Disability theater group in northern Minnesota receives grant to develop radio comedy series

From KUWS radio in northern Minnesota:

A theatrical group called "Honest Contempt for Authority Productions" hopes to shed light on stereotypes in the disability community. Joe Cadotte reports.

Honest Contempt for Authority Production Owner Evan Sasman of Ashland has a $1,000 state grant to put together a radio comedy series that will be preformed by artists from the disability community. He's working with North Country Independent Living in Superior on the project. Part of Sasman’s comedy is a skit on how a wheelchair bowling team proves everyone wrong by winning a championship.

"Any kind of artistic effort is out to raise questions and destroy some myths and challenge authority. And so that’s were that came from. I love bashing stereotypes anyway. So this provides a great opportunity for that.”

Sasman lost his arm to a hay crimper at age 12. Joking about himself is a tool he uses to show disabled people are regular folks. That's the way they should be viewed.

“I’m a right hand amputee. I’ve got a prosthetic limb. This is kind of a space age here. Black in color, it’s got carbon reinforcements just like in the stealth bombers. All kinds of stainless steel, I’ve even got a couple paper clips hanging on it ready for use. Talk about your ‘bling.’ I’ve had friends ask me how they can get something like this and I tell them it’s not worth what you have to go through in order to get something spaced age as this.”

Sasman says disabled people tend to have fun personalities, so they’re perfect for comedy. Sasman plans to get his radio comedy series together by next year and he’s thinking of airing it on public radio stations.