Open Door Theater Presents Cinderella March 16-24

Open Door Theater of Acton proudly presents “Cinderella” March 16 – 25 at the Dragonfly Theater at RJ Grey Junior High, 16 Charter Road, Acton. A cast and crew of over 150 people from Acton and surrounding towns have been working to make the impossible possible.

Based on the classic fairy tale, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s adaptation brings new life to the story of a young woman forced into servitude who dreams of – and achieves – a better life for herself and her community. "Cinderella" features some of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible,” and “Ten Minutes Ago.”

As guided by Open Door's inclusive philosophy to make theater accessible on both sides of the curtain, the cast of “Cinderella” includes people of all ages ranging from 9 to 76, from different towns, spanning all ranges of Abilities. “We have two Deaf principal actors, the Prince and the stepsister Gabrielle, who have separate voice actors with them on stage,” says director Alison Walters-Short of Sudbury. “We've been working with an ASL master to integrate these voice actors into the scenes; each one is working slightly differently, unique to the needs of the Prince and stepsister. We aim to make them a seamless and natural part of the production, and to show that adaptation for inclusion can be just another normal part of staging a show.”

The president of Open Door, Sam Gould of Boxborough, believes that non-traditional casting is important and often transformative to both audiences and performers. Not in spite of, but because of the diversity of population, Open Door’s productions are multifaceted and awe-inspiring. “In this company, we help each other discover our competencies and soar,” says Gould. “This enhances the quality of the production that we present.”

Over the company's 38-year history, Open Door has provided opportunities for underserved audiences to enjoy live theater. In addition to 3 ASL-interpreted performances on Friday, March 16 at 7:00 pm, Saturday March 17 at 1:00 pm, and Sunday, March 18 at 1:00 pm, there is an audio-described performance on Saturday, March 24 at 7:00 pm. There is also a sensory-friendly performance on Saturday, March 24 at 1:00 pm. A special page on Open Door’s website has been set up for families to learn more: www.opendoortheater.org/autismfriendly/. All performances of Cinderella will be open captioned using projections, which enhance the scenery and action on stage.

In 2017, Gould was recognized with a Community Partnership Award from the Federation for Children with Special Needs, demonstrating that Open Door Theater’s productions and process have a profound impact on differently-abled families.

Performance Dates and Tickets: To purchase tickets or learn more about Open Door’s special performances, please visit: www.opendoortheater.org.

General audience performances of "Cinderella" will take place March 16 (ASL-interpreted), March 23, and March 24 (audio described) at 7:00 pm with matinee performances on March 17, 18 (both ASL-interpreted) and 25 at 1:00 pm. Tickets for general performances of “Cinderella” are $12 each.
A special sensory-friendly performance will be held on Saturday, March 24 at 1:00 pm; tickets for this show are being offered at a discount of $10 each and are intended for people who need a sensory friendly performance environment and their family and friends.

Open Door is grateful to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, The Acton Boxborough United Way, The Foundation for MetroWest and Astra Foundation for its support of these programs.

Show Dates:
Friday, March 16, 2018 at 7:00pm (ASL-interpreted)
Saturday, March 17, 2018 at 1:00pm (ASL-interpreted)
Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 1:00pm (ASL-interpreted)
Friday, March 23, 2018 at 7:00pm
Saturday, March 24, 2018 at 1:00pm (Sensory-friendly)
Saturday, March 24, 2018 at 7:00pm (audio described)
Sunday, March 25, 2018 at 1:00pm

All performances will be open captioned.

Learn more at www.opendoortheater.org.