Don't Wait: The Michael Schmid Story

A dying man elicits the help of a veteran comedian to accomplish his lifelong dream of performing stand up comedy. This seemingly insurmountable task must be accomplished within days, before a terminal disease takes his life.

  • Lisa Alvarado
    Director
  • Lisa Alvarado
    Writer
  • Sarah Laspisa
    Producer
  • Rhoshan Amir
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Drama
  • Runtime:
    29 minutes 16 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    4k & 1080p
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Lisa Alvarado

Lisa Alvarado, The Latin Queen of Comedy, is Tina Fey meets Sophia Vergara. Lisa brings the funny with clever wit and a sassy fun attitude; relatable and quirky, using her own life as the punch line. She writes all her own material and enjoys sharing her gift of laughter with audiences around the world, including several overseas shows for the Troops.

Lisa is a National Headliner to many theatres, clubs, colleges and corporate events. TV appearances include: NBC’s “Last Comic Standing”, Nick at Nite’s “Funniest Mom in America 2″, “Comics Unleashed” with Byron Allen, “Stand Up in Stilettos” on TV Guide Network, NuvoTV, and many more. Lisa also played Paul Rodriguez’s sidekick on 20 episodes of “Mis Videos Locos” on the MTV Network. Ms. Alvarado was voted “Best Up & Coming Latino Comedian” by The LA Comedy Festival and her jokes have been quoted in The New York Times. Recently, she was a staff writer for over 2 years on a comedy game show called "Funny You Should Ask". Lisa's passionate about creating original content and has written & produced two different web series and a comedy special.

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Director Statement

Born to Peruvian immigrant parents, I dreamed of being a stand up comedian at the age of 9. Becoming a single mother as a teenager put a damper on my dreams, but not for long. I risked everything, sold my hairdressing business and moved to Los Angeles. I fought through a male dominated business with some
successes and TV credits. After leaving a TV staff writing position, I felt lost without a sense of purpose or direction. As I was struggling, God brought me Michael. My whole perspective shifted from confusion to laser focus to help this man accomplish his dream. At first, I was going to tape Michael’s comedy performance for his family, but when he told me he had chosen his last day, we decided to document and share his brave story. Michael is an inspiration to all of us, a true example of never giving up on your dreams. I’m blessed to have witnessed this man bringing joy to others as he dealt with his own agonizing pain. He helped teach me about sacrifice, my true purpose, and the real meaning of life, which is to love others despite our differences, and if that doesn’t work… try a dick joke.