Curb’s Susie Essman Hosts Comedy For A Cause

On November 8, life will get a little bit lighter as Susie Essman of Curb Your Enthusiasm hosts a night of comedy to benefit the Reed Academy, a not-for-profit school serving children with autism.

Along with Essman will be Tom Papa, who has spent close to 10 years opening for Jerry Seinfeld, and Adam Lowitt from The Daily Show. Papa, who currently hosts NBC’s The Marriage Ref, has been described as a cross between Seinfeld and Bill Cosby. Lowitt, in addition to doing stand-up and producing the Daily Show, is a contributing writer for Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update. 

“This should be a really fun show,” says Diane Marshall of Montclair, whose 14-year-old son, David, has been a student at Reed for seven years. “This is our third comedy fundraiser, but the first time at the Wellmont.”

Last year’s event was held at Manhattan’s Terminal 5 and featured Daryll Hammond and Judy Gold. Marshall is excited that they've been able to bring a show like this closer to home this year.

The comedy show is one of two main fundraisers that Reed Academy relies on to keep its programs running. “When we started there, the school was operating out of a church basement in Garfield,” said Marshall, explaining that the specialized school is one of the few in the area that provides a one-on-one Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) programs for children with extreme autism. 

ABA focuses on skill acquisition through the use of positive reinforcement. “Kids with autism don’t have imitation skills," Marshall explains. “ABA breaks tasks and behaviors down into small components and each step is rewarded.” 

Autism is a spectrum disorder, and there can be a big difference between kids on one end of the spectrum who, with assistance, are able to participate in a traditional learning environment and those at the other end who are completely non-verbal, are unable to sit through a movie, cannot shower or bathe independently. “These are kids who can’t cross the street by themselves at 14,” says Marshall.

“Reed teaches these children life skills, like how to do laundry, how to shave, how to cook meals. David does more in this house than anyone,” she jokes, referring to David’s older brother and younger sister. Humor is one of the ways Marshall copes with what is often a very difficult family situation.

“David was diagnosed at 18 months, and at the time, I was told that four in 10,000 kids were diagnosed with autism each year.  Now, the numbers are one in 110,” she says. Whether that’s because diagnosis has become more exacting or whether autism is on the rise, is unclear. “The fact is, there’s not a lot of government support for kids once they turn 21. Kids David’s age are soon going to age out of the system. Many will have nowhere to live and no job skills, which is why it’s really important to try and get them educated when they’re young.”

Jill Nadison agrees. A close friend of the Marshalls, Nadison sat on the Reed Acadmy’s board with David’s father, Scott Marshall, for a year before signing on as the Director of Development. “In order to be able to run the programs we do, we need to supplement tuition by $20,000 per child, per year,” she says. “The new building we’re in right now [in Oakland, NJ] was built entirely through private donations."

Reed sponsors two major fundraisers each year, a biking event, where the school joins forces with several other schools for autism, and this comedy night. “We used to do a big gala, but a few years ago we wanted to do something different and we thought comedy would appeal to a lot of people,” says Nadison, who has run the event each year. “Since Reed started, we’ve graduated 10 kids back into their school system. We can see that we’re doing a good job.”

But the work is never over. “The money we raise on this comedy night will be used to buy iPads for the students. There’s technology available that allows these kids who don’t have speech a means to communicate,” says Nadison, referencing the 60 Minutes episode on October 23 that included a compelling segment about iPads and the dramatic effect they’re providing individuals with autism, literally unlocking the door to communication for people who have been completely non-verbal their entire lives.

While it is comedy that may help Reed succeed in its mission, Nadison’s description of the joy surrounding the school is no laughing matter. “This school is the most amazing place I’ve ever seen.  Watching the kids work as hard as they do, and the staff helping them be all that they can be, you realize how much support they all need.  I probably cry three times a day. I honestly feel like everything I do at this school makes a difference. I raise money. I develop programs. I give out hugs. And the kids hug back!”

Tickets for the Comedy for a Cause are available through the Reed Academy website. The event is Tuesday, November 8 at 7 p.m. at the Wellmont Theatre, 5 Seymour Street, Montclair.