Inclusion & Accessibility
At The Rose, we believe everyone deserves to experience the magic of the theater. Performances and classes are open to children and family members of all abilities. We are committed to removing obstacles and creating opportunities for people with disabilities. The Rose Theater endeavors to offer staff professional development opportunities and to offer career opportunities for people with disabilities.
The Omaha Theater Company housed in The Rose Theater is proud to cultivate an intentionally-welcoming and inclusive space for peoples of all abilities, ethnicities, socioeconomic statuses, sexual orientations and gender identities. Our mission includes the distribution of need-based scholarships, the availability of all-gender restrooms, respect for gender identity and sensory-friendly performance modifications. As part of this commitment to inclusion and accessibility, The Rose is a Compass partner with Autism Action Partnership.
Our staff is happy to meet your physical, learning and social needs. Please reach out to Kathy Tyree at kathyt@rosetheater.org with questions or for more information.
Our Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility
Recognizing that anti-racist work is required of all of us to make a better and intentionally inclusive world, The Rose Theater joyfully and boldly commits to co-creating an equitable future with young people. We promise to do this by using the performing arts as a bridge that connects us all.
Pay-What-You-Can Tickets
The Rose Theater is accessible to all children — no child is ever turned away for economic reasons. Pay-What-You-Can tickets are available for most of our productions. These tickets go on sale at noon on the day of the show and are cash only. Guests are limited to purchasing 10 tickets at once.
2024-2025 Pay-What-You-Can Ticket Dates
- Coraline – October 18, 2024 at 7 pm
- A Christmas Story – December 13, 2024 at 7 pm
- Secret Kindness Agents – January 24, 2025 at 7 pm
- Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical – February 21, 2025 at 7 pm
- Milo Imagines the World – March 28, 2025 at 7 pm
- Pete the Cat: The Musical – April 25, 2025 at 7 pm
- Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo – June 13, 2025 at 7 pm
Sign Language Interpretation 
To ensure families are fully able to enjoy our shows, select performances will incorporate ASL interpreters for audience members who are deaf or hard of hearing. To reserve seating for ASL interpretation shows, please call the box office at 402.345.4849.
Dates for 2024-2025 ASL interpreted performances include:
- Coraline – October 19, 2024 at 2 pm
- A Christmas Story – December 7, 2024 at 2 pm
- Secret Kindness Agents – January 25, 2025 at 2 pm
- Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical – February 22, 2025 at 2 pm
- Milo Imagines the World – March 29, 2025 at 2 pm
- Pete the Cat: The Musical – April 26, 2025 at 2 pm
- Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo – June 14, 2025 at 2 pm
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that we are on the stolen, ancestral lands of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, Umóⁿhoⁿ, & Ponca peoples. We want to respect and honor the lands and the people still connected to it. This acknowledgement does not take the place of authentic relationships with Indigenous communities but serves as a reminder of our ongoing commitment. As part of this effort, individuals with a tribal ID may access our shows at no charge.
Sensory-friendly Performances 
We include select performances that are designated as sensory-friendly for families and children who visit The Rose Theater. Accommodations will vary but may include:
- A private room for congregating before the show
- Special reserved seating
- A private post-show question and answer period
- A helpful social story to prepare your child for his or her experience at The Rose which can be found on each individual show’s page
- Reduced ticket prices (available by phone only)
Dates for 2024-2025 sensory-friendly performances include:
- Coraline – October 26, 2024 at 2 pm
- A Christmas Story – December 21, 2024 at 2 pm
- Secret Kindness Agents – February 1, 2025 at 2 pm
- Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical – March 1, 2025 at 2 pm
- Milo Imagines the World – April 5, 2025 at 2 pm
- Pete the Cat: The Musical – May 3, 2025 at 2 pm
- Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo – June 21, 2025 at 2 pm
To reserve tickets for sensory-friendly performances, please call the box office at 402.345.4849.
Restless Room
We offer a noise-proof Restless Room with a live video feed of mainstage shows that may be used at any time during the performance. The Restless Room is a special place where kids can wiggle, talk, play and just be a kid – without disrupting those around them.
Sensory Restrooms
We are working to better ensure that our restrooms are more accessible for individuals with sensory sensitivities. In our restroom areas you will find clearly identified manual flushing toilet stalls and will deactivate the automatic hand dryers during our sensory friendly performances.
Assistive Listening Devices 
Assistive listening systems are available during main stage shows for audience members who are deaf or hard of hearing. Please contact the box office at 402.345.4849 for more information.
Audio Description Services
Audio description involves the accessibility of the visual images of theater for people who are blind, have low vision or who are otherwise visually impaired. It is a narration service provided at no additional charge to the patron that describes the action taking place on stage. Spoken commentary and narration guides the listener through the presentation with descriptions of scenes, settings, costumes, body language and more. The user hears the audio description via a small earpiece.
Dates for 2024-2025 performances featuring audio description services include:
- Coraline – October 19, 2024 at 2 pm
- A Christmas Story – December 7, 2024 at 2 pm
- Secret Kindness Agents – January 25, 2025 at 2 pm
- Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical – February 22, 2025 at 2 pm
- Milo Imagines the World – March 29, 2025 at 2 pm
- Pete the Cat: The Musical – April 26, 2025 at 2 pm
- Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo – June 14, 2025 at 2 pm
Large Print Programs
Physical, large-print programs are available upon request at The Rose Box Office.
Mobile Disabilities
Wheelchair access to The Rose Theater is available from all public entrances. We offer wheelchair accessible seating on the main floor. Depending on the size of the wheelchair, up to 10 spaces are available per show. If you require special seating, please call the box office at 402.345.4849 to ensure availability. Courtesy wheelchairs are available for guests who need assistance.
Parking
Several parking spaces are available for patrons with disabilities directly outside The Rose Theater. Up to six spaces are available on Friday evenings. On Saturdays and Sundays, 10 spaces are available.
Restrooms
Wheelchair accessible restrooms are located on the mezzanine. Individual, single-user restrooms are also available on the mezzanine. An elevator is available to access the mezzanine level.
School Shows
At the Rose Theater, we believe everyone should have the chance to enjoy the wonder of theater. That’s why we go out of our way to make sure our field trip performances and workshops are accessible to all guests, of all abilities.
For students and teachers visiting for school shows, we offer several accommodations. Up to 10 wheelchair seats are available for each performance. Our main auditorium and Hitchcock Stage are accessible via elevator, and there are wheelchair-accessible restrooms in the lower lobby and on the mezzanine level. Individual single-user restrooms are also available on the mezzanine.
At the Rose, we are dedicated to removing barriers and creating opportunities so that everyone can participate in the magic of theater.
Classes & Camps
The Rose Theater strives to provide programming for students with exceptionalities. Such efforts include reworking lesson plans to include sensory and mobility modifications. Our Education team offers year-round classes for students who are on the autism spectrum or are neurodiverse. Scholarships are available for students in need of financial assistance. For more information about these classes or the accommodations needed, please contact our Accessibility Coordinator Chloe Hug at chloeh@rosetheater.org.
Visit our Classes & Camps page to learn more about our inclusive class offerings.