No shushing, no stares: sensory-friendly performances invite neurodivergent audiences: The Wake Up for Friday, Dec. 1, 2023

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If you can’t sit still for two hours, can you experience the joy of seeing professional ballet? If you can’t stand loud noise, are you forever shut out of the orchestra?

A growing number of local arts nonprofits are ensuring they welcome everyone — including those who are neuroatypical — by offering sensory-friendly performances.

People whose brains process sensory information differently might need low lighting, warnings about loud noises, quiet rooms and detailed information about what to expect at the venue in order to enjoy plays and museum galleries. That includes conditions like attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder, Down syndrome, intellectual disabilities, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, sensory processing disorders and social anxiety.

“We’re making it so that even more people are able to come in and have an experience with the art that blows their minds,” said Bradley Wyner, director of education at Milestones Autism Resources, which partnered with the art museum to develop Sensory-Friendly Saturdays.

‘Tis the season for holiday performances – now, for all.

– Laura

Cavs vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Cavs booed off their home floor in sloppy 103-95 loss to Portland Trail Blazers

Browns at Los Angeles Rams: 4:25 p.m. Sunday, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif. TV: WJW Channel 8. Radio: WKRK FM/92.3, WNCX FM/98.5, WKNR AM/850.

Northeast Ohio weather: Rainy, mild weekend ahead

Sensory-friendly: The Beck Center for the Arts, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Orchestra, and Theatre Agape and Talespinner Children’s Theatre are among the Northeast Ohio arts nonprofits tapping into the trend of sensory-friendly productions. Julie Washington reports the orchestra held its first sensory-friendly family concert in November because it saw a need for a truly inclusive concertgoing experience.

Homeless in CLE: In October, advocates for the unhoused began sounding alarms, telling officials there wouldn’t be enough resources to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness during the winter. Then winter weather arrived. Lucas Daprile reports that Cuyahoga County officials say their priority is funding traditional shelters and the wraparound services provided there, but homelessness advocates say the seasonal shelter program — a critical resource for many during the worst weather conditions — lacks funding and many shelters have yet to open this year.

Fracking lawsuit: Several environmental organizations announced a lawsuit Thursday seeking to block state approval of fracking for oil and gas in a state park and two protected wildlife areas, reports Jake Zuckerman. The lawsuit asks the Ohio Supreme Court to review the Oil and Gas Land Management Commission’s decision to approve seven requests to open tracts spanning thousands of acres for fracking at Salt Fork in Guernsey County, plus smaller swaths of Valley Run Wildlife Area in Carroll County and Zepernick Run Wildlife Area in Columbiana County.

Today in Ohio: Secretary of State Frank LaRose admitted that abortion opponents helped him craft the ballot language for Issue 1 in a way meant to benefit their campaign to defeat the measure. We’re talking about how LaRose says he represents conservative interests, rather than the voters of the entire state, on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast.

Redistricting campaign: The campaign to put a redistricting reform amendment up for a statewide vote next year has begun gathering the hundreds of thousands of voter signatures needed for the measure to qualify. A spokesperson for Citizens Not Politicians said the group’s representatives are fanning out across the state, including sending volunteers to Cleveland, reports Andrew Tobias.

Rethinking Child Care: Parents in the United States were being forced to find alternative childcare options for their children, even ahead of the recent cutoff of emergency pandemic funding for childcare centers. Zachary Smith reports the United States has an estimated 62.7 million parents with children under 18 — 50.7 million of whom are in the workforce.

COVID-19 numbers: The number of new COVID-19 cases in Ohio increased this week, averaging 1,604 a day during the stretch that included the Thanksgiving holiday, the state health department reported Thursday. Julie Washington reports a total of 12,835 new cases were reported over eight days in the latest update.

Sugar treating cancer: Sugar is bad for the cells in the body in a lot of ways, and now a group of researchers studying pancreatic cancer at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer has discovered it’s bad for cancer cells, too. Gretchen Cuda Kroen reports that researchers found that in the presence of glucose – the simple form of sugar our cells use for fuel – pancreatic cancer cells become more sensitive to chemotherapy.

Sports betting: Ohioans bet another $748 million on sports in October, making it the second highest monthly total the state has recorded so far, reports Sean McDonnell. The only month with a stronger bet total was January, which is when Ohio launched legal sports betting to the tune of $1.1 billion of bets.

Electricity costs: Electricity costs will stay stable for hundreds of thousands of Northeast Ohioans now that NOPEC has announced a new price that it will lock in until May, reports Sean McDonnell. From December through the May meter reading, NOPEC says its standard price will be 6.6 cents per kilowatt hour. This is up slightly from the 6.45 cents NOPEC customers currently pay, but cheaper than the 9.6 cents or higher that many customers would get by default if they didn’t have NOPEC as an option.

Christmas cookies: It’s not everyone’s idea of fun to spend hours in the kitchen baking different kinds of cookies to complete holiday trays. If you’re looking for all of the wow factor of a festive cookie tray without all of the work, Alex Darus has 31 bakeries in Northeast Ohio offering festive cookie trays for the holiday season.

Hollie Strano: Longtime WKYC Channel 3 on-air meteorologist Hollie Strano pleaded guilty Thursday to operating a vehicle under the influence involving a Thanksgiving night crash in Summit County, Molly Walsh reports. Two other charges, having a blood-alcohol level three times above the legal limit and a lane violation, were dismissed.

Stuffed in a tote: A Cleveland man who brutally beat a 60-year-old woman and locked her inside a plastic tote for several hours was sentenced Thursday to at least 16 years in prison, reports Cory Shaffer. Dalontay Edmond-Geiger left the woman with broken ribs and a broken neck that left her partially paralyzed.

Officer killing: An appeals court on Thursday upheld the aggravated murder conviction of the woman who shot and killed Shane Bartek, the off-duty Cleveland police officer who died in a carjacking. The decision means that Tamara McLoyd, 20, will remain imprisoned for life without a chance at parole, reports Cory Shaffer.

Football players sentenced: Two former standout prep running backs were sentenced to life in prison Thursday for the drive-by shooting that killed a 13-year-old Euclid boy, reports Cory Shaffer. Duane Jackson, a Benedictine High School tailback who was being recruited to play Division I college football, and former Euclid High School and Ginn Academy back Leroy Billips will not be eligible for parole until each serves 32 years behind bars.

Trickbot: A Russian man on Thursday admitted to his role in the cybergang Trickbot that attacked millions of computers around the world with ransomware, including those in hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic. Adam Ferrise reports Vladmir Dunaev, 40, pleaded guilty in federal court in Cleveland to conspiracy to commit computer fraud and conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud.

Dealer sentenced: A Cleveland drug dealer was sentenced to more than 39 years in prison for selling cocaine mixed with fentanyl to an Olmsted Falls man, who later died from an overdose, Adam Ferrise reports. Willie Pratt Jr. intends to appeal his conviction, his lawyer says.

Candy crash: Chocolate and caramel coated a portion of Interstate 90 on Thursday morning after two tractor-trailers crashed in Lake County, temporarily closing the westbound lanes, reports Molly Walsh. The accident occurred at 6:08 a.m. in Concord Township and lanes re-opened at about 8 a.m.

Gun dealer: A federal judge on Thursday sentenced an illegal gun dealer to five years in prison for helping to rob a government informant, reports Adam Ferrise. U.S. District Judge Bridget Brennan’s sentence means Jesse Varner will serve a total of eight years and three months in prison. He already had been sentenced to three years and three months for gun trafficking.

DaLaun Dillard: After nearly three years at WEWS Channel 5, anchor/reporter DaLaun Dillard is moving on. The native of Battle Creek, Michigan, joined the local ABC affiliate in May 2021 after two years working at a station in Omaha, Nebraska. During much of his time here he co-anchored the 5 p.m. newscast alongside Courtney Gousman, reports Joey Morona.

Colors of Kyoto: “Colors of Kyoto: The Seifu Yohei Ceramic Studio” is an exhibition focusing on five generations of a Japanese artistic dynasty whose members are known for making superb wares with a deliciously refined sense of color, materiality and decorative design. Steven Litt reports the exhibit enthralls with a quiet intimacy, akin to sipping a beautifully brewed cup of tea from a delicate porcelain cup.

‘Nutcracker’: Introduced to local audiences by the Cleveland Ballet in the early 1980s, “The Nutcracker” has become a beloved holiday tradition in Northeast Ohio, joining the Public Square tree lighting, Great Lakes Theater’s staging of “A Christmas Carol” and Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Christmas show as an annual rite of winter. Joey Morona reports that there are more than 10 productions of “The Nutcracker” being staged here this holiday season.

Ski guide: This week’s blast of cold temperatures and lake-effect snow gave Cleveland-area skiers and snowboarders something to cheer. Several popular regional ski resorts are opening this week, including Holiday Valley in western New York, Boyne Mountain in Michigan and Snowshoe in West Virginia. Susan Glaser has her annual ski guide.

Things to do: This weekend marks the beginning of December, which means Northeast Ohioans are beyond ready to embrace all of the holiday happenings going on around town. From holiday markets to theme parties, there’s no shortage of things to do in Greater Cleveland this weekend and beyond. Alex Darus lists 35 things to do this weekend.

Don’t forget, you can always find the latest Cleveland news by visiting cleveland.com. If you value the hard work of Cleveland journalists, consider becoming a cleveland.com subscriber.

— Curated by Laura Johnston with contributions by Cliff Pinckard

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