RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024
Melissa Kong
Melissa Kong grew up watching The Golden Girls with her mom and WWF wrestling matches with her dad, so it’s no wonder she has the sarcasm of a Sophia Petrillo, the heart of a Rose Nylund, and the showmanship of…well, any wrestler. She likes to take familiar stories and find the unfamiliar in them. Her humorous and hopeful stories highlight the underdog, who rebel against people’s limited ideas and expectations of them. Like her writing, she can be silly yet profound. She wears her heart on the page and probably a food stain on her shirt. Most recently, she was an office PA and assistant to visiting executive producers on NBC’s Chicago Fire. Her award-winning short film, Don’t Worry About It, has played at several festivals including Slamdance Film Festival. Her new short, Hey Kiddo, is awaiting its world premiere. Writing highlights include Wonderful World (CAPE List, WIF x Black List finalist, Nicholl quarter-finalist), Don’t Worry About It (Nicholl Fellowship top 15%). She earned her MFA in Writing for the Screen & Stage from Northwestern University, studied abroad in London at LAMDA, and is a graduate of iO and Second City. She’s 5 feet tall, has a second-degree black belt, and can do clapping push-ups. She loves writing about what makes people special, especially herself.
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After an extensive search and interview process, 5 individuals were invited to participate in an intensive session for disabled comedy writers, taking place June 20-28, with additional virtual sessions taking place in partnership with the virtual cohort, May – September 2024. Participants include people with a variety of disabilities ranging in age from the 20s through the 40s. This intensive elevates disabled creatives, focusing on building community, networking, and career advancement. This intensive is in collaboration with ABC Entertainment.
