By JOSEPH FARLEY
On a Monday night, at The Kilmat Lounge in the East Village, 10 p.m., the dinner and drink crowd thins out, bar types and open micers shuffle in. Many among them are the Comedy School Dropouts. The Comedy School Dropouts are a mostly young group of aspiring comics who hit open gigs in New York City and support each other while they work new material and learn to grow more comfortable on stage. Meghan Radespiel, 23, a Hillsdale, N.J.native- is there for a five-minute set. And with a little help from a small network of comics and friends the bus ride into the city for a short set seems more manageable
“It’s a little less cold, it’s like I’m also coming to hangout and see friends, instead of just making a fool of myself on stage,” Radespiel said.
There are few things more uniquely American than stand-up comedy. However, there are fewer things more intimidating and uncertain than a life spent onstage telling jokes. Imagine being a woman in a field dominated by men, as about 80 percent of comics hitting open mics are men, according to Stand Up New York.
“Well, it’s safe to say my parents think I’m crazy,” Radespiel said. She is a recent college graduate, and after years of thinking about it she finally had the guts to get on the stage early last summer, well sort of, “I took a class in the city, which some people might see as cheating, but I don’t think I could have gone up there cold that first time in front of strangers,” she said.
How one actually becomes a stand-up comic is often shrouded in mystery, but the answer really is very simple: stage time.
Funny Women
Stereotypes abound, especially when it comes to women in comedy clubs. The most popular being that women are too sensitive for the inevitable heckling that can derail inexperienced comics. Other than the great Sarah Silverman, most would be hard pressed to name more female stand-ups. They are way, way less that a quarter of working, professional comics, according to the Denver Post.
“So much of comedy is about sex, probably as much as race and class, and the point of view of a women can make some uncomfortable,” Radespiel said. “But luckily I talk about depression, rape and kidnapping…ya know, girl stuff.” She’s soft spoken and fairly quiet, but comedy isn’t about being loud and boisterous, it’s more about point-of-view and voice. “I’m not a huge fan of the screaming stuff, comics like Kevin Hart comes to mind when I think of that. My favorite stand-up is probably Morgan Murphy. Oh, and of course, Louie,” she said.
Louie C.K., perhaps America’s foremost stand-up comic, who said about the process of becoming a stand-up comic in a 2011 interview on WTF with Marc Maron, “Don’t focus on career climbing. Focus on the getting funnier. The second you start bitching about who got what you’re going the wrong way. No one is getting your gig or your money.”
Stage Time
Most open mics usually give a comic between 3 and 5 minutes of stage time, depending on demand for slots. Time slots are often first come first serve and in the beginning comics are usually paying to perform, not the other way around. A few minutes on stage with nothing but a microphone is much longer than it might seem.
“I couldn’t even fill a minute my first time,” Radespiel said. “I used the material I had and walked off stage and it was something embarrassing like 54 seconds,” she laughed, “it’s just a lot longer than you think.” Building 15 minutes of tight stage material can take talented comics years of performing.
After a few comics at the The Kilmat Lounge, Radespiel is called up in the third slot. She made her introduction and then got into her material. And that’s the key when you don’t have much time: to get a laugh before it feels like you’re drowning up there and the silence cripples you.
“I’m from New Jersey,” she said, “and if you guys actually quiet down you can actually hear the sound of my mom crying.” This gets a sizable laugh from the thirty-or-so people in the bar.
The Comedy School Dropouts uniquely have more than a few women in it, and next up is May Wilkerson, a NYC native. She isn’t much more than five-feet tall, long blonde hair, very attractive. In fact, all the women are attractive, including Radespiel. Does it make it harder to be taken serious as a comic? “Oh, I’m sure it does, but I don’t know why you ask,” Wilkerson said, smiled. “I mean, I suppose I’m not horrible to look at. Ask Meg, she’s hilarious and beautiful.”
After they all perform they have a few drinks at the bar and talk about what worked and what didn’t. What they liked the most, or what jokes the comic should think about losing all together
Prospects
The future is uncertain in comedy, and the longer a comic can remain on stage the better shot they will have at making a career of it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t keep track of stand-up comedians earnings because they vary so wildly, and it can be hard to pin down. However, a professional comic, even if not a household name can make more than 30 grand a year with extensive touring and roadwork, according to Forbes. If a comic can take the strange hours and traveling that comes with comedy, it isn’t unlikely they can make a decent living, provided of course they are funny. Until then, she will continue, like the rest, to open mic.
“I don’t really think about that too much right now. Actually, I’m lying,” Radespiel laughed. “But I guess I’m going to block all that out for now, at least until my parents get tired of me and kick me out.”
Radespiel gets into her opening bit