Behind the curtain at autism-friendly Broadway shows

In 2015, an autistic boy disrupted a performance of “The King & I” on Broadway, reacting loudly to a scene where a slave is whipped. He and his mother were asked to leave the theater.

After the performance, one of the actors from the ensemble posted a reaction to the incident on Facebook. He wrote: “When did we as theater people, performers and audience members become so concerned with our own experience that we lose compassion for others?”

The Facebook post went viral.

What’s interesting is that Broadway was, in a way, responding to the “King & I” incident even before it happened. Theater leaders were working to create a safe environment for families with autistic children — a place to enjoy art free of discrimination — with special autism-friendly performances at musicals and plays.

“It just takes away all the stress of taking her to a typical show where, you know, she might yell a little too loud or clap a little too loud or want to jump up and down and it may not be acceptable,” says Carmen Mendez, whose daughter is autistic. “Here she can be herself.”