Stand-up comedian Adam Schwartz is talking about his struggles with Asperger Syndrome at this year’s Ottawa Fringe Festival in his show Aspergers: A Tale of a Social Misfit.
“I have been doing this particular show for the last three or four years. I’ve been doing conferences and Fringe festivals and talks at a variety of organizations,” he said.
Asperger Syndrome, or Asperger’s, is a type of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According to the website of the Asperger’s Society of Ontario, it is usually first diagnosed in childhood, and many individuls with Asperger’s “exhibit extensive knowledge of a specific interest and therefore are capable of major accomplishments.”
According to Schwartz, the show is a way for him to talk about his social awkwardness, as well as his struggles with autism.
“I started doing this show because I thought Fringe was a great outlet to talk about my autism and my experiences on the autism spectrum,” he said. “I also thought it was something that was truly unique to the Fringe, as the Fringe is a great time for taking chances and doing shows that are not quite mainstream.”
According to Schwartz, this show allows him to spread light about autism and tell his story while getting people’s attention.
“I also find it a great outlet to have my voice heard as people with autism are often ignored or at least we feel ignored,” he said. “We don’t feel like people are paying attention to us. So, doing the show allows me to have everyone’s attention sole attention for 45 minutes.”
Because comedy and self-depreciation go hand-in-hand, Schwartz said talking about autism and social awkwardness as a comedian “seemed like a good fit.”
Speaking about autism through comedy is also a way of educating people about autism, he added. Schwartz said the show has connected with many people because it is relatable.
“People come up to me and tell me that they’ve learnt a lot from the show and the Edmonton [show] review said that I have the social awkwardness of a baby goat,” he said. “Lots of people have really enjoyed it wherever I performed it. People have told me they feel like they have finally had their story told.”
At the end of the day, the goal of the show is to educate people about autism while making jokes, he said.
“I hope the audiences have a great time and they come away with more positive perspective towards autism,” he said.
