It’s a new year. I should practice writing the correct year: 2015, 2015, 2015! I have memories of writing the wrong year on checks after New Years and my dad being mad at me. So they say this is the time to reflect on the year, your life etc… that along with listening to my sets are probably my least favorite things to do.
Some people I know make excel spreadsheets documenting their comedy journey; I have tried that approach, but after less than a month the project was abandoned. I know how I’m doing; it’s a gut feeling for me. Like when I was acting, when the director would give me feedback I didn’t really hear what he said, I felt it and would adjust accordingly. My emotions and sensitivity are how I compute, process and react to the world. Note for next year, I should try to listen better. To generally summarize this year:
January-ish I was coming out of a big depression
February-ish I had an epic night with a comic; think laying in a blanket of white snow in Washington Square Park, connecting and talking about comedy. That night symbolized my slow return to comedy and the beginning of taking it seriously and treating it like a job.
March & April-ish mid tears (side effects from arising out of the big D err depression) I trucked on doing stand-up open mics. There was a specific mic where I just totally cried on stage. I made my self return the next week to do the mic again. I may not be made of steel, but I will still fight to the end. I produced Meet Drink Laugh after an 8 month hiatus. I visited my friend in LA and did mics there, mid tears, oy my poor friend.
May-ish I got passed at the Comic Strip and began working there 4 nights a week.
June-ish I had my Tuesday Nights at Solas. I began the most serious relationship in the history of Michelle and as an added bonus because of him my punch lines got a lot punchier. I was in a good place, possibly the best place of my life.
July I took my class with Wali Collins and began my relationship with the Manhattan Comedy School. I started this blog!
August– I took my final stand-up comedy class (with Laughing Buddha) and put my parents through their last club bringer. But there will always be Michelle produced bringers 🙂
September– I started the Masq Qomedy Show and learned about working with ticketing services. I had my first legit spot on the Gotham Comedy Stage. I produced another Meet Drink Laugh Event. and performed at Caroline’s for the first time.
October: Developed a sense of swag. In terms of comedy climbing I went from open mic-er to late nighter who books shows
November: I had my biggest bomb which could be my famous bomb story. Granted it wasn’t AS bad as I thought, it was still epic. Houston Improv- urban room 2014.
December: I hosted a Jewish Theater conference in DC. Had a few up and down days, but consistently am in the best place of my life.
Top 5 Things To Work On For 2015
1. Celebrate one positive accomplishment each week
2. Control emotions by taking a breathe before reacting
3. Appreciate what I have such as my health, relationships, & persevearance by writing a weekly gratitude list
4. Stay Consistent ie: write, practice mindfulness, workout, perform, & spend time with family
5. Listen Better if I find myself in my head quick get out!
My friend asked me to do a set before the launching of a webseries he was working on. Challenge accepted. The day before the event I went to a premiere party of another webseries starring Aasif Mandiv with a pro comedian doing a set to kick off the festivities. This premiere party was a parallel event except their webseries was of the Madison Avenue tier and mine was more 2nd avenue, a respectable avenue mind you- in fact that’s the avenue where I grew up! Let’s just say I was nervous for my gig. I also respect my friend who booked me and I wanted to do well for him.
Last night I performed in an “urban room” in Harlem. Urban room is code for black room. I had heard rumours that this show / mic is brutal and the minute I walked in I knew the rumours were true. This is a room where you don’t get a standing ovation you get a walking ovation. The show is set in a bar/lounge and there is no separate space for comedy. Before the comedy show starts the DJ spins hot tunes, everyone is drinking, dancing, having a good time. All of a sudden the fun stops and the comedy show begins. A fun party-sphere is a tall order for stand-up comedy to compete with. You need to be energetic and full of ‘act outs’ to fully catch the attention of the audience; otherwise your jokes needs to be related to pussy, dick or titties. That’s just the truth of the situation. When I walked in an hour before the show started (the tell tale sign of a rookie) I stuck out like a sore thumb. At one point the DJ said “hey girl you looking for Columbia University?”. I felt embarrased, but at the same time, could recognize that it was hilarious. I kept trying to find a seat so I didn’t stick out so much, but wherever I tried to sit the seat was apparently “taken”. I was the Rosa Parks of Harlem. Finally the sign-up ‘list’ went out and I wrote down my name only to find out that the ‘list’ was merely a ceremonial show order. Comedians would be called up at the whim of the host, if called up at all. I was called up and started by dancing hip hop to the music while walking to the mic. In my humble opinion I got decent moves (for a tighty whitey). This got the audience on my side. I then started my set by saying ‘When I walked in tonight I was asked if I was looking for Columbia University, all I gotta say is hellz no I’m from… NYU”. This went over-well. “Now when my mom named me Michelle she said she was deciding between Michelle and Shkwanda.” The audience was like wwaah? I continued “If I were Shkwanda then I would be the hottest cracker in all of Harlem, Ok the Upper East Side… I am so ashamed of where I am from.” It was a good start. I got a little muffled in the middle, but ended with my quintessential joke “when I sit down I get rolls in my stomach so I created the expression ‘layers for the players’.” This actually got an applause break so I bailed on the rest of the joke and ended there. I stood my ground. It’s important to be able to work in every room and well lets just say I gotta long way to go to rock the Urban circuit, but what I learned tonight was that I can exude confidence and bottom line- the kid’s got potential. Now, watch me bomb tonight. Hey, that’s the nature of the game.