Ava X. Rigelhaupt
- Additional Crew
- Actor
Ava X. Rigelhaupt (she/her) is a writer, actress, public speaker, autism consultant, and advocate for disability and autism representation in the entertainment industry.
Ava's most recent work is for children's TV. She's a writer for CARL THE COLLECTOR a PBS Kids animated series premiering in fall 2024. It's PBS's first series centering a neurodiverse character! She also wrote and consulted on various episodes for 9Story Media.
Recently, Ava received a Drama Desk Special Award for Authentic Autistic Representation recognizing her work as the Autistic Creative Consultant for the Broadway musical How to Dance in Ohio, based on Alexandra Shiva's award-winning HBO documentary of the same name. The musical follows seven autistic young adults (authentically cast) at a social skills group in Ohio, as they come of age, forge connections, and prepare for a spring formal dance. It premiered on Broadway December 2023!
As a consultant, Ava reviews scripts, discusses disability tropes, edits character sketches, writes casting calls, and educates studios on best practices for hiring diverse, disabled talent. Projects include: Apple TV+ movie "Cha Cha Real Smooth" & Disney series "The Ghost and Molly McGee" season 2.
As a public speaker, Ava shares her lived experiences and expertise as a Chinese, Jewish, transracial, autistic adoptee. She has given keynotes, spoken on panels, and collaborated in writers' rooms. Rigelhaupt publishes articles and critiques regarding disability representation in media, interviews with entertainment professionals, and her own experiences as a disabled AAPI woman.
Previously, Ava worked with the disability led-nonprofit, RespectAbility, the Kennedy Center on a neurodiversity training course, and had a year-long internship with the Nickelodeon Live Action Casting team. During her senior year at Sarah Lawrence College, she was chosen to be a Ruderman Family Foundation Inclusion Ambassador. As an ambassador, she produced the college's first sensory friendly theatrical performance along with organizing and moderating a panel of NYC professionals to discuss entertainment inclusion practices. (Sensory friendly performances are made accessible to people with sensory sensitivities Ex: lights sounds, such as those with autism or PTSD).
Ava develops stories based on her life experiences, writing scripts on the road to her screenwriting career, while keeping her eyes peeled for auditioning opportunities! She's determined to educate and influence the entertainment industry, creating more opportunities and authentic representations for the talented and diverse disability community.
Ava's most recent work is for children's TV. She's a writer for CARL THE COLLECTOR a PBS Kids animated series premiering in fall 2024. It's PBS's first series centering a neurodiverse character! She also wrote and consulted on various episodes for 9Story Media.
Recently, Ava received a Drama Desk Special Award for Authentic Autistic Representation recognizing her work as the Autistic Creative Consultant for the Broadway musical How to Dance in Ohio, based on Alexandra Shiva's award-winning HBO documentary of the same name. The musical follows seven autistic young adults (authentically cast) at a social skills group in Ohio, as they come of age, forge connections, and prepare for a spring formal dance. It premiered on Broadway December 2023!
As a consultant, Ava reviews scripts, discusses disability tropes, edits character sketches, writes casting calls, and educates studios on best practices for hiring diverse, disabled talent. Projects include: Apple TV+ movie "Cha Cha Real Smooth" & Disney series "The Ghost and Molly McGee" season 2.
As a public speaker, Ava shares her lived experiences and expertise as a Chinese, Jewish, transracial, autistic adoptee. She has given keynotes, spoken on panels, and collaborated in writers' rooms. Rigelhaupt publishes articles and critiques regarding disability representation in media, interviews with entertainment professionals, and her own experiences as a disabled AAPI woman.
Previously, Ava worked with the disability led-nonprofit, RespectAbility, the Kennedy Center on a neurodiversity training course, and had a year-long internship with the Nickelodeon Live Action Casting team. During her senior year at Sarah Lawrence College, she was chosen to be a Ruderman Family Foundation Inclusion Ambassador. As an ambassador, she produced the college's first sensory friendly theatrical performance along with organizing and moderating a panel of NYC professionals to discuss entertainment inclusion practices. (Sensory friendly performances are made accessible to people with sensory sensitivities Ex: lights sounds, such as those with autism or PTSD).
Ava develops stories based on her life experiences, writing scripts on the road to her screenwriting career, while keeping her eyes peeled for auditioning opportunities! She's determined to educate and influence the entertainment industry, creating more opportunities and authentic representations for the talented and diverse disability community.