The Prospector Theater, in Ridgefield, which has a staff mostly made up of people with disabilities, is pushing back against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., for comments he made regarding people with autism.
Kennedy claimed people with autism will never pay taxes.
Ryan Wenke, CEO of Prospector Theater, said the theater is proving Kennedy wrong everyday.
“We look at what they love to do, what their passion is, and then we match that passion with a profession, and when those two things come together, you create a phenomenal workforce and a phenomenal experience,” Wenke said.
One of the theater employees, Dillon Tepfer, is making a batch of popcorn. He slices open a wrapper on a bottle of key lime flavoring extract, ready to mix with other ingredients.
He patiently describes the steps needed to make the popcorn.
“I wait till it melts a little bit,” Tepfer said. “So it's all caramelized, and then after that, then once it gets to 240, then I take the lid off and off the caramelizer.”
Tepfer has worked at the theater for nearly 11 years.
Wenke says while the theater is successful and is now constructing a facility to meet demand for its popular line of gourmet popcorn, he said Kennedy’s comments come amid growing ableism in society.
But he and other staff members say they’re putting employees in a variety of roles to best suit their preferences in ways that dispel stereotypes about people living with disabilities.
Valerie Jensen, who founded the theater and sits on the board of directors, said Prospector Theater employees aren’t just concession staff, but are deeply involved in creative roles as well, and spoke of an employee with Down syndrome.
“He is an expert camera operator and photographer, videographer, and I would trust him absolutely with my life,” Jensen said.
Several staff members are also certified to operate RED cameras, which are used by big-budget Hollywood productions.
Jensen and Wenke proudly showed off two mosaics that adorn the walls. Jensen said it is made of scrap tossed aside, but is now a centerpiece of the theater.
She called it a metaphor for the theater’s mission, where people can now have a chance to shine on their own merit.
But Wenke said Kennedy's comments about autism also reflect a growing sense that more people are willing to dehumanize others with disabilities.
The theater has a long-running awareness campaign asking people to stop using ableist slurs.
Wenke said more people feel they can speak freely, without considering the impact language like that can have on people who already face societal challenges.
The attacks against diversity, equity and inclusion programs, he said, also impact those with disabilities.
“We consider disability part of DEI,” Wenke said. When we talk about diversity, yes, there's racial diversity, but there's also diversity within disability, and so it's challenging to see, but we're focused on our mission.”
