Luna Stage Holding Sensory-Friendly Show Inspired By Migrant Kids

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of Luna Stage. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Luna Stage in West Orange will present a sensory-friendly performance of Ramón Esquivel’s "Luna," a bilingual play in Spanish and English for all ages, on Sunday, July 21 at 11 am. "Luna" is an imaginative and hopeful tale of friendship, inspired by stories of migrant kids and their families. The full production runs July 20 to 28 at Luna Stage.

The sensory-friendly performance is designed especially to create a welcoming, inclusive, and relaxed experience for individuals on the autism spectrum, with sensory sensitivities, or with other special needs. Slight adjustments to the production will include reduction of jarring sounds and lighting cues.

Audience members will be invited to enter the theatre at 10:30 am to familiarize themselves with the surroundings. During the performance, audience lighting will remain on to reduce anxiety. A welcoming seating area in an adjoining room will be available, for those patrons who wish to move around the space or take a break from the production. Resource materials will also be available beforehand so patrons can familiarize themselves with the storyline, characters and context.

"Luna" tells the funny and hopeful story of Soledad, who sings and dances with the stars and moon every night. Her family is always on the move, so it's easier to talk to Luna, the moon, than to other kids. But Soledad has always wanted to have human friends, so one day she tries something new. This universal tale will speak to everyone who has ever struggled to make friends and keep them.

The production will include original music by Cooper Davis and features members of StudioLuna’s Performance Conservatory Teen Ensemble in conjunction with adult performers. It is directed by Luna Stage Artistic Associate Chris Kuiken.

Tickets are $15 and are available at LunaStage.org/LunaThePlay. Purchase Before July 15 for discounts.

• $10 with code LUNA10, purchase by July 15 (limit 4 per purchase)
• $30 for Family Pack of 4 tickets with code LUNAFAM, purchase by July 15
• *Sensory-Friendly Performance – July 21 at 11 am
• Regular Performances July 20, 27, 28 at 11 am
• Running Time: 50 minutes, no intermission

About the Aritsts

Chris Kuiken is the 2018-2019 Artistic Resident at Luna Stage. He was the assistant director to Ari Laura Kreith for Luna’s Mainstage productions of Heartland and Pirira. He directed readings of Bees and Honey and three girls never learnt the way home for Luna’s New Moon Series. He also directed a series of plays for New Jersey's One-Minute Play Fest at Mile Square Theatre. Other directorial credits include William Finn’s A New Brain at Boston University, and COMBAT, an original piece that was devised and performed in 24 hours at Boston University. Chris is a teaching artist for StudioLuna's Youth Creative Response Team and Valley Stories Project. As an actor, Chris has performed in the NY International Fringe Festival as Ari in Black and Blue, and as Tom Watson in Jason Robert Brown’s Parade at the Huntington Theatre in Boston.

Ramón Esquivel is a writer and educator based in Seattle. His plays have been produced in New York City; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Vancouver, British Columbia; Seattle and elsewhere in North America. His play The Shahrazad Society won the 2014 Aurand Harris Memorial Playwriting Award from the New England Theatre Conference. Three works, Nasty, Nocturnal and Luna, are published through Dramatic Publishing. Nocturnal is also part of New Visions/New Voices: 25 Years/25 Plays, an anthology commemorating the Kennedy Center festival, and Luna is featured in the upcoming Palabras del Cielo: An Exploration of Latin@ Theatre for Young Audiences. He has degrees in history from Yale University, educational theatre from New York University and creative writing from the University of British Columbia.

StudioLuna’s Performance Conservatory Teen Ensemble is a four-week program which allows performers between the ages of 11 and 17 to build individual technique and learn about themselves as performers, explore their own abilities, and refine their skills. Admission is by audition only. Those accepted participate in a focused rehearsal process of Ramon Esquivel's bilingual Spanish-English play Luna, culminating in four public performances on Luna Theatre's MainStage as well as a week-long tour to summer programs and schools in surrounding communities.

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