为不同的演员和观众提供更好的机会

BRISTOL, R.I. – Combining their love of theater with their passion for advocacy, 科尔宾·约翰逊(Korbin Johnson)在过去的9个月里一直在培训戏剧公司如何适应神经多样性的观众, casts, and creative teams, 我们的目标是让神经分化群体更容易接触到戏剧.

这项工作是他们作为神经多样性包容性认证娱乐(NICE)副主任的兼职工作的一部分 Spectrum Theatre Ensemble in Providence, R.I.他们将在本月晚些时候毕业后开始全职工作.

“Once I graduate, I’m taking the lead on the training program,” said Johnson, a Theatre major and Arts Management minor, from Natick, Mass. “Theater has really helped me express myself and my neurodiversity.”

约翰逊与Spectrum的合作始于他们大二秋天的一次实习——他们通过RWU的一位前技术总监建立了联系. After the internship ended, Johnson was hired at Spectrum as an executive assistant, a role they still hold, in addition to acting for the company. Spectrum的使命是为自闭症演员和剧作家创造专业机会，并使娱乐场所更容易进入，让所有人都能享受现场娱乐.

“最近的研究表明，七分之一的人有神经发散性，”患有自闭症的约翰逊说. “这是很大一部分人口的代表性和住宿不足.正如他们解释的那样，神经多样性社区不仅仅包括自闭症患者. 患有创伤后应激障碍的退伍军人也属于这个术语.

As part of their work with NICE, 约翰逊说，他们帮助剧院公司改善无障碍环境，同时保持演出的艺术完整性. That may look like giving people special glasses, headphones, 或者对任何大声的噪音或闪烁的灯光发出警告，这样他们就可以在玩耍过程中自我调整.

除了在Spectrum工作，约翰逊说他们还想继续演戏.

Reflecting on their past four years at RWU, 约翰逊高度评价了戏剧系的教师和班级，并表示该系的海外留学项目对他们有很大的吸引力. 作为留学项目的一部分，约翰逊在他们大三的时候在伦敦呆了三个月. 他们一行看了大约40部戏剧，包括在皇家国家剧院的演出, the Young Vic, the Barbican Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, as well as many famous West End Theatres – the Haymarket, Aldwych, Savoy, Fortune, and Wyndham. 学生们还参观了这座城市的博物馆、艺术画廊和历史遗迹.

“我真的很喜欢这种体验式学习，完全沉浸在中国文化中,” they said. “我去艺术博物馆或去历史遗址，亲身体验历史，而不是在课堂上从讲座中学到很多东西. I absorb more that way, and it’s more fun.”

At RWU, Johnson was a member of the Stage Company Club, Neurodiverse Network, and Ballroom Dance Team. 今年，他们还在RWU出演了几部戏剧和音乐剧，包括《网赌的十大网站》和《网赌的十大网站》.”

Outside of RWU, Johnson has participated in public speaking engagements, 包括给波士顿大学医学院的学生做客座讲座，重点是治疗自闭症和慢性病患者. In April, they spoke at The Arc of Massachusetts’ 2024 Transition Conference about their experience being neurodiverse.

Johnson’s time at RWU was one of growth. “在过去的四年里，我学到了很多东西，真正了解了自己，找到了自己的价值所在,” they said. “The classes played a big part (in preparing me for what’s next). 到目前为止，在我的职业生涯中，我已经使用了一些我没有预料到的东西.”

Growing up, Johnson said, they had a difficult time in school, but that all changed when they began their journey at RWU.

“Roger Williams was my way of re-finding my love of learning, learning in a safer environment, finding new friends, and enjoying life,” Johnson said. “It was very much a healing process for me. 我在RWU找到了很多社区和一些我联系过的人.”