Taking the Leap After 20 Years of Improv

For over 20 years, I've lived in the world of improv and sketch comedy, where the adrenaline of being on stage is met with the comfort of having a team around you. Every scene is a collaboration, every laugh shared. It’s a world I’ve grown to love, and one I’ve thrived in. But recently, something began gnawing at me, a little voice that whispered: "What if you stepped up to the mic… alone?"

Stand-up comedy—just me, my thoughts, and a microphone—felt like a whole new beast. After years of living in the moment, reacting to the energy around me, and relying on the unexpected genius of my fellow performers, the idea of standing in front of a crowd with nothing but my own words terrified me.

I wasn’t exactly new to comedy, but the shift to stand-up was daunting in a way I hadn't anticipated. What if no one laughed? What if I froze? As the day of my first open mic drew closer, the nerves kicked in. I tried to remind myself that, over the years, I had faced countless audiences, and each time I managed to find the humor in the chaos. But this was different. There was no team to fall back on, no shared blame if the joke landed flat. It was just me.

The night came, and I found myself standing backstage at McCurdy's Comedy Club, heart pounding, feeling more vulnerable than I had in years. I could hear the muffled sound of laughter from the audience as the comedian before me wrapped up their set. I tried to remind myself to breathe, but the beads of sweat forming on my forehead told a different story.

Then I heard my name called. It was time. My feet felt heavy as I walked toward the small stage. My hands gripped the microphone stand as if it might float away if I let go. The spotlight hit my face, and for a moment, everything seemed too bright, too loud, too… real.

And that’s when I realized, this was exactly what I’d been searching for. A new challenge. A new way to make people laugh. My heart still pounded in my chest, but with a deep breath, I stepped up to the mic and took my first step into the world of stand-up comedy.

This is the first of a series of blog posts documenting my journey into stand-up. Along the way, I’ll share the challenges I set for myself, the highs and lows of each performance, and most importantly, the lessons I learned as I ventured into this new comedy arena. Stay tuned for what comes next!