Sensory-friendly interactive show takes center stage at Chicago Children's Theater

CHICAGO (WLS) -- An interactive adventure to engage the senses. The "Red Kite, Green Mountain" production at the Chicago Children's Theater takes us on a one of kind journey.

The latest production from the Chicago Children's Theater Red Kite Project takes us on a mountain journey like no other.

"[It's] tailored to and designed for children on the autism spectrum. We have performances which is what's going on right now, 'Red Kite, Green Mountain' which is that we call an adventure," said Jacqueline Russell, Chicago Children's Theater Co-Founder & Artistic Director. "So those are multi-sensory interactive pieces that are designed for children on the spectrum."

Students start out in what they call base camp preparing for the adventure with songs and activities.

"I loved that they had a nice staging area, a base camp area set up for us, everybody kind of seemed familiar with what our students needs were, they created a social story for us which is awesome," said Carrie Browne, a social worker with Easterseals.

Once settled in, the adventure begins!

"I think one of the things we strive to do is create an outdoor space indoors in that little room that we have our dedicated red kite room. So a lot of that is recreating the feeling of being in nature," Russell said.

The creators of "Red Kite, Green Mountain" say this is an interactive theatrical experience with live music and sensory moments created specifically for young people on the autism spectrum.

"We have to expect that anything introduced in the show will be touched, pulled on and possibly thrown and so we want to make sure we're bringing in things that are safe," Russell said.

The theater uses soft lights and sound to transition between scenes to allow students feel comfortable and to know what's going to happen next.

"I think create a welcoming environment, but also one alleviate some of the anxiety a lot of people on the spectrum experience when they are doing something new," she said.

"Red Kite, Green Mountain" still has four shows left for the season.

For more information visit: https://chicagochildrenstheatre.org/red-kite-green-mountain/