The Comedians With Disabilities Act
A very special comedy show
When: Monday, February 1st, 2011
Where: Punch Line, 444 Battery Street, San Francisco, CA 94111-3228
WWW: http://www.punchlinecomedyclub.com/
Tickets: On sale soon at http://www.punchlinecomedyclub.com/ (18 and over, two drink minimum)
How Much: $15
Phone: (310) 692-4495
When "Wheelchair Comedian" Micheal O'Connell saw Steve Danner, a little person, performing at a comedy club his first thought was, "Damn, if we could find a blind guy we'd make a hell of a team." Soon after he began hearing about a comedian named Eric Mee who is not only blind, but who loves to crack wheelchair jokes. The three comedians enlisted producer/comedian Keith Lowell Jensen of The Coexist Comedy Tour and the debut performance of The Comedians With Disabilities Act took place on November 26th, 2010 at The Sacramento Comedy Spot.
Seated in the sold out crowd were blind people (the seeing eye dogs were not charged admission nor required to meet any two drink minimums), people in wheelchairs (who did not get a discount despite providing their own chairs but who were allowed to enter even after it became standing room only) and little people plus folks with other assorted disabilities and some who suffered an embarrassing lack of any apparent disabilities. One woman who had lost her sight eight years earlier took advantage of this opportunity to make her first solo excursion out of her house and back again since going blind. The show was inspiring and touching which is pretty amazing considering it mostly consisted of three very funny young men capping on each other and their audience mercilessly.
The gang is now ready to take the show on the road. With Jensen acting as emcee The Comedians With Disabilities Act hits The Punch Line San Francisco on February 1st at 8pm featuring:
Michael O'Connell - Wheels
"I use the term wheelchair comedian because I'm tired of hearing the giggles when I tell people I do stand up."
Michael has appeared on The Jerry's Kids MDA Telethon and on the Dennis Miller Radio Show. He has toured the west coast from Seattle to San Diego performing with some of the best in the business including Bobby Slayton and Will Durst.
Steve Danner - Pot o' Gold
"Objects on stage are closer than they appear."
Steve is the road warrior of the group, hitting stages darn near every night in every part of the state. Steve answers the questions that everyone wants to ask but won't, unless they're really drunk.
Eric Mee - Cane and Shades
"People watch a blind guy like they watch Nascar. They're just waiting for the wreck."
Eric lost his eyesight at age 19. He has taken every opportunity to make the best of his situation and found the most surefire way to keep his friends and family from feeling pity for him was to make them laugh. They laughed so much it made him wonder if he should try stand up comedy. Lucky for us he did.
Click on picture for full size image. credit all photos to Cynthia E. Jones.
The gentleman with the glasses and cane is Eric Mee, in the chair is Michael O'Connell and the goatee belongs to Steve Danner.
