People tell me all the time, “Working at a comedy club must be sooo fun!” And in many ways, it is. But just like any other job, there are pros and cons.
There will be future pieces about how the good conservative Christian girl with a religion degree from Calvin ended up working at one of the most notable and historic comedy clubs in the world—but that’s a story for another time. For now, here are my top five favorite things about working in comedy that also happen to be the worst things:
5. The Chill Boss
Comedy club management tends to be more laid-back, chill, and personal. This is nice for the times when you’re running a few minutes late to work, need to make an adjustment to your schedule, or get caught taking a shot in the walk-in fridge (not that I’ve ever done that). However, it stops being cool when you need professional responses to conflict, need to implement new security protocols, or even when you need basic things like drinks, garnishes, and toilet paper ordered on time.
Your typical comedy club manager is the epitome of the cool math teacher in high school where everyone wanted to take their class because they were “fun,” but then nobody actually learned anything and we all failed the exam.
4. Free Comedy Shows
I sometimes look back over the last few years and can hardly believe the amount of incredible performers I’ve seen while working at the club. Shane Gillis, Leslie Liao, Joe Rogan, Tony Hinchcliffe, Sam Jay, Katherine Blanford, Theo Von, Miss Pat, and Matt Rife are just a few that come to mind. There have been nights I’ve had to balance a full tray of drinks on one hand and hold my gut with the other because I’m laughing so hard.
While we’re privileged to see the very best of performers absolutely kill, the caveat is that we’re also cursed to see the very worst of them absolutely bomb. Being stuck in a room while a comedian eats sh*t is bad enough; what’s even worse is that comedy clubs offer multiple opportunities for audiences to see the same show in one night (such as 7:30 and 9:30 p..m, for example). So if a comedian sucks, we’re forced to listen to them twice, if not three times a night—and sometimes, they’re booked at the club all weekend.
3. Shorter Service Hours
If you’ve ever been a server, then you know the agony of customers taking up one of your tables for hours on end and holding you hostage. Well, not at the comedy club! As soon as the show is over, people are promptly ushered out of the theater. Depending on the club, guests might be invited to relocate to a different bar space (often the lobby) where they can hang out for an hour or two—but either way, the hours of service are dictated by the show schedule, and not however long the customers decide to stay.
Also, at a normal restaurant, the average customer expects the waitstaff to be super gregarious and overly accommodating. But at a comedy club, the guests aren’t necessarily there for the experience of being waited on—they’re there to see a show. And thankfully, the show isn’t you. So it’s likely not your name they’ll mention in a Yelp review at the end of the night (unless you really suck).
2. Hanging With Comedians
You think your friends are fun? Well, until you’ve gone to karaoke with Katherine Blanford, partied with Ian Lara on a boat, or gotten pizza with Jeff Garlin, we don’t wanna hear it. Comedians can be some of the most authentic, accepting, and generous people in show biz; they’ve experienced levels of rejection that most of us can’t fathom. If they’ve succeeded, it’s because they’ve worked incredibly hard, been fiercely resilient, and found ways to stay true to themselves while also being relatable to their audiences. That’s a great hang.
At the same time, comedians can be some of the biggest divas you’ve ever met. Working with those who are super egotistical and entitled is just plain tedious. I’ve seen headliners show up drunk and thirty minutes late to their own show, just to repeatedly harass and flirt with house staff, all while making ridiculous demands for their green room. Word gets around quickly if comedians are a pain to work with, and sometimes they don’t get invited back.
1. Coolest Coworkers
The best part about working at a comedy club is that your coworkers wind up being your friends for life. They’re the people you laugh with, roast customers with, talk about life with, close out the 5 a.m. bar with, take impulsive road trips with… And yes, they’re the strangest hodgepodge of people you’ll ever work with. There’s truly no quirky crew in any other workplace that matches the misfits running a comedy club. Next time you go see a show, just remember that whatever shenanigans are happening with the staff in the back is way funnier than what you’re watching onstage.
Now, beware—a comedy club can also be a hub for psychotic and narcissistic weirdos. Your coworkers can very well be the people you fight with, file restraining orders against, or report for stealing. It’s sometimes hard to know where the line of they’re just quirky crosses into wait no they’re a danger to the community and they’re hiding whiskey in empty Diet Coke cans.
At the end of the day, working at a comedy club is like dating a ten—it looks really hot, but you’ve gotta be able to manage the crazy.
Sophia (‘19) double-majored in theatre and religion and insists that her life is a “storybook.” She lives in an apartment above a flower shop in downtown Chicago and has multiple roles working across the arts in comedy, music, theatre, film, and visual art—though her greatest passion is writing. Her work includes stage plays, screenplays, and articles, focusing mostly on cultural trends, comedy, reviews, and religious satire. She loves road trips, visiting her family in Grand Rapids, hunting for the perfect latte, and rescuing plants from the flower shop’s dumpster.
5 Comments
Submit a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
What a fun read! I love the part about “the chill boss”
“At the end of the day, working at a comedy club is like dating a ten—it looks really hot, but you’ve gotta be able to manage the crazy.“ had me rolling
What a way to end for sure! I was not ready for it lolll
I would mention you by name in a Yelp review, but not because you suck, but for being an excellent writer (and the sweetest Sophia in this galaxy).
The ending had me rolling. Such a great article