Theater production caters to special needs children

MIAMI SHORES, Fla. (WSVN) -- A South Florida theater hosted a performance for children who would otherwise be unable to attend.

The Playground Theater hosted a sensory-friendly performance of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, Saturday.

Miami-Dade's Department of Cultural Affairs also took part by handing out fliers illustrating how the performance was made more accessible to kids with Autism and other sensory disorders. "This will be James' first play," said Tom, a special needs parent. "My wife and I go to the theater on occasion, but James just turned 4, so we're hopeful that he'll begin to see the benefits of theater and begin to like theater."

"Usually, they're not able to come to a regular play," said Cindy Gil, Playground Theater's Director of Public Relations. "This one, as I said, was really developed for them. We really went out of our way to make sure that everybody would be comfortable."

Organizers says live-action theater helps develop the minds of children and that many special needs kids would normally miss out with a regular performance.

(Copyright 2012 by Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)