A musical show called “Story Explorers” was held by River Stage at Cosumnes River College on Saturday in the Black Box Theatre.

The story was written by local playwright Min Khang and was created for children with autism and other special needs.

The show was directed by theatre professor Ambre Shoneff, who said it is important for the children’s theatre to have performances that kids with special needs can also enjoy.

“It’s an underserved community as far as theater,” said Shoneff. “That’s why I’m very happy that we step into that void and bring something to them they wouldn’t otherwise receive.”

The performance was narrated by a shark puppet, and the actors asked for audience participation, including singing and dancing along with the cast.

The show is about a group of story explorers who go on different adventures, including a medieval joust and outer space.

The story explorers used song and dance to advance from one setting to the next.

The cast of the musical are students in the CRC children’s theatre rehearsal and performance classes.

Shoneff said they have performed for different elementary and middle schools throughout the 2026 spring semester. Individual schools were able to book a performance on their campus.

Eric Charlton, a 20-year-old music and theatre arts major and actor in the show, said the show is intended to give kids an enjoyable experience that they might not be able to have in a traditional theater.

“The show focuses on inclusivity and gives kids who don’t get to experience theater in a normal sense because of sensory things,” Charlton said.

The show featured different interactive elements for kids to touch like kinetic sand and clay.

Sterling Bell, a member of the audience, said she enjoyed the performance.

“It was fun,” Bell said. “I was raised by theater folks so this was like a trip back to my childhood.”