09/02/2026
Calling all the Philadelphia and surrounding area's Blind and Low Vision groups and individuals. Here is a listing of accessible, audio described performances in our area, kindly put together for us by the Audio Description Learning Network (ADLN) and their admin, Simon Bonenfant. We hope you will take advantage of these excellent offerings! Hello ADLN Community,
This is ADLN admin Simon Bonenfant. I hope all is well, and that you’re looking forward to the upcoming Labor Day weekend!
Below you will find the audio described events from September 12 to October 15. There are 14 events in total, the largest we’ve ever had!
I’m delighted to spotlight two performances featured in the 30th annual Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Lunar Retreat and The Holy Fool, both of which I’m a consultant for. Read on for all the details about these and other events below!
September 8, 2026 (Tuesday)
Event: From Nature to Nylons: A Touch-Based History of Textiles
Venue: Science History Institute
Time: 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Description: “Created in collaboration with Philly Touch Tours, Touch Tours is a recurring program taking place on the second Tuesday of every month. This touch-based tour offers guests a private learning experience that combines a personally guided exploration of select gallery exhibits and a hands-on study of objects from our collections.
From Nature to Nylons begins with an introduction to natural fibers, such as wool and linen, and moves on to the development of plastics and synthetic materials like nylon and Gore-Tex. Guests will leave with a better understanding of how these fibers changed our world, and how the changing world influenced our desire for advanced high-tech textiles.
This tour is specifically designed to engage guests who are blind and visually impaired. We also strive to be inclusive for all visitors with various abilities. Please reach out to communicate your accessibility needs.
Reservations for the touch tour are required, and participation is restricted to 10 guests. Because reservations are limited, guests are encouraged to register early. To register, use the form provided on the event page.”
Website: https://www.sciencehistory.org/visit/events/from-nature-to-nylons-a-touch-based-history-of-textiles-202609/
Special Notes: If you have any questions or would like to pay cash for the tour, email [email protected] or call 215.925.2222.
September 12, 2026 (Saturday)
Event: Lunar Retreat
Venue: Nichole Canuso Branching Paths, 30th Annual Fringe Festival
Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, 3401 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Time: 2:00 PM
Description: “This new work by Nichole Canuso - Branching Paths, is an immersive, interactive, and multi-sensory performance inspired by the gradual, growing distance between the Moon and Earth. As we developed this piece, we built relationships with the Blind and Low Vision communities through workshops, showings, explorations and conversations. Tactile elements are now incorporated into the design of the show to ensure that the sensory world of the piece is fully available to those experiencing it through touch. Audio Description is included alongside the gentle invitations to wander, witness, and reflect on how we move through care, loss, and transformation—both individually and collectively. In some moments, dancers will guide and interact with you through light touch, inviting you to join them in gestures and movement. Come as you are, engage along your own chosen path, and move at your own pace.”
Website: https://fringearts.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/?acode=ac26e22e43357d49f461320273befe68& #/instances/a0FUO00000CAhRN2A1
Accessibility Services: Pre-recorded Audio Description, Touch Tour, Sighted Guides, Sensory Kits and post-show talk-back
Special Notes: Please plan to arrive 30 min early, so that we can make sure your access needs are accommodated.
●All audience members receive headphones with adjustable volume for much of the show’s soundscape and for AD on select performances.
●PCA's do not require a ticket, but please let us know in advance that your PCA will accompany you as space and headsets for the show are limited.
●Know Before you Go information and sensory kits will be available.
Ticketing:
Tiered ticket prices, FringeAccess Member Tickets and discounts available using the code Lunar20.
To purchase tickets via phone, call the FringeArts box office at 215.413.1318.
Listen to the White Canes Connect Podcast about Lunar Retreat, hosted by Lunar Retreat accessibility consultant Simon Bonenfant on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
For more information, please contact Lee Etzold, [email protected]
September 13, 2026 (Sunday)
Event: Lunar Retreat
Venue: Nichole Canuso Branching Paths, 30th Annual Fringe Festival
Leonard Pearlstein Gallery, 3401 Filbert Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Time: 4:45 PM
Description: “This new work by Nichole Canuso - Branching Paths, is an immersive, interactive, and multi-sensory performance inspired by the gradual, growing distance between the Moon and Earth. As we developed this piece, we built relationships with the Blind and Low Vision communities through workshops, showings, explorations and conversations. Tactile elements are now incorporated into the design of the show to ensure that the sensory world of the piece is fully available to those experiencing it through touch. Audio Description is included alongside the gentle invitations to wander, witness, and reflect on how we move through care, loss, and transformation—both individually and collectively. In some moments, dancers will guide and interact with you through light touch, inviting you to join them in gestures and movement. Come as you are, engage along your own chosen path, and move at your own pace.”
Website: https://fringearts.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/?acode=ac26e22e43357d49f461320273befe68& #/instances/a0FUO00000CAhWD2A1
Accessibility Services: Pre-recorded Audio Description, Touch Tour, Sighted Guides, Sensory Kits and post-show talk-back
Special Notes: Please plan to arrive 30 min early, so that we can make sure your access needs are accommodated.
●All audience members receive headphones with adjustable volume for much of the show’s soundscape and for AD on select performances.
●PCA's do not require a ticket, but please let us know in advance that your PCA will accompany you as space and headsets for the show are limited.
●Know Before you Go information and sensory kits will be available.
Ticketing:
Tiered ticket prices, FringeAccess Member Tickets and discounts available using the code Lunar20.
To purchase tickets via phone, call the FringeArts box office at 215.413.1318.
Listen to the White Canes Connect Podcast about Lunar Retreat, hosted by Lunar Retreat accessibility consultant Simon Bonenfant on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube
For more information, please contact Lee Etzold, [email protected]
September 13, 2026 (Sunday)
Event: Mitridate, re di Ponto
Venue: Opera Philadelphia, Academy of Music
Time: 2:00 PM
Description: “Mozart was just 14 years old when he wrote this rare gem that has all the hallmarks of musical brilliance and hormonal adolescence. Angst, risky behavior, and fraught romance never sounded quite so good. Opera Philadelphia’s first production of Mitridate, re di Ponto stars blockbuster tenor Lawrence Brownlee as the titular king, alongside countertenor and OP General Director & President Anthony Roth Costanzo as his eldest son, Farnace, and soprano Meredith Wohlgemuth as the younger son, Sifare. Glittering soprano Lauren Snouffer portrays Aspasia, the woman all three love.”
Website: https://tix.operaphila.org/28952/28956
Accessibility Services: Audio Description; (Nicole Sardella)
Special Notes: For any inquiries, contact Guest Services at 215.732.8400 or by emailing [email protected].
September 16, 2026 (Wednesday)
Event: The Holy Fool
Venue: Ninth Planet, 30th Annual Fringe Festival
The Gym at Impact Services (2953 N Front St, Philadelphia, PA 19133)
Time: 7:30 PM
Description: “Grief, absurdity, and heartache collide in this world premiere dance-theatre piece.
Mother makes dinner. Daughter sets the table. One empty chair. A knock at the door. The cameras are rolling. Everyone’s watching. The Fool keeps dancing.
Through the eyes of an American family, The Holy Fool examines the toll of aging, grieving, and growing up in a culture where normativity is the most valuable currency — and your everyday life is live-streamed. A thrilling ghost story unfolds inside a cavernous industrial space, scored by Jordan McCree and Marty Gottlieb-Hollis’ original music, a hypnotic blend of trumpet, percussion and synthesizers.
The Holy Fool marks Ninth Planet’s return to the Fringe after a sold out run of High Noon as part of Cannonball in 2022. This world premiere work of dance theatre is Co-Directed by Ninth Planet’s Sam Tower and Nia Benjamin, and collaboratively written by the ensemble, featuring Bi Jean Ngo, Hannah Gold, Katarina Poljak, and Fringe Festival veteran and co-founder of Headlong, David Brick, who returns to the stage alongside his daughter, Zephyr Saffron Brick.”
Website: https://fringearts.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/ #/instances/a0FUO00000CAdkL2AT
Accessibility Services: Audio Description and Sensory Tour; (Shannon Brooks); Open Captioning; Wheelchair Accessible Seating
ADA Entrance: 124 E Indiana Ave, Philadelphia PA 19134
Special Notes: To purchase tickets via phone, call the FringeArts box office at 215.413.1318.
If purchasing online, please check the box for “Audio Description” during checkout. Then, please email [email protected] to confirm your Audio Description headset and if you have any questions. Please meet 60 mins in the gallery lobby for guided touch tour, headset setup, and pre-show descriptions.
September 18, 2026 (Friday)
Event: The Holy Fool
Venue: Ninth Planet, 30th Annual Fringe Festival
The Gym at Impact Services (2953 N Front St, Philadelphia 19133)
Time: 7:30 PM
Description: “Grief, absurdity, and heartache collide in this world premiere dance-theatre piece.
Mother makes dinner. Daughter sets the table. One empty chair. A knock at the door. The cameras are rolling. Everyone’s watching. The Fool keeps dancing.
Through the eyes of an American family, The Holy Fool examines the toll of aging, grieving, and growing up in a culture where normativity is the most valuable currency — and your everyday life is live-streamed. A thrilling ghost story unfolds inside a cavernous industrial space, scored by Jordan McCree and Marty Gottlieb-Hollis’ original music, a hypnotic blend of trumpet, percussion and synthesizers.
The Holy Fool marks Ninth Planet’s return to the Fringe after a sold out run of High Noon as part of Cannonball in 2022. This world premiere work of dance theatre is Co-Directed by Ninth Planet’s Sam Tower and Nia Benjamin, and collaboratively written by the ensemble, featuring Bi Jean Ngo, Hannah Gold, Katarina Poljak, and Fringe Festival veteran and co-founder of Headlong, David Brick, who returns to the stage alongside his daughter, Zephyr Saffron Brick.”
Website: http://fringearts.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket/ #/instances/a0FUO00000CAeBl2AL
Accessibility Services: Audio Description; (Shannon Brooks); Open Captioning; Wheelchair Accessible Seating
ADA Entrance: 124 E Indiana Ave, Philadelphia PA 19134
Special Notes: To purchase tickets via phone, call the FringeArts box office at 215.413.1318.
If purchasing online, please check the box for “Audio Description” during checkout. Then, please email [email protected] to confirm your Audio Description headset and if you have any questions. Please meet 60 mins in the gallery lobby for guided touch tour, headset setup, and pre-show descriptions.
September 25, 2026 (Friday)
Event: This Should Never Be A Musical: An Improvised Reality Show
Venue: 1812 Productions, Arden Theatre Company
Time: 7:00 PM
Description: “Part American Idol, part Whose Line Is It Anyway?, part Waiting for Guffman and 100 percent 1812. This brand new improvised adventure, which harkens back to 1812's rambunctious improv roots, opens the season. Each night, the audience will provide the worst musical titles they can think of, and the actors will improvise songs and scenes from each one with reality TV-style challenges. The audience will vote on which musicals move forward in the competition and the winning musical will be selected at the top of the second act followed by a 30-minute version of that musical, complete with choreography and costumes.”
Website: https://ci.ovationtix.com/35380/production/1274819
Accessibility Services: Audio Description; (Joe Barsanti)
Special Notes: To purchase tickets via phone, contact the box office at 215.592.9560. Reach out via email at [email protected].
When purchasing tickets, use discount code ADLNBOGO for our Audio Described performance.
September 27, 2026 (Sunday)
Event: Signers Hall Touch Tour
Venue: The National Constitution Center
Time: 9:00 to 10:30 AM
Description: “Created in collaboration with Philly Touch Tours, staff will guide visitors through a fascinating story telling experience and interaction with the full size statues of those who added their names to the Constitution as well as those who dissented. Contact [email protected] and [email protected] to reserve a spot.”
Website: https://constitutioncenter.org/
Special Notes: Interested in learning more? Check out this recent NPR radio segment, which features staff from Philly Touch Tours as well as the National Constitution Center.
September 30, 2026 (Wednesday)
Event: Top/Underdog
Venue: People’s Light, Steinbright Stage
Time: 2:00 PM, Sensory Tour at 1:00 PM
Description: “A Pulitzer Prize winner from celebrated playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, Topdog/Underdog is a darkly comic fable of brotherly love. The play tells the story of siblings Lincoln and Booth, whose names, given to them as a joke, foretell a lifetime of deep-seated rivalry and resentment. Haunted by their own past and the weight of their namesakes, the two men must confront their future in a story that takes a searing look at manhood and family identity.
Company Artist Akeem Davis stars in this production, helmed by acclaimed Philadelphia director Amina Robinson. Topdog/Underdog is co-produced with Arden Theatre Company.”
Website: https://tickets.peopleslight.org/topdog/105024
Accessibility Services: Audio Description and Sensory Tour; (Nicole Sardella)
Special Notes: For tickets please call the Box Office at 610.644.3500, visit peopleslight.org, or email [email protected]. People’s Light is a proud member of the Art Reach Access Program. If you have an Access Card, please purchase your tickets via phone or email and tell the Box Office associate about your Card. If you would like to RSVP to the Sensory Tour (1pm before the Audio Described performance), reserve an Audio Description Device, or have any further questions please email Olivia DiIorio, at [email protected]
October 1, 2026 (Thursday)
Event: Dear Jack, Dear Louise
Venue: Montgomery Theater
Time: 7:30 PM, Sensory tour at 6:45 PM
Description: “Jack, a military doctor stationed in Oregon, and Louise, an aspiring actress in New York City meet by letter during World War II. For years, they write to each other, dreaming they may someday meet, but circumstance always intervenes. Will their love story ever make it off the page and into real life? In this heartfelt play, two-time Olivier and Tony Award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Crazy for You) shares the true story of his parents’ unlikely courtship with wit, warmth, and irresistible charm.”
Website: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36753/production/1254216
Accessibility Services: Audio Description and Sensory Tour; (Nicole Sardella); Open
Captioning; Wheelchair Accessible Seating; Accessible Parking; Assistive Listening Devices
Special Notes: To RSVP to the sensory tour and reserve an audio description headset, contact the box office by email at [email protected], or by phone at 215.723.9984.
October 4, 2026 (Sunday)
Event: Top/Underdog
Venue: People’s Light, Steinbright Stage
Time: 2:00 PM
Description: “A Pulitzer Prize winner from celebrated playwright Suzan-Lori Parks, Topdog/Underdog is a darkly comic fable of brotherly love. The play tells the story of siblings Lincoln and Booth, whose names, given to them as a joke, foretell a lifetime of deep-seated rivalry and resentment. Haunted by their own past and the weight of their namesakes, the two men must confront their future in a story that takes a searing look at manhood and family identity.
Company Artist Akeem Davis stars in this production, helmed by acclaimed Philadelphia director Amina Robinson. Topdog/Underdog is co-produced with Arden Theatre Company.” Website: https://tickets.peopleslight.org/topdog/105032
Accessibility Services: Audio Description and Sensory Tour; (Nicole Sardella); Relaxed Performance; ASL Interpretation; (Hands Up Productions)
Special Notes: For tickets please call the Box Office at 610.644.3500, visit peopleslight.org, or email [email protected]. People’s Light is a proud member of the Art Reach Access Program. If you have an Access Card, please purchase your tickets via phone or email and tell the Box Office associate about your Card. If you would like to RSVP to the Sensory Tour (1pm before the Audio Described performance), reserve an Audio Description Device, or have any further questions please email Olivia DiIorio, at [email protected]
October 4, 2026 (Sunday)
Event: A Christmas Carol
Venue: Acting Without Boundaries
Centennial Hall Theater, The Haverford School for Boys
27 Railroad Ave, Haverford, Pa, 19041
Time: 4:00 PM
Description: “Acting Without Boundaries turns this Christmas tale into a musical! With classic carols and original songs, our audience will be transported to 19th century London. Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly man who cares more about profit than people. After being visited by three ghosts, will Ebenezer stay with his stingy ways or change for the better? Come find out on October 4th!”
Website: https://www.actingwithoutboundaries.org/event/a-christmas-carol/
Accessibility Services: Open Audio Description; (Hannah Brannau); Open Captioning; Braille Programs; Relaxed Performance
Special Notes: If you have any questions about this performance, call the AWB office at 610.922.8240, or reach out to Program Manager, Sharon Yun via email at [email protected]
October 15, 2026 (Thursday)
Event: The Addams Family: The Musical
Venue: Walnut Street Theatre
Time: 2:00 PM
Description: “A comical feast that embraces the wackiness in every family, THE ADDAMS FAMILY is the magnificently unhinged hit musical featuring everyone’s favorite creepy, kooky characters. Wednesday Addams is the ultimate princess of darkness and has fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family... a man her parents have never met. And if that wasn’t upsetting enough, she confides in her father and begs him not to tell her mother. Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before – keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents.”
Website: https://www.ticketmaster.com/walnut-street-theatres-the-addams-family-philadelphia-pennsylvania-10-15-2026/event/020064C3E3258562
Accessibility Services: Audio Description; (Amanda Robin Pasquini)
Special Notes: To purchase tickets by phone, call the box office at 215.574.3550.
I hope you will be able to attend many of these events, and I’ll be back in October!
With best Regards,
Simon Bonenfant, on behalf of the ADLN team.
