RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024
Maggie Whittum
Maggie Whittum is a filmmaker, theatre artist, disability advocate, public speaker, and stroke survivor at age 33. She recently acted in the acclaimed world-premiere immersive experience Theater of the Mind, co-created by David Byrne and produced by the Denver Center. She often performs with the ‘disability-affirmative’ Phamaly Theatre Co., which exclusively casts disabled actors. Previous theatre directing and producing credits include All in the Timing, The Zoo Story, Into the Woods, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. She has directed and produced plays, musicals, and improv comedy in the U.S. and abroad. She also assistant-directed under Tony Award winner Rebecca Taichman and Peabody Award winner Emily Mann at McCarter Theatre in Princeton, NJ, where she was the Charles Evans Fellow (2012). Commercial acting credits include MapQuest, Samsung, and Starz/Encore.
Whittum speaks at conferences, universities, hospitals, and medical schools about her story of stroke, disability, and identity. She has spoken at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Georgetown Hospital, Craig Hospital and the ACCAC ‘One World One Family’ Conference and Cultural Festival, among others. Whittum is a proud member of FWD-DOC (Documentary Filmmakers With Disabilities) and The D-Word (an online community for documentary professionals). Whittum is executive producing and co-writing the feature length documentary The Great Now What, about resilience in the aftermath of a major health crisis. The Great Now What is an empowering and life-affirming film that humanizes the experience of stroke, disability and chronic pain. It is in production and planned to be released in 2026. https://www.thegreatnowwhat.com/
Whittum endeavors to generate more empathy and compassion in American society for people with disabilities. She is keen to create more visibility for disabled talent and more projects helmed by disabled people.
Whittum is a RespectAbility Fellow and a graduate of Colorado College.
Learn More
After an extensive search and interview process, 5 individuals were invited to participate in an intensive session for disabled creatives working in the documentary and unscripted spaces, taking place July 29 – August 1, 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 30s through the 50s. This intensive elevates disabled creatives, focusing on building community, networking, and career advancement. This intensive is in collaboration with Bunim-Murray Productions, National Geographic, and NBCUniversal.
