Access For All

Scheduled ASL-interpreted performances are offered for Mainstage productions. Paper Mill Playhouse hires trained theatrical interpreters for these performances. Discount tickets are available to patrons using this service.

Audio description for patrons who are blind or have low vision is available for each Mainstage production. Using an earpiece attached to a small, hand-size transistor, patrons can hear a live, objective, and concise description of the action on stage in between dialogue and/or music.

Headsets and devices, cleaned between each performance, may be obtained at the access services window of the box office in the lower lobby. A name and phone number are required to check out the devices.

Autism-friendly performances are theater experiences in which the environment and typical “rules of attendance” have been relaxed to accommodate individuals with Autism or developmental disabilities and the families and professionals who support them.

View the schedule of upcoming Autism-friendly performances

Scheduled open-captioned performances are offered for every Mainstage production. A large digital screen that projects dialogue as the action occurs live on stage is placed on the edge of the stage on the left side of the auditorium.

“Sensory Seminars” occur prior to each audio-describedperformance where patrons can receive more detailed descriptions of the costumes, set, and props, as well as feel select items to gain a more tactile experience. Click here to RSVP to upcoming Sensory Seminars.

Patrons who utilize any of the following services are eligible to purchase tickets at the lowest standard rate:

• Wheelchair accessible seating (located in the rear of the left- and right-side orchestra).
• Seating near ASL interpreters and/or open captioning services (located in the front of the left-side orchestra).
• Use of a provided listening device for audio description services.

A total of 4 discounted tickets are available per patron with an applicable access need for themselves and their companion(s). Please note, a maximum of 4 wheelchair accessible seats may be purchased per patron with an applicable access need to maintain availability for other patrons with disabilities.

There are no steps required to reach any row in the orchestra level. Free-standing chairs are located in the last row of the left- and right-side sections that are designated for patrons in wheelchairs or with other mobility disabilities and their companions.

Please Note: Seats WC-10 and WC-9 are considered companion-only seating. These specific free-standing chairs are in front of columns and are not wheelchair accessible.

The following seats in the orchestra are also designated as transfer seats for patrons in wheelchairs, where the outer armrest swings open to allow patrons to transfer:

• Row X, seats 1, 2, 101, & 114
• Row J, seats 1, 2, 101, & 114
• Row D, seats 11 & 12
• Row S, seats 27 & 28

Patrons who transfer from their wheelchairs or mobility devices will be able to have their chair or device stored with house management for the duration of the performance; ushers will be available to assist patrons in retrieving their chair or device.

A limited number of wheelchairs are available for transport to and from your seats, free of charge. Please inquire with house management. These wheelchairs are not available for seating during the performance.

There are no accessible seats designated at the mezzanine level, as stairs are required to reach every row:

• 5 steps up are required to reach the first row of the center mezzanine.
• 7 steps up are required to reach the first row of the side sections of the mezzanine.
• There are 2 steps up per row beginning with row BB in the center mezzanine and row CC in the side sections of the mezzanine.
• An additional 16 steps up are required to reach the rear of the center mezzanine.
• An additional 14 steps up are required to reach the rear of the side sections of the mezzanine.
• A total of 4 steps down are required to reach the front row of each Box of the front mezzanine.

Designated accessible parking spaces are located in Parking Lot A and E. Lot A is situated at the rear of the building and accessible to the front entrance via our brick courtyard to the side of the building and contains 6 designated accessible spots. Lot E is next to the courtyard at the front entrance of the building and contains 8 designated accessible spots. A map and parking information can be found on our Parking Information page. We also recommend patrons using wheelchairs or mobility aides to utilize our drop-off zone in front of the theater to disembark their vehicles for faster entry into the building.

Parking Lot C also provides a level route to the theater entrance and may be utilized for accessible parking, though no spaces are officially designated as such, and patrons must cross Brookside Drive to reach the front of the theater from this parking lot.

The lower lobby is wheelchair accessible through the front entrance of the theater only. The lower lobby includes the box office & access services window, women’s restroom, and main concessions bar. Elevator access is available to the upper lobby, lower gallery, and upper gallery levels. The men’s restroom and the entrance to the orchestra level of the auditorium are located at the upper lobby level. An additional concessions bar and the donor lounge are located at the lower gallery level. The upper gallery level includes additional restrooms and the entrance to the mezzanine level of the auditorium.

Gender diversity is welcome at Paper Mill Playhouse. Please use the restroom that best aligns with your personal gender identity or expression. The women’s restroom is located in the lower lobby, directly to the right of the box office. The men’s restroom is located in the upper lobby, to the left and around the corner from the entrance to the orchestra. A single-use, accessible bathroom is located directly next to the elevator at the upper lobby level, across from the gift shop. Additional men and women’s restrooms are located on the second floor, to the left of the elevator.

Nursing parents may inquire with House Management to request that a secluded area and privacy partition be provided to accommodate breastfeeding or pumping.

Assistive listening devices are available for patrons who are hard of hearing to assist with amplification and clarity of the performance. Headsets and devices, cleaned between each performance, may be obtained at the access services window of the box office in the lower lobby. A name and phone number are required to check out the devices.

A limited number of devices are compatible with T-coil hearing aids, and looped T-coil mats are installed at our box office to assist patrons in communicating with staff.

For patrons who are blind or have low vision, a limited quantity of Braille and large-print programs are available for each Mainstage performance. Programs may be obtained from the access services window of the box office in the lower lobby.

Service animals are trained to help with performing a function for a person that is limited by a disability. They are both welcome in our theater and legally allowed under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Paper Mill will not request proof of certification or demonstration of a service animal’s training, but all service animals and their owners are liable to abide by all Paper Mill policies and procedures.

Management reserves the right to request service animals be removed from the premises in the event of uncontrolled, disruptive behavior, including (but not limited to) barking, growling, jumping on other people, or running away.

All other animals, including emotional support animals, are not admittable in the theater to ensure the health and safety of our audiences, artists, staff, and volunteers.