Spring 2025 Grant - Comedy
The Comedians with Disabilities Act (CWDA) is a fabulous collection of comedians with disabilities, both seen and unseen, who bring forth the humor they find in their experiences. The comedy troupe has toured the country and international zoom rooms to bring their brand of humor to people around the world. Performing at night clubs, theaters, colleges and corporate events, the CWDA changes attitudes toward disability, one laugh at a time.
The comedy troupe is the brainchild of comedian Michael O’Connell, who started the group in 2010, and was later joined by Steve Danner and Nina G not long after. In 2016, O’Connell sadly passed away - but the show he created lives on, spotlighting a variety of Disabled and outrageously funny comedians. The upcoming lineup of shows includes disability representation from diverse perspectives and intersections.
Projected for May 2024, the CWDA will be filming a concert film. The troupe was featured in the 2015 release of an album titled Disabled Comedy Only. At the time it was the first ever compilation album featuring only an all Disabled cast of comics. CWDA movie will be another first. In the United States there has yet to be a showcase of multiple Disabled comedians in a comedy special. The CWDA film will feature a minimum of 6 comedians performing with at a night club with backstage documentary style footage interspersed throughout the movie. The performers will represent different Disability experiences and intersectional experiences. Disability experiences include physical disabilities, learning disabilities, recovery from drugs and alcohol, stuttering, dwarfism and mental health.
The movie will be directed by filmmaker Gina Chin-Davis. This will be her third full length feature. Gina’s first film, I Can’t Sleep, was met with critical acclaim at festivals winning awards. Her second feature for was a comedy special for comedian, author and disability advocate, Nina G, titled Nina G: Stutterer Interrupted. Like the CWDA film, this movie included concert footage alongside interviews, offering a deeper perspective of lived disability experiences—just not the punchlines.
