Professor, artist uses one-woman show to share her ADHD diagnosis with other women of color
A one-woman show from a Bay Area professor is urging women of color to find their voices, no matter what challenges they may face.
For Dr. Candace Johnson, every note tells a story.
As a vocal instructor at the University of California, Berkeley, Johnson has spent years helping students find their voices. Now, she's sharing her own in a deeply personal one-woman show that chronicles her experience living with ADHD. The play is entitled "Scat-ter Brain: The Music of ADHD."
"I understand what it's like to be at a place where you are wondering, 'What's wrong with me? Why can't I this, why can't I that?' And you just keep hitting a wall, again and again. I know what it's like," Johnson said.
Her autobiographical production, currently running at The Marsh in Berkeley through mid-September, explores the challenges she has faced as a Black woman navigating a diagnosis often overlooked in communities of color.
As July marks Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, Johnson said she hopes her story will empower others to seek support.
"I wasn't the best at being organized when I was by myself," she said. "But with every layer of responsibility-job responsibilities, and then still trying my best to be an artist-things were sometimes really falling apart, and I didn't have as much support as I needed."
Once hesitant about seeking medical treatment, Johnson now wants to challenge the stigma that often surrounds mental health in marginalized communities. She encourages others to be open to getting help.
"I want to help people know how much progress you can make, how much more success you can step into, if you really are willing to do that hard work, take a look at yourself, get the assessment," she said.
According to a 2022 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Black women are significantly less likely than white women to be diagnosed with ADHD, despite exhibiting similar symptoms.
Stephanie Weisman, founder and artistic/executive director of The Marsh, said Johnson's show is exactly the kind of work the theater strives to present.
"We give people the opportunity to use our resources and our space and have shows that allow artists like Candace to deal with important issues-issues that are really important for people to hear about," Weisman said.
Through storytelling, music and vulnerability, Johnson hopes audiences will see themselves and their loved ones reflected in her journey.
"I want people to see parts of themselves. I want them to see their family, their friends," she said. "I want them to reconsider what mental health really is about."
For Johnson, that means embracing your truth, note by note.
