Many of you know my good news, but for those of you who don’t …
My role is a recurring one.
I feel encouraged. I also feel
blessed because
the director is definitely a special person. When auditioning, her presence allowed me to
do my best. From the moment she said
hello, I felt her spirit like sunshine warming me.
The last time I had a director whose presence made me feel
like that was
at a teaching job. I was
lucky to have her for four years. I may
have done some of my best work at that job when she was there. It’s something about feeling
appreciated. It makes a huge difference.
Last night I had an interesting interaction with someone I’m
connected
with on Facebook but never met in real life. He lives down South but grew up in Manhattan
(NYC). He does comedy. I do comedy.
I didn’t know he does comedy when I saw his post that he wanted to do a
documentary on a topic I believe is crucial.
I was reminded of a book from many years ago. I responded to his post about the book. He very excitedly responded back that he had
loved that book, forgot about it, and thanked me for reminding him. Later he private messaged me.
Well, he has friends in Manhattan, and he heard my name
numerous times
as a comic. So when I
commented on his post, he had recognized my name, and I am
flabbergasted!!! He wants to coordinate
something down South and wants me to be a part of it.
I feel so validated.
When I started out in comedy -- maybe I just
connected with folks who I’m
not in sync with, but I felt like an outsider.
I felt like I’d landed in a male locker room. One talented woman chose not to work with me
because she “didn’t want to upset the guys.”
If Richard Pryor allowed upsetting the whites stop him, we’d never have
heard him. Others backed off without
being so honest. Another would introduce
me at a mic as a “feminist” in a tone that sounded like a warning. Some young guys were threatened and unkind. Several mature men told me that as you rise
up, that shit doesn’t go on as much. I was
grateful to hear that and thrilled to feel supported.
Some uptight people didn’t like my language. I’m rated R. Maybe R+. Other folks (audience members) told me they liked how I talked to them and not at them. My adult students
liked that about me as well.
My experience doing comedy was different than some others. I had been
a teacher of adult students when I
began, I had already been a poet, writer, and actress, and comedy was an avenue
of free expression to me. I wasn’t in
need of laughs as much as in need of expressing certain things. Of course I made it funny. Laughs happened.
I'm not in comedy to do knock-knock jokes. I have shit to say. I don't pick on people who society has already squashed -- that doesn't make me laugh. If it doesn't make me laugh, I don't use it. Shedding light on the oppressors is where my material lies.
Hearing that I’m being spoken of in other parts of
the country is exhilarating!!!
Encouraging as always! Keep writing/posting!
Very exciting news and times for you!! I always wish you great success!