Theater Resources Unlimited Will Host Town Hall on Understanding and Respecting Neurodivergent Artists

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) will host a live town hall, Understanding and Respecting Neurodivergent Artists, on Tuesday, November 25, 2025. Doors open at 6:30pm for networking and roundtable introductions of everyone in the room – come prepared with your best 20-second summary of who you are, and what you need. The Open Forum will start at 7:00pm. Tickets are free for TRU members and $15 for non-members, with a $5 ticket option available to anyone who needs it. Simultaneous streaming is available for those outside of NYC. For more information, visit here.

TRU conversations continue about issues of current cultural significance, with a particular focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. This month, they turn their attention to what is perhaps the least understood and most often dismissed aspect of individual diversity: Neurodiversity. Very broadly defined, neurodiversity can cover the constellation of Autism, ADHD, OCD, Bipolar, Borderline Personality, and more. For centuries, society has always been more inclined to "cure" or "control" neurodivergence rather than celebrate and accept it. Today, with further calls from the government to seek a “cure” for Autism and a continued lack of understanding of how neurodivergent minds work, it’s more challenging than ever for neurodivergence to attain acceptance and respect. What is the creative process like for these individuals? How difficult is it to navigate the relationship-driven theater industry? Are there barriers that prevent an open dialogue about neurodiversity from happening? And how can we create a more welcoming environment for these artists?

The event is co-hosted by Harmon dot aut (they/she), award-winning playwright/ filmmaker/ actor (Tornado Tastes like Aluminum Sting, Electro Archipelago, Five O'Clock Dance Party, a new musical); Mario A. Gomez (he/him/él), dramaturg, theater administrator, disability justice advocate currently based in NYC; Ali MacLean, award-winning playwright/actress/TV writer, and mental health advocate (She's Not There, Wolves at the Door, TRU Voices: Final Resting Place); Dave Osmundsen, playwright (Light Switch, More of a Heart, My Brother Jake); Scott Sickles, biracial Korean American / LGBTQ / neurodivergent writer, Emmy and five-time Writers Guild of America Award winner for the daytime serial General Hospital, playwright (TRU Diversity: Marianas Trench, Pangea, The Known Universe, Tesseract, The Battlements, Composure); Jackson Tucker-Meyer (he/they), fabulously autistic playwright, filmmaker, lyricist, disability advocate based in Brooklyn. It is facilitated by TRU executive director Bob Ost.

TRU offers this as an opportunity for everyone to learn from actual experiences and find ways to support each other while exploring initiatives that might bring us closer to genuine respect and acceptance. All attendees are welcome to participate in this conversation.