Ted Alexandro will be making his way back to the DC Improv, December 18th - 22nd. We here at DC Comedy: 4 Now thought that it would be a fantastic idea to speak with Ted and pick his brain about his beginings in comedy, writing, alternative venues, and his comedy influences. Don't forget to check out Ted while he's at the DC Improv all this week. Let's read this DC!
[Hit the jump for Ted's interview!]
*When did you realize that you wanted to do comedy?
In college I was in a sketch comedy show and a couple of sketches that I wrote made it into the show. It was a real revelation for me that something I wrote could make an audience laugh and that was the seminal moment for my comedy career. From there I did a two man act with a friend of mine and later went solo. So I basically kept whittling down until it was just me up there.
*Who were some of your earliest influences?
My parents had a few comedy albums in their collection and they had good taste, so I was fortunate enough to be exposed to Woody Allen, Steve Martin, Bill Cosby, George Carlin and Flip Wilson from an early age. These were some of the first comedians who I was drawn to but my early influences were actually not professional comedians, just really funny people- family or friends- who I enjoyed being around. Laughter and making people laugh was important to me even as a kid.
-What about them captivated you?
I was captivated by comedians because, when you listen to those old comedy albums, you get a real sense of the power of the comedian. There is such a specific and powerful relationship between comedian and audience, and it was like listening in on another world, an adult world that seemed to be a lot of fun.
As for the ordinary funny people in my life, the thing about them that captivated me was their sense of fun and how humor made everyday life a lot of fun. When I was a kid, so many adults seemed miserable to me but the people who were joking around had a lightness to their spirit and seemed happier. That definitely made an impression on me. I didn't want the fun to stop when I became an adult.
*Where did you first perform?
The first time I ever performed comedy was at a local church talent show. Not the best comedy environment when there are priests and nuns scattered among the crowd but from what I remember it was adequate. I didn't totally bomb, which was enough to make me want to do it again.
*What was your first paid gig?
-How long had you been doing stand-up at that point?
My first paid gig was after I had been performing for about a year. I got hired to open up for Marc Price who played Skippy on "Family Ties". He actually didn't show up so some other guy headlined but it was still exciting for me. I had loads of friends and family there. Whether they had come out to see Skippy or me, I don't know. But they were there and it was great to join the ranks of the professionals.
*Do you prefer to write on or off stage?
I definitely do almost all of my writing off stage. I spend a couple of hours a day writing, usually about four or five days a week when I'm disciplined. I need that time to come up with ideas that would not occur to me off the cuff. Sitting down and writing enables me to go beyond the first or second idea, beyond the obvious to something better. I will tweak ideas or change lines on stage but for the most part my material is written off stage.
*Do you enjoy the process of writing?
I love writing. It can be maddening and frustrating at times- I've heard it compared to the birthing process. You struggle and kick and scream but if a funny joke comes into the world, it is worth it. I love that the writing side is solitary and quiet and then you take ideas that were hatched in solitude and bring them to the masses in a noisy club or theater. It's really quite bizarre.
*As a veteran comic who can play at any club he chooses, what merit is there to performing at alternative venues like Riffi?
I enjoy performing in as many types of venues and in front of as many different types of crowds as possible. I think it makes me a better, more well rounded comedian. Smaller alternative rooms like Rififi give me a chance to explore some ideas or longer bits that I might be reluctant to do in a mainstream club. And the cool thing is, sometimes after I develop an idea in an alternative room I find that I actually can do it in mainstream clubs, too. A lot of the barriers that comics put up in their own minds regarding what material works where, and I've been guilty of it, are actually just impediments to growing as a performer. I don't necessarily change what I do drastically from club to club. I do make slight adjustments, but you're basically presenting yourself- that is the foundation and that remains constant.
*You were instrumental in starting the New York Comedians CoalitionI haven't heard anything about the "comic's union" in over a year, did you guys accomplish your mission or are there more injustices to fight.
The NY Comedians Coalition is still alive and well. We raised the pay for comedians and accomplished the bigger goal of unifying the community of comics in NY and reminding them of the power of a unified voice.
The Coalition was not simply about money, it was about comedians having a voice and having a community of support, and that is still alive and well. We haven't assembled of late but if an issue came about that needed to be addressed we could assemble three hundred comedians pretty quickly.
*What about performing live do you enjoy?
I love making people laugh. There is something unique and beautiful about the relationship between a comedian and the audience. There's nothing else like it in any other field of the arts. I also enjoy testing myself, trying to grow and evolve as a person and a performer, which go hand in hand.
-Do you ever want to convey a message?
Any message that is conveyed is incidental and secondary to making people laugh. Every joke I do stays in the act because it's funny, not because it conveys a message. That said, I write about things that are on my mind and things that interest me so there is an inherent point of view but I never want that to get in the way of funny.
*What's hacky to you?
Hacky to me is lazy, unoriginal comedy that has me walking out of the room within ten seconds. It doesn't have to be a joke that I've heard verbatim; it could be a premise or a topic that has been mined a million times in the same way. It's that "Okay, here we go" feeling, where you know exactly what's coming.
*What is your day job?
I don't have a day job. I used to be an elementary school music teacher when I first graduated college in '94 but I left teaching about eight or nine years ago when comedy started paying the bills.
*Were your parents supportive of you doing comedy?
Yes, my parents have always been incredibly supportive, which I'm so appreciative of. They come to my shows a few times a year and they did even in the early days. I think my Dad thinks he's my manager. He's always thinking of ways to get me gigs and he carries around a tape of my Letterman set, just in case he runs into a TV executive.
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