‘Comedians with Disabilities Act’ launch comedy tour, coming to Butte

Montana audiences will have a chance to be part of history as America’s first and only all-abilities comedy troupe tours the Treasure State as part of its upcoming documentary feature film.

The Comedians with Disabilities Act, a California-based troupe, will perform on Saturday, March 21, at the Covellite Theatre, 215 W. Broadway St. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m.

Since 2010, the troupe has taken many forms and performed for thousands of audiences of all abilities — at colleges, comedy clubs, corporate events, and the occasional dive bar.

Now, the group is set to film its first-ever comedy documentary, “Comedians with Disabilities Act: Going Beyond the Punchlines!” The special will feature 10 comedians across four live shows in two states.

The comedians included for the Butte show are headliner Mean Dave with Nina G, Adam Keys, Loren Kraut and host Michael Beers.

—Mean Dave, a San Francisco Bay Area favorite and regular at local comedy clubs, has opened for comedians like Josh Blue, Big Jay Oakerson and Jay Mohr and has performed at colleges across the U.S. Dave is nine years in recovery from addiction, which he weaves into his humor.

—Nina G is a comedian, professional speaker, comedy historical consultant and author of "Stutterer Interrupted: The Comedians Who Almost Didn't Happen.”  She shares her wit and wisdom with corporations, colleges, conferences, and community events. She is a sought-after headliner as well as keynote speaker.

—Keys got his start in comedy with Armed Services Arts Partnership back in 2018 and has been hitting in-person and virtual stages across the country ever since. After Sept. 11, he served in the U.S. Army. As he shares, “I stepped on an I.E.D to open myself to a world of possibilities, like phantom limb pain, awkward first dates, and endless jokes about my crazy new life.”

—Kraut is a writer and comedian in San Francisco and has performed at several comedy festivals. Her solo show “A Bit Touched” won Best Comedy at the 2018 Tucson Fringe Festival and also created “LOL Little Old Lesbian” on Instagram and “Giraffe Corner,” where stuffed giraffes have therapy sessions.

—Born and raised in Missoula, Beers won the Norman G. Brooks Comedy Competition at the Hollywood Improv in 2005. He is a sought-after keynote speaker on topics like humor, disability advocacy, education and community building.

According to Nina G, producer of the film, the comedians featured in the docu-special represent all different experiences of disability, both apparent and non-apparent.

“More importantly, they are some of the funniest comics in the scene and work incredibly hard at their crafts,” said Nina G. “Disabled or not, they all deserve to have their own specials!”

San Francisco Bay Area director Gina Chin-Davis said the film confronts ableist norms in comedy by elevating disabled performers who use humor as both art and activism.

“It’s joyful and funny, but it also asks audiences to reflect on who gets to speak, who gets to be heard, and who we choose to laugh with,” said Chin-Davis.

All ticket details for the show, which is for a mature audience, can be found at www.ComediansWithDisabilitiesAct.com or go to the Covellite website.

The show’s sign language interpreters are sponsored by Ability Montana.