The RHS Drama Club performed a sensory-friendly edition of the 2024 fall play, “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” for students with disabilities in the high school’s RISE (Realizing Individual Student Excellence) program. The special show took place during the school day on Wednesday, Nov. 13, in the auditorium.

“It was an amazing experience to be in front of an audience before opening night and to have a performance for people who may not be able to see the show otherwise,” freshman co-lead Samantha Walker said. “It was a truly rewarding performance to do.”

During the show, actors had their microphones turned down to limit the number of loud noises during the performance. Additionally, the lights never went completely dark, curtain changes were limited and the usage of sound effects and strobe lights was removed.

“We made sure to keep the actors mics lower than normal,” said senior Olivia Madayag-Williams, who worked the soundboard. “We took out loud sound effects such as the room-shaking boom and fire alarm.”

“The sensory-friendly performance is for those who are sensitive to loud sounds, strobe lighting and lighting effects,” explained junior Joshua Dobis, who worked the lights. “We edited our cues so that we wouldn’t have our strobe lights on during the mine explosion scene.”

This is something that RHS has never done before, and the results paid off. After every scene, the RISE students clapped and showed their appreciation for the show and the cast’s commitment to inclusivity.

“The event was a meaningful opportunity for the students to experience live theater while supporting two of their own classmates performing in the production,” RISE teacher Courtney Hernandez said.