March 28, 2024

Sensory friendly showings at Captiol II a hit

Kids can be themselves during “sensory friendly movies” at the Capitol II theatre

The best part about owning your business is that you get to make all the rules. When Dawn Bleeker and her husband Paul bought the Capitol II Theatre in Newton they realized that they had the opportunity to do things their way, including keeping their pet pig, Joy, in the lobby. After Dawn saw a Facebook post about autistic children being unable to enjoy going to the movie theatre she decided that she wanted to give those kids the same opportunity that everyone else had.

After hearing about her great nephew, who has Asperger’s syndrome Dawn realized that he wouldn’t be comfortable during a “mainstream” movie showing. The loud noises, and the near total darkness would make him uncomfortable, and she knew it’d be difficult for him to be as quiet as most theatregoers expected.

“When people pay for a movie, they’re expecting it to be quiet,” she said.

The Bleekers began showing “sensory friendly movies” one Saturday a month. The showings, which take place with the house lights halfway up, and the sound lowered are designed to create an environment where children with sensory issues can feel comfortable. It’s ok to talk during the movie, and if the someone feels the need to run up and down the aisles, that’s ok too.

“Some of the families that come in, they tell me it’s the first time that they’ve been able to watch a movie together in a theatre as a family,” Bleeker said.

The showings, which typically attract between 50-75 people are an important event for the Bleekers. They love interacting with the families and the children that come in, and Dawn said that she and her husband always make sure that they’re working at the theatre during the sensory friendly movies.

“We love seeing everyone come through the door,” she said. “For the new people, this might be their first time in a movie theatre.”

For Dawn and her husband the most rewarding part of the experience is being able to provide a safe space for children to express themselves, and be comfortable with who they are.

“People like to be able to come out as a family, knowing that they’re not being judged from others around,” Bleeker said. “It’s more of an accepting and inviting atmosphere.”

Heather Meyer, who brought her two sons to one of the showings said she appreciated having a place where she could feel comfortable with her kids. Her oldest son William, 4, has some developmental delays, both cognitive and intellectual. Even though he loves movies, he has difficulty sitting through an entire film.

“This was a way that we could go to a movie and the audience would be friendly and in a similar place as we are,” Meyer said.

Meyer said that she felt like the staff at the theatre went out of their way to accommodate her sons as well as the other children, understanding when she needed to take William out into the lobby to run off some excess energy.

She said that she’d like to bring her sons back to theatre for another showing, and Meyer said that both of her children were enamored with Joy, the Bleeker’s pet pig, and official theatre mascot. They watched Joy do a number of tricks, which she said made the whole experience more rewarding for children.

“My youngest, Grayson, is almost two, and he really took a liking to Joy,” Meyer said. “I would definitely like to come back and do it again.”

Contact David Dolmage at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or ddolmage@newtondailynews.com