TDF Stages

Meet the consultant with autism who helps TDF present Autism Friendly Performances

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TDF's Autism Friendly Performances wouldn't be the same without Harry Smolin. While he's quick to point out that he collaborates with a team on the program, which presents Broadway shows in a welcoming and supportive environment for individuals on the spectrum, Smolin is the only consultant who has autism.

"Here, I feel like my autism is my superpower," Smolin says about his work with TDF. "I can use it to help others enjoy the thing I love most."

Smolin has adored theatre his entire life. His family introduced him to live entertainment systematically, starting with Sesame Street Live and Disney on Ice and slowly working up to Broadway. Since he's a huge Disney fan, his first three shows were Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins and The Lion King. By the time he joined TDF as an Autism Specialist in 2013, he was already a seasoned theatregoer even though he was still a teenager.

"A therapist, who I've worked with since I was 4 years old, knew the behavioral therapist consulting on the Autism Friendly Performances at the time and suggested I'd be a good fit," he recalls about his introduction to TDF. "I've wanted to be in show business since I was a little boy. Now I'm living the dream in a sense."

Over the past 11 years, Smolin has previewed more than two dozen Broadway shows for TDF, making recommendations for adjustments in sound, lighting and other content that could aggravate audiences with autism. "I sit right in the middle of the action, so I have the full sensory experience at a typical performance," he says. "I take notes on what bothered me and what would make it easier for me. TDF uses these notes to suggest modifications to the show. I meet with the show's cast and the house staff for a training session and to talk about my experience of seeing the show from the perspective of someone who has autism. I also speak to the show's volunteers and then I volunteer with them. It's a really fun process."

Smolin says each show has different challenges, some anticipated, others not. "Anything that triggers a sensory aspect for me is hard, whether it's food smells, stage fog or a costumed character in the aisle, like Cats," he says. "A show where I was bothered and did not expect to be was Hadestown, especially the lighting. It was so bright I had to duck. That's not helpful when you're trying to concentrate on the show you're previewing." Thanks to Smolin's feedback, Hadestown is hosting its second autism-friendly performance next Sunday, August 18.

A lot has changed over the past decade for TDF's Autism Friendly Performances and for Smolin himself. The program has welcomed many new shows, including long-running favorites such as the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes® and Hamilton, which will present its first-ever autism-friendly performance in June 2025. Meanwhile, Smolin graduated from high school and then college summa cum laude with a BA in Communications from Western Connecticut State University, and went on to earn a graduate certificate in Arts Leadership and Cultural Management from the University of Connecticut. He works at a movie theatre in addition to his TDF duties and notes that Lisa Carling, Director of TDF Accessibility Programs, and fellow consultant Becca Yuré have been a joy to collaborate with all these years. 

He's excited to see that shows beyond Broadway are starting to present sensory-adapted performances—he actually consulted on a Fiasco Theater production with TDF earlier this year. But he has some advice for theatres looking to welcome audiences with autism. "The most important thing is access," he says. "Some people think just lower the sound, raise the lights and that's it. But you need access to all levels of the theatre, all seating areas and especially the restrooms. I was at a recent show where there was a line for the ladies' restroom that extended into the orchestra and made the aisle impassable. If you have claustrophobia, that's not a good place to be. Know your show and know your venue, because some lend themselves to this better than others."

As Smolin prepares to help TDF kick off our 13th season of Autism Friendly Performances next weekend, he says he's gratified that many of the now standard accommodations were inspired by his own experiences. "When I was little, I always used to bring a bag of green grapes with me to the theatre," he explains. "They were comfort food, and they helped me relax when I was nervous. At one show, an usher took the bag of green grapes away from me. We tried to explain why I needed them, but rules were rules. No outside food or drink in the theatre. Because of that, TDF now lets you bring any comfort item of your choice to Autism Friendly Performances, whether it's a toy, a pillow or a snack.

"Also, when my family and I saw Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, we had seats right next to a bank of speakers. I have hypersensitive hearing. Everything sounds louder to me than it does to a typical person. So, the sound was so hard for me, it actually physically hurt. Now TDF shows the locations of the speakers so you can choose your seats for comfort. I'm proud I helped make those changes."

And he's proud to be a member of the Broadway community. He has become friendly with so many actors and stage managers that going to a show "always feels like coming home. Everyone is so kind and supportive. You hear about how welcoming of diversity Broadway is, and it is true. I really love what I do."

Read more about TDF's Autism Friendly Performances or donate to support our Accessibility Programs.

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