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Miami Herald

‘These stories can be a lifeline.' How a Miami creator found her mission on stage

As a 17-year-old, Gena Sims found inspiration while taking care of her sister. Now, she is sharing that inspiration with the world. 'Everyone has voice, whether or not they can easily speak.' Those words and lessons from growing up with her autistic sister helped set the course for helping others. Her vision became the Autism Theater Project, which she founded in 2014. 'The Autism Theater Project was created to inspire hope by sharing authentic stories of struggle, triumph, and resilience,' she says on her theater's website. A start at New World School of the Arts in Miami The 28-year-old Sims, who lives in Cutler Bay, found her passion for theater when she started the organization in her senior year of high school at New World School of the Arts in Miami. She then brought the program to college at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Sims produced her first play, 'In the Life of a Child,' at the university and graduated with a bachelor's degree in acting and musical theater in 2019. Since then, she has performed in an off-Broadway production of 'An Enchanted April,' opened for Oprah Winfrey's 2020 Vision tour, and continued her work and mission with her Autism Theater Project. The Miami-based organization, through its various theater productions and entertainment projects, continues the path Sims is paving for those on the spectrum. Besides Florida, members of the organization live in Nigeria, the Philippines, Canada and New York. 'We work very closely with people with disabilities who are exceptional at what they do, but who have also overcome exceptional obstacles in order to get to where they are,' Sims said in an interview with the Miami Herald in July. How the Autism Theater Project was born The theater program showcases lives on and off the spectrum in an authentic way, helping crew members and actors work on productions. 'In the Life of a Child' was one of the first productions developed through the program about Sims' sister. 'Accepting that a child will have a life different from what you imagined can be painful — but it's also incredibly eye-opening,' Sims said. 'I realized the world could benefit from understanding her perspective.' Her sister's autism diagnosis when she was 2 had a big impact on her family in the early 2000s. It was a heartbreaking time, but perseverance helped Sims' find inspiration. While her sister wasn't able to express herself in the same ways as others, seeing her get through her daily challenges helped form Sims' future mission. 'That realization fuels my mission to create positive, realistic portrayals of people with autism and their families, because for many, these stories can be a lifeline,' Sims said. On PBS South Florida In addition to live theater, the project has a new television series, 'The Voice Inside,' which discusses grief, trauma and growing up against the odds. 'Oftentimes, people with disabilities are overlooked or not given the same opportunities. However, this show has given actors and actresses with autism or who are neurodiverse a chance to be a part of something groundbreaking,' said Kaylah Taylor, a Miami actress who plays Lily in 'The Voice Inside.' 'The stories that the Autism Theater Project tells and the way it shows the realness of being a person on the spectrum really moves me,' Taylor said. The show, which has had its first three episodes featured on South Florida PBS and streaming on the station's YouTube page, aims to show audiences a realistic look at people who often aren't showcased in a three-dimensional way. It also helps to further one of the many goals of the organization. Jeneissy Azcuy, vice president of communications at South Florida PBS, said the show came to the station's attention in a routine way — but that the content was anything but routine. ''The Voice Inside' was submitted to South Florida PBS through our submissions process. At first, we were mostly intrigued by the concept: a dramatic series about young people dealing with being on the autism spectrum — performed, written and produced by, among others, people on the autism spectrum,' she said. 'As we found out more about the series and saw actual episodes, we were very impressed by the compelling nature of the programs and the quality of the production,' Azcuy said. 'We heard it won top awards at film festivals and thought it would be an excellent fit for the South Florida PBS audience.' With the productions, talent that can often be overlooked can find a way into the spotlight. 'It's important that we're here in South Florida as we feel that there's so much potential for the entertainment industry here,' Sims said. 'Our goal is to get to the point where we have the funding to be able to create these professional and competitive jobs that can change people's lives, whether they have a disability or not.' If you go to ATP Music concert Upcoming events for the Autism Theater Project include a new music program, 'ATP Music'. On July 18, in collaboration with the South Beach Jazz Festival, 'ATP Music' will host a full-length concert as a part of the summer series, 'ATP Voices.' When: 7:30 p.m. July 18Where: Euclid Oval, 660 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139Cost: Free If you can't see the form below, click here to fill it out.