Comedian tells some kind of sick joke

Will Marfori uses disability to project humor through stand-up show

A nationally touring comedian will bring a new flavor of comedy to JMU — showing a unique perspective on life through his tribulations with cerebral palsy.

Comedian Will Marfori will be performing at 8 p.m. March 22 in Wilson Hall Auditorium.

Marfori was born with cerebral palsy and has been entertaining audiences by using humor about his condition to illustrate his unique perspective on life, according to his Web site, www.willmarfori.com. Marfori's upcoming, performance will be a Wellness Passport event with no admission fee.

"[Marfori] is extremely funny and uses the medium of comedy to make us laugh and to bring awareness to people [about those] with disabilities," according to junior Steve Shoup, UPB director of variety events.

Junior Taylor Kennedy, UPB director of issues and cultural awarness and senior Sara Whitney, the chairperson for Disabilities Awareness Week for the Council for Exceptional Children, are the organizers of the event.

Members of the UPB executive board saw Marfori perform at the annual National Association of Campus Activities southern regional conference in Oct. 2003, according to senior Amanda Jordan, UPB executive director.

She said NACA is a leadership conference that gathers schools within the region to showcase talent and have workshops on programming.

Marfori uses his humor and experiences from living with cerebral palsy to prove wrong all those who doubt his capabilities despite his disability.

"This seems like a good way to raise awareness about disabilities without being abrasive," Kennedy said.

Senior Keri Schlosser, UPB director of finance, said, "He makes people understand what the truth behind (cerebral palsy) is and the misconception of the disease.

"He makes light of the situation by using his talent he has to make people laugh," she said. "His show is one of the funniest things I have ever seen, and you feel as if you come away a better person from your newly acquired knowledge."

Shoup said, "He is also living proof that people with disabilities can still be viable members of society."

Senior Meredith Weiss, UPB director of musical events, is looking forward to attending the show. "I think it's great that we can use entertainment to bring to light health issues that we don't normally hear about," Weiss said. "It offers us lessons and laughs," she added.