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NEAL BRENNAN
Neal Brennan is a writer, Creative Consultant, and on-air correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. He served as Executive Producer on Chris Rock’s 2018 stand-up special Chris Rock: Tamborine, and as Director on Daily Show Correspondent Michelle Wolf’s 2017 HBO special Michelle Wolf: Nice Lady. Neal’s still fresh & critically acclaimed stand-up special 3 Mics premiered on Netflix in 2017. Neal Brennan is also the co-creator of the legendary Comedy Central series Chappelle’s Show. 3 MICS 3 Mics is your newest, and most unique stand up special ever. What inspired this idea? Well, before this I did a half hour and an hour for Comedy Central that I thought were good, but people largely ignored it. So I was like, “All right! I’m not doing that shit again.” I felt like I kept running into a brick wall. 3 Mics in some ways was kind of making my liabilities with strengths, in that I’m trying to explain to people that I’m not the “party guy”. Some guys on stage are like, “I’m a fuckin’ party guy!” [laughs] I’m definitely not that, so I wanted to tell people, “Here’s why I’m NOT a party guy.” And, if I seem somber on stage, or if I seem low energy, it’s because I’m not fuckin’ joyous. You know what I mean? [laughs] A lot of people are joyous, but to me it was really pronounced how not-joyous I was. So I figured, “Let me just lean into that.” When did you realize this about yourself? Well, I thought it for a long time. If you […]
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MARC MARON
Marc Maron is known for the groundbreaking WTF With Marc Maron Podcast, one of the highest ranking podcasts in the country. His TV show Maron is on IFC and Netflix, and his book Attempting Normal is on Amazon and Audible. His stand up specials Thinky Pain and Too Real are on Netflix and Comedy Central. Maron made a Q&A appearance at The Second City in Chicago to simply talk shop. During this time, he shared advice from his career path. It was as if the audience interviewed Marc Maron in his own podcast episode, live from the stage. Everything you ever wanted to know about his life, his career, and his struggles. Enjoy! PRE-SHOW Maron greeted the audience with a, “How are ya?” He then complimented the audience’s applause with a, “Nice!” which was then followed by, “Uhh…so what’s the plan here? Just come down to The Second City and talk to the kids?” [audience laughter and applause] Maron expressed confusion saying, “Now, I don’t know if I’m supposed to do a show…there’s supposed to be a show of some kind, so uh…what is it that you people want?! [audience laughter and applause] I’ve never been here before, never set foot in this building…apparently a lot has happened here…” [audience laughter] After a few more comically confused moments, Maron began with the basics. THE BASICS Okay well first off, THIS is the proper set up for stand up: Proper mic stand—a straight mic stand, no tripods or anything with a boom on it, that’s no good […]
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Hollywood Laugh Factory’s Ashley Byrd
Ashley Byrd is the force of nature behind The Laugh Factory. As manager, she works diligently to make sure every single show runs smoothly. She does it all: She welcomes audience members for arriving, she makes sure they are seated comfortably, she runs upstairs to check on the sound, and then quickly back downstairs and inside the showroom to check on the show, and then back behind the showroom to check on the bar—and on a busy night, she’s even working the bar! It’s an endless cycle, and yet she musters the energy to thank every audience member after the show on their way out. And just when it’s time to breathe, it’s time to prepare for the next show. She is the key to making sure that Chicago’s favorite comedians have the best possible venue to perform in. Despite her busy routine, Ashley was kind enough to take the time and share her story from her dark past and how it shaped her into the hard working machine that she is today. She also offers her advice & wisdom on what it takes to be a comedian at The Laugh Factory. Enjoy! BACKSTORY How did you get into comedy? I had always written, I had always been into comedy and stand up—but I’m from a small town in Texas, so there was no comedy scene as far as I knew. Eventually, I would end up meeting a stand up comedian from New York. I went there, and for 7 […]
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Chicago Laugh Factory
When it comes to performing at The Chicago Laugh Factory, Brian Morton and Curtis Shaw Flagg are the guys in charge. Aside from booking comedians and determining who will “pass” and showcase on their beloved stage, Curtis and Brian are also responsible for managing every aspect of this legendary comedy club. This includes greeting audience members, seating them comfortably, monitoring the sound, making sure the show room runs smoothly, managing the bar, thanking audience members on their way out, and of course preparing for the very next show. In this interview, we discuss the process of what it takes to become a Laugh Factory regular, what the goal should be once a comic is finally passed, and what it takes to put on the best show possible. BRIEF BACKSTORY Curtiswas born and raised in southern Illinois to a family related to Richard Pryor! With a degree in bioinformatics and the skills of a writer, Curtis found his way into The Laugh Factory as a social media marketer, and he worked his way up from there. Brian grew up in New York, spent 4 years in the Air Force, and also became a culinary chef all before discovering Chicago comedy at the notorious CYSK showcase. He started as a door man at The Laugh Factory and worked diligently to get to the position he is now. THE LAUGH FACTORY PROCESS Everybody who is not a regular wants to know, what does it take to get passed at The Laugh Factory? CURTIS: Probably the question […]
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Chris Redd
Chris Redd lives by the words “Work hard at what you love and you play forever!” Chris’s mantra has earned him the nickname, the “gym rat” of comedy. Chris Redd does it all: Rap, stand up, improvisation, sketch, writing, producing, acting, and even drama! He is part of the television series, Empire, starring Terrence Howard and Taraji P. Henson. Most recently, Redd is a cast member on Saturday Night Live and has a Comedy Central half hour special. Despite Chris’s super busy schedule, he was generous enough share his wisdom to talk about comedy, work ethic, rap, stories from his troubled past, and what it is like as a comedian to work in drama television. DO WORK! You’re one of the hardest working comedians out here. Explain your work ethic. Work is my priority. I say this with no malice. I outwork everyone around me, all the time—in a fun, competitive way. I’m very competitive. I’m always trying to do more, because I always want to do more. I have that Malcolm Gladwell 10,000 hours approach. There’s some truth to it! I feel like if you work at something hard enough and smart enough, you will achieve what you want to acheive. Your path will open itself up. You will see your opportunities and you will seize them. What has been your typical comedy regimen to get you to where you are now? I would go out A LOT—every single night, as much as four times a night. I would […]
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Josh Johnson
Josh Johnson is a standup, writer and performer from Louisiana by way of Chicago. He is currently a writer on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and was featured on Kevin Hart’s Hart of the City. Josh was named one of Comedy Central’s ‘Comics to Watch’ in 2015 and one of the Just For Laughs Festival’s ‘New Faces’ in 2016. He is a former writer and performer on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he also made his late-night stand-up debut in 2017. As a stand-up, Josh has performed at clubs, colleges and festivals around the world, including JFL Montreal, Bumbershoot, Moontower, Riot LA, Bridgetown, High Plains and the New York Comedy Festival. On screen, Josh has appeared on Conan, @Midnight with Chris Hardwick, and, in 2017, he released his Comedy Central half-hour special and album ‘I Like You’. Josh’s next stand-up special will be released on Netflix. New York VS Chicago How would you compare New York from Chicago? I think of Chicago as home. New York is like this grad school stage of comedy. You can only get better there because it’s so much harder there. Here in Chicago, you get to grind in a way that is livable and manageable. You get to do real time at mics. And, you get to make friends here. What does the Chicago scene have that the New York scene doesn’t? Everyone gives Chicago a hard time because it doesn’t have much industry, but I think that’s what makes it […]
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Ronnie Ray
Ronnie Ray is an improvisor, actor, and stand up comedian who is infamously known for being on both Playboy TV and Nickelodeon. He has numerous television and film appearances in shows such as Grey’s Anatomyand Totally Busted, and in films such as C’mon Manand Save The Last Dance. In this interview, Ronnie Ray talks about his start in improv at Second City, his TV acting experiences, and words of wisdom for us all. Enjoy! COMEDY ADVICE What advice do you have on being the host of a comedy show? If the crowd ain’t ready, then the host didn’t do their job. When you host a comedy show, you set the tone. The crowd has to trust you in order to get them warmed up before you bring the first comic out. How does the host control the flow of the show? If the first comic sucks and the show’s tankin’, the host has to do more work to get the show back to an even level. And, if the comics are really funny, the host better not do any extra time, just keep the show going. What’s the key to being a good host? You have to be the most present guy in the room. Be in the moment. Do some crowd work. Let them know that you are there with them, and make them feel like they are there with you. BACKSTORY You spent a good while in L.A. What brought you back to Chicago? First it was family. My grandmother […]
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Dwayne Kennedy
Dwayne Kennedy is a legendary Chicago comedian. He was on Seinfeld, in the movie How High, and has appearances on The Orlando Jones Showand Totally Biasedwith W. Kamau Bell. He has performed on The Late Show with David Letterman, LateNight with Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Premium Blend,Comedy Central Presents, and he has his own comedy special on Showtime. In this interview Dwayne shares his advice and wisdom about his writing process, performing on television, and what it was like to work with Jerry Seinfeld. TV QUESTIONS During your Letterman set, you were able to drink a glass of wine. You’re the only comedian I’ve ever seen do something like that. How did you get to do that? Ya know what, I don’t know! [laughs] But since then, they haven’t let anybody do that, including me. That was my thing back then—I would go on stage with a glass of wine. Some things they used to let you do, and now they don’t. That’s just how it goes. Now, they won’t let you use a microphone, you have to use the hands free clip-on mic. So, get ready! Get your clip-on mic routine together! [laughs] You were in a Seinfeld episode. Which one and what part did you play? I did the episode called “The Stranded”, where Jerry, George, and Elaine get stranded at a party in Long Island. They made an agreement that if the party was boring, they would give each other a signal to rescue each other. So, I was one of […]
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Big Jay Oakerson
Big Jay Oakerson is one of the most recognizable comedians in New York City if not the country. He’s been featured on Comedy Central’s This Is Not Happening with Ari Shaffir,Comedy Underground with Dave Attell, Louie, Inside Amy Schumer, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. Jay has two comedy albums: An American Storyteller and The Crowdwork Sessions: What’s Your F@#king Deal!?! He co-hosts two widely popular podcasts: Legion of Skanks and The Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll Show. He also co-hosts The Bonfire on Comedy Central Serius XM Radio. Jay was nice enough to take the time to discuss comedy, bad jobs, his creative process, and how he handles hecklers. BACKSTORY You used to be a bouncer. How did you go from a bouncer to a comedian? Well, I was young and somebody offered me a job driving strippers to bachelor parties. I thought it would be cool to get paid to watch girls get naked, and I could drive them home. How was it? It wasn’t that cool because all I would do was go be put into a dangerous situation, and then drive home with girls who really were not into the job. Some had kids in social services, or a really abusive boyfriend who didn’t even know they did this. It was in such disarray. How do you think it helped with your comedy? At the end of the day, it sort of became a source of material. Comedy is so rooted in people-watching and observation, and so […]
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J.F. Harris
Named one of the “Comics to See Before They Are Famous” by The Chicago Tribune, J.F. Harris is a road comic based out of New York, who began his comedy career in the iO and Annoyance theaters in Chicago. He also trained at the UCB theaters in New York as well as Los Angeles. He has performed in the New York Comedy Festival, The Wild West Comedy Festival, and the Just For Laughs festival in both Calgary and Winnipeg. J.F. performs all over the country. In this interview, J.F. shares what it is like to live as a road comic, being a sober comic, and advice on dealing with writer’s block. BACKSTORY You joke about growing up with disabilities. Care to talk about it? When I was young, I was riddled with disabilities. In a bit that I do, I list them off—in fact there are things I don’t put on that list because after a while people are just like, “What the hell?!” Do you think your sense of humor stems from those experiences? Ya know, I don’t remember a lot from my childhood, probably because I just blocked it all out. I think I had a sense of humor, but I don’t think I developed actual comedy skills until much later in life. All the guys in my group were really funny, and everyone was really good at “ball bustin’”. I’m from the East Coast tradition where everyone just makes fun of each other. Who were your comedy influences? I […]
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FLUFFY & FRIENDS
This is the most interesting interview done to date. In what was perceived as a failed attempt to interview Gabriel Iglesias himself, ended up being a fantastic interview filled with advice and wisdom from the comedians who tour and open for Gabriel Iglesias regularly. The way it happened is, Gabriel Iglesias sold out the entire Toyota Center arena, and then the very next night, Iglesias put on a free show at the Improv for the first 300 fans who showed up with proof of tickets from the previous night. On this show titled “Fluffy & Friends”, Gabriel Iglesias showcased his favorite up-and-coming comedians open and tour with him–comedians who have appeared on Comedy Central, and so much more. The comedians in this interview include: Shaun Latham: Shaun appeared on the first season of “Gabriel Iglesias Presents: Stand Up Revolution” on Comedy Central. Shaun has traveled all across the country opening for Gabriel Iglesias. G. Reilly: Performs in every major club in Los Angeles, and travels all across the country with Gabriel Iglesias. He also appeared in “Aloha Fluffy: Gabriel Iglesias Live From Hawaii”. Dillon Garcia: Dillon appeared on “Gabriel Iglesias Presents: Stand Up Revolution” on Comedy Central. Aside from opening for big names like Gabriel Iglesias, Dillon has also opened for Nick Swardson, Dave Chappelle. SHAUN LATHAM What’s the best advice you can give to young comics? Best advice? Just keep doing it. JUST. KEEP. DOING IT. Don’t listen to the punks that are on your level. The last thing you want is […]
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Maria Tornberg
Maria Tornberg is a Swedish-born actress who is perhaps most widely known for her role as “The Hot German Girl” in the comedy classic, Super Troopers. The popularity of her role sparked a petition to bring her back for Super Troopers 2, which is rumored to be in the works. But aside from that, she is also a model, a writer, a poet, a director, and she also has her own photography business! In this interview, we talk about Maria’s journey from Sweden to Hollywood, and the horrific obstacles she had to overcome before living out her dreams. Through her experiences, she shares wonderful wisdom and advice on what it takes to succeed in the entertainment industry today. SUPER TROOPERS Does it ever get old being known as “The Hot Girl from Super Troopers”? No! It never gets old! That movie was a great experience for me. It was my very first film that I did in the United States. It opened up so many doors for me, and it’s a part of my life. But, I have SO many other things that I’m working on that people will know me for as well. Super Troopers 2 is supposedly in the works. There is a petition for them to bring you back. Why bother with the petition? You should be in it no matter what, right?! [laughs] I don’t know, I’m just going with it. It’s funny to me. I didn’t even know there was going to be a Super Troopers 2 until somebody asked me […]
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