Image by Duplass Brothers Production
11/19/2016
Today
By Susan Donaldson James
For members of the Massachusetts comedy troupe 鈥淎sperger鈥檚 Are Us,鈥� autistic quirks and a tendency to take life literally bring on big laughs.
Performing since 2010 in small venues around Boston, the best friends use their oddball humor to help others understand what it is like to be on the autism spectrum.
They say it鈥檚 often easier to face an audience of strangers than their own families. And with the hypersensitivities of autism, they found humor became a bridge to the outside world.
Noah Britton, a psychology professor at a Boston college and the group鈥檚 unofficial spokesman, says, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want your pity.鈥�
But he does want you to laugh at their jokes.
Though they fight for autism rights, the troupe agrees: 鈥淲e would much rather the audience appreciate us as comedians than people who have overcome adversity.鈥�
Ethan Finlan, 24, New Michael Ingemi, 24, and Jack Hanke, 23, met a decade ago at a camp for kids with Asperger鈥檚 syndrome, a disorder that is on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum. Noah, 33, was their counselor and encouraged their humor.
Their story is told in a new documentary directed by Alex Lehmann, "Asperger's Are Us," which is rolling out nationally this month and soon will be streamed on Netflix.
The foursome describes its humor as 鈥渁bsurd,鈥� with an abundance of wordplay that appeals to a crowd as 鈥渨ildly鈥� diverse as the autism community.
鈥淲e are our main audience,鈥� Noah tells TODAY with a sly smile. 鈥淎nd we appeal to other Aspies. ... They thought they were screwed for life, saw us and we gave them hope.鈥�
In one sketch, 鈥淧residential Press Conference,鈥� Ethan, as the commander-in-chief, is embroiled in a scandal because he married a train. When asked if the couple will have children, he replies, "I just hope they are more like their mother, who is always on time, than like their father, who is delayed."
The sketch is perfect for Ethan, who has a detailed knowledge of the national train network and is working on his master鈥檚 degree in transportation planning.
New Michael, a name he has chosen for himself, is in his junior year at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell majoring in chemical engineering.
Jack just finished a semester at Oxford University. He will get his degree in English and political science next spring from Gordon College and hopes to be a human trafficking researcher.
Noah, a singer and guitarist who as a child was afraid of strangers, was told he had Asperger鈥檚 at age 22.
鈥淎fter my diagnosis, I skipped home because I felt freer than ever,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 had everything explained that didn鈥檛 make sense.鈥�
Noah describes the syndrome as 鈥渂eing inordinately focused inwardly, to the exclusion of your surroundings ... being hypersensitive to anything that interrupts your reverie.鈥�
Jack jokes to TODAY, 鈥淎spies are characterized by a very strong attachment to glittering bright objects with no inherent value.鈥�
Jack admits there are 鈥渕isconceptions鈥� about people with autism 鈥� that they 鈥渃an鈥檛 tie their shoes or do anything complicated.鈥� But while they have neurological deficits, they also have specific talents.
The comedians know their challenges: Noah often gets lost and can be depressed without structure, and New Michael says he feels 鈥渘eurologically mugged鈥� when there is conflict or confusion.
Jack finds no warmth in his father鈥檚 touch: 鈥淚t鈥檚 like feeding a skeleton 鈥� it falls through the cracks.鈥� And Ethan finds social interaction with friends uncomfortable: 鈥淎m I saying enough or too much?鈥�
But somehow the four work around their disabilities and focus on their greatest strength 鈥� feeding off each other and being funny.
They do it for themselves, but also for the 鈥渓iterally millions鈥� of young Americans who are on the autism spectrum, says Noah. (An estimated 3.5 million Americans live with an autism spectrum disorder.)
鈥淚f your parents are reading this and think we鈥檙e inspiring and wish their kids had friends like us, I say go online and find other people like you,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e used to be just nerds hanging out with other nerds,鈥� Noah said. 鈥淏ut today, it鈥檚 grown to a place where I feel normal.鈥�