For the first time in its more than 50-year history, Sanford H. Calhoun High School’s On Tour Company will present a sensory-friendly theater performance, expanding access to live theater for audience members with sensory sensitivities.
The sensory-friendly performance of The Old Man and the Old Moon will take place Jan. 24 at 2 p.m. in the Sal Salerno Little Theater. The production is part of the On Tour Company’s 2025–26 season and was developed through a student-driven initiative led by senior and 2025 Merrick Herald Person of the Year Nattie Martin, in collaboration with director James Crichton and the school’s Special Education Department.
Directed and musically directed by Crichton, The Old Man and the Old Moon is a play with music by PigPen Theatre Co. that follows a caretaker tasked with refilling the leaking moon with liquid light each night. When his wife mysteriously disappears, he leaves his post for the first time to find her, sending the world into darkness
Crichton said planning for the sensory-friendly performance began months in advance and required extensive behind-the-scenes coordination.
“We’ve been working very closely to make sure the production feels accessible to all,” he said. “This is our first time doing this, so we’re really trying to anticipate everything and make sure we’re prepared.”
Accommodations for the performance includes sensory kits with items such as fidget toys and noise-canceling headphones, modified lighting to avoid complete darkness, clearly designated quiet areas, and ushers trained to assist audience members as needed.
Because the play features moments of thunder, lightning and shadow puppetry, Crichton said the creative team had to rethink traditional technical elements.
“In a regular production, a blackout is a true blackout,” he said. “For this performance, the lights will never be completely off, so the actors have to stay fully committed to the scene at all times.”
Martin said those changes were embraced not only by the production team, but by the entire cast and crew.
“It’s been a great collaboration,” she said. “It hasn’t just been me and Mr. Crichton — the entire On Tour Company has been helping out, including our technical director and the actors themselves, who have been so willing to accommodate.”
She noted that the house lights will remain partially on throughout the performance to reduce stark contrasts between the stage and audience, and that audience members will be free to leave and re-enter the theater as needed.
“Even small changes can have a big impact,” Martin said. “This show is pretty minimalistic by nature, so it naturally lends itself to a sensory-friendly environment.”
Additional resources include a sensory and a character guide with photos and brief descriptions to help audience members know what to expect before the show begins.
Martin said initial reservations about how the idea would be received quickly faded once the cast understood the purpose behind the effort.
“I think there was curiosity at first, but once Mr. Crichton was fully on board, everyone else followed,” she said. “He showed us how professional productions like Hamilton do sensory-friendly performances, and that really helped everyone understand how important and normal this is in theater today.”
Crichton said the adjustments have enhanced both the production and the students’ growth as performers.
“It reinforces the importance of staying true to the story and the character,” he said. “That level of detail and commitment is something I’m very proud to see in these students.”
Martin, who attended sensory-friendly performances on Broadway and beyond, said she hopes the performance allows more people to experience theater in a welcoming environment.
“I hope audiences feel that this is an accessible experience for everyone, especially for people who might not otherwise be able to attend live theater,” she said. “And I hope this becomes something that continues, even after I graduate.”
Tickets for The Old Man and The Old Moon are $10 for adults and $8 for students and seniors. Additional performances will take place Jan. 17 at 2 and 7 p.m. and Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be reserved by calling the box office at (516) 992-1377 or on the On Tour Company’s Instagram page, @theontourcompany.
