Culture
ABC Players to produce sensory-friendly show ‘F Is for Friends’ at Stuart’s April 19
By: Rosie Wong
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NELSONVILLE, Ohio (WOUB) – The ABC Players’ sensory-friendly production F Is for Friends opens Saturday at Stuart’s Opera House (52 Public Square). The show features choreographed songs about friendship and a musical play based on the Winnie the Pooh stories.
In this episode of Conversations from Studio B, WOUB’s Rosie Wong sat down with ABC Players member Celeste Parsons and actor Chad Kopenski to discuss how the production came to life. Listen to their conversation by clicking “play” in the Soundcloud widget above.
A longtime member of the ABC Players, Parsons was inspired to create a sensory-friendly theater experience by asking a simple question: “Can we do something that will give people a chance to come to a show where they can be themselves?”
Drawing from her childhood joy acting out Winnie the Pooh stories for her family, Parsons saw the characters’ relationships as a perfect fit for the show’s theme.
“They give each other attention and make each other feel better,” Parsons said. “So I thought it integrated very nicely with the whole idea of friends—what friends are and how they act.”
With friendship at its core, Parsons and Kopenski hope the production will spark conversations with and among neurodivergent audience members, offering them a meaningful, accessible way to engage with live theater.
Kopenski, who comes from a family with sensory sensitivities, emphasized the importance of representation and connection in the production.
“For many people who identify as neurodivergent, forging and maintaining meaningful connections can be difficult,” he said. “So this play is very much about reaching that audience—giving them something they can relate to and enjoy.”
The production prioritizes sensory sensitivity by using regular room lighting instead of bright theater lights, replacing loud sounds with low-key instrumentation, and offering flexible seating so audience members can experience the performance in a way that suits them.
Parsons stressed that the ABC Players should provide a space where audience members can respond to the performance however they wish—without fear of judgment or violating unspoken social rules.
While F Is for Friends is tailored to those with sensory sensitivities, the production is open to all community members. Parsons and Kopenski said they hope the show helps foster a sense of connection between the cast and the audience, as well as among the audience themselves.
“F Is for Friends” will be performed at Stuart’s Opera House at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free, but organizers ask attendees to register through the venue’s events page at stuartsoperahouse.org/events.