Stand-Up Comedy has influenced my entire life. Growing up, as the “fat kid”  in Oakland California, you learn quickly how roast other kids on the playground. Comedy began as a defense mechanism, and transformed into a means to gain friends. Once I knew I could make the kids laugh, they stopped laughing at me, and started laughing with me. Telling jokes will forever be my icebreaker. 

 

My first memory of stand up, is sitting in my Auntie’s living room, watching Whoopi Goldberg’s One Woman Special. No matter how bad I was feeling my Auntie could put on Whoopi and my eyes would light up. Whoopi would shine on that stage. I watched as she  switched from playing her young child character, to an old Jazz Junkie at least a thousand times. At young age, some might say an inappropriate one, I was exposed to the comedy superstars of the 80’s. Richard Pryor, Rodney Dangerfield, Eddie Murphy, Red Foxx, and Robert Townsend, were all my professors in the art of Stand-Up Comedy. 

 

The first time I tried stand up, I was actually at a very low point in my life.  I just lost my job and I had zero prospects. I was sitting at home pondering my next steps in life. I’ve always known I had a great sense of humor. I’ve always had people encourage me to try Stand Up, but I never took it seriously. So I'm at home, watching Def Comedy Jam. Something  in my mind  decided to google “How to become a stand up comedian?”. The search revealed clubs that have open mic night all over the Bay Area. 

 

When I decided to try open mic I didn’t tell anyone. I just went. When I first took the stage, I had no idea what I was going to say. I just wanted to know if I could stay on stage. Be comfortable with myself standing in front of the crowd. There’s a feeling of electricity, when you step on stage. It fills up your body as the crowd laughs with acceptance. Looking back, the crowd that night was most likely other comedians, waiting in line for their turn on stage. Once I felt that energy I knew that Comedy was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. 

 

There’s a saying we have in the Bay Area community of comedians. Comedy is Life. We live for stage time while we pray for our big break.  Comedy has opened up so many doors for me. Comedy influenced me to go back to college. I learned to expand my presence on stage by hosting TV, Radio, and Podcast shows. Comedy persuaded me to return to school, to receive my Masters in Writing for Film & Television. This art form has also pushed me to pursue my acting career. Stand Up comedy continues to provide opportunities to express myself,  that I would have never thought of. I owe this art form my life.