PORTAGE PARK — A special performance of the Filament Theatre Ensemble's twist on the classic fairy tale “Pinocchio” will be staged specifically for children on the autism spectrum or who have sensory-processing issues, officials said.
The performance will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Filament Theatre, 4041 N. Milwaukee Ave., officials said.
The production will not be as loud as a typical performance and the theater's lights will remain on during the performance. In addition, space will be provided for theater-goers to stand and move around, organizers said.
Before the performance, a fact sheet crafted by special education professionals will be available for parents to help to prepare young audience members for the production, officials said.
Filament’s production manager Elias Nelson, who also works as a special education paraprofessional at an elementary school in the suburbs, organized the production.
“So much of education, and special education, involves differentiated spaces where peers of all abilities are included," Nelson said in a statement. "But that value can and should extend beyond the walls of the classroom. I'm excited to be a part of creating a theater experience that is inclusive of and accessible to people of all abilities."
The much-loved fairytale centers on Pinocchio, a wooden puppet, carved by Geppetto, who dreams of becoming a real boy while struggling with honesty. The Filament Theatre Ensemble re-imagines the tale as a "folk musical" designed to appeal to the whole family.
Adapted by Tyler Beattie, the production features six actors playing "a menagerie of instruments" and takes audience members ages 4 and older on a trip from the "wood shop through the land of toys and into the belly of a whale and home again on a journey to learn what it is to be real," theater officials said.
Directed by Scott Ferguson and based on Carlo Collodi's novel, the production will run through March 13, a week longer than expected.
Tickets are $14 for children and $20 for adults and are available online.
For more information, call 773-270-1660.
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