Sheri is a Late Diagnosed Autistic Person, who as of 2024 is 52 and unmasked.
Sheri, in her own words:
"You do not need to be diagnosed to know you are on the spectrum. This is an invisible disability -that even I couldn’t see- that always put me 2 steps ahead and 2 steps behind everyone. Because of that, in 2004 I was encouraged to walk away from performing. I did, and I created Rock The Audition in response to this ask. Very much in the spirit of the houses we know of in Ball Culture, I created a real house of inclusion in Musical Theatre that I also belonged in, as I spent my entire 30 year career in theatre in therapy trying to not be considered "problematic" in a supremecist system. In 2011, after I published the first edition of my book with Hal Leonard, I quickly realized we were going to need to change and grow with the times. So I walked away with my IP, and built the very first On Demand Program in Musical Theatre on ZOOM in 2015. Along with my transposable audition cuts on Musicnotes.com/audition (2017) I also self- published a revised second edition in 2020 that was taken to task for racist content, and met the moment with love, non-defensiveness, and long term change. I understand myself not to be a problem, but a joyous, just, transparent savant-style problem solver with a special interest in nuance, who simply needed to learn how to regulate their own nervous system to be right where everyone else is. Now that we all have to self-regulate, I leave you this 21 year legacy and invite my peers in the industry to greet me moving forward an Autistic Actor and Collaborator! AuDHD to be exact. I return to my first love- acting! We deserve to fully realize our relationship. I move my love of doing shadow work, telling the truth, and being accountable- all typical Autism Spectrum qualities- towards dramaturgical work in new musicals and revivals! I would be an excellent consultant and coach on movie musicals as well!"
Follow along as Sheri continues to unmask their Autism.