In Millburn: Paper Mill Playhouse Gets Public Service Award For 'Autism-Friendly' Performances

The Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn announced that its Autism Advisory Team has won the 2015 New Jersey State Governor’s Jefferson Award for Public Service.

According to a release, honorees of the Jefferson Award “achieve measurable community impact and represent outstanding acts of public service, without the expectation of recognition or compensation.”

Paper Mill Playhouse was the first professional theater in the nation to offer performances designed for people with autism and other developmental disabilities, the theater stated in a release.

The team was selected for this prize from a pool of close to 500 nominees, a release from the Millburn-based regional theater stated.

The Paper Mill Playhouse’s Autism Advisory Team was presented the Jefferson Award by Acting Governor Kim Guadagno at a ceremony at the Newark Museum. Accepting the award were Paper Mill Autism Advisory Team leaders, Linda Meyer, Kelly Carlile, Jeff Jacobs and Erin Chambers, a graduate student in Applied Behavior Analysis at Caldwell College.

AUTISM-FRIENDLY EVENTS

The theater’s Autism-Friendly 2015-16 performance schedule includes the TheatreworksUSA productions of “Curious George” on Nov. 7 and May 12 at 10 a.m., “The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe” on Dec. 16 at 10 a.m., and “Henry & Mudge” on June 12 at 10 a.m.

Tickets for these performances are available online here.

The theater will also offer an autism-friendly performance of “A Christmas Story: The Musical” on Tuesday, Dec. 29, at 1:30 p.m.

Additionally, the theater will host a free open house titled “Meet Your Seat for A Christmas Story: The Musical” on Monday, Dec. 28, from 4 to 6 p.m., which will provide an opportunity for children who are new to the theatrical experience to visit the theater space before the show.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Qualified volunteers wishing to join the Paper Mill Playhouse Autism Advisory Team should contact Director of Education Lisa Cooney at LCooney@PaperMill.org.

Team members must have a minimum of two years of experience working with or supporting people with autism or other developmentally disabilities, such as behavior analysts and special education educators, a release stated.

Photo courtesy of Paper Mill Playhouse

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