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Send in the Clowns
Because I need a break from comedy
A visceral mood engulfed me as I left a comedy open mic last night. A fact emerged from a theory I’ve been wrestling with for some time now. And that fact is this: I don’t ever want to go to another open mic as long as I live.
I co-founded a stand-up comedy production company almost two years ago called New Blood Ventura. It was born out of frustration over the only two comedy open mics in town being run like utter shitshows.
Hosts hours late, favoritism, trying to please everyone, staying outside all night and not actually hosting, complete disregard for the sign-up list, zero sobriety.
I was going to quit comedy because I was tired of showing up at 7:30 to a mic where the sign-up list was supposed to be out at 8 pm and finding there were already 20 names on the list. Or actually getting to be fourth on the list only to have the host put up three comics before me who drove in from Bakersfield unannounced and give them each 20 minutes.
Being booked on a “show” with literally 40 other comedians, being told I’m going up next for an hour and a half, have comics not on the show just show up and get to go on before me, and finally get to go up three hours later at 1:30 am after almost everyone has left the bar, and slur my shit to the three people left in…
