax, take a break, or step away from other activities.
Support for the Sensory-Friendly Rehearsal is provided by The William Plott Sensory Fund and the Charles H. Dater Foundation. Macy’s is proud to partner with Cincinnati Children’s Starting Our Adventure Right (SOAR) program to make these events accessible to more children and families. SOAR is made possible by Macy’s support.