Laughing With or Without You

“It’s not about these highs and lows,” Gary explains to me as we sit on opposite sides of his living room. “You can have a great set and then it’s like, what’s left?”

Gary was explaining to me about a transition point that all comedians (and artists in general) face when reaching a certain point in their career. What happens when the high you get from performing stops getting you high? Many comedians will face a sort of post-show depression, which isn’t uncommon for musicians and other live performers as well. It’s often why a night of partying keeps going even after the show. SNL alum have talked about the infamous parties they would have after every single show, just to be able to deal with the after show buzz. But Gary’s looking beyond that. He’s long since shifted from those highs and is now found fulfillment beyond it. Loving the craft itself.

“There is a lane of comedy and comedians who are, I think, with their comedy trying to explore [and] understanding themselves in new ways,” Gary continues. We discussed this kind of change that happens when a comedian goes on stage. It becomes an opportunity to showcase another side of oneself. Sometimes a more raw or confident side, where a comedian is allowed to behave in a way that most situations wouldn’t allow them to. It’s an environment not just for laughter, but for discovering new ways of being and thinking. And discovering why those things make you and other people laugh. I believe that this is where a good comedian becomes a great comedian. I also believe that Gary is well on that path. There’s a sharpness and clarity in the way that Gary crafts a joke. It’s well calculated, but maintains the humor of the core idea. Once you stop chasing validation or the high of show and instead find fulfilment in that journey of self discovery, the origin of an individual’s unique comedy comes to light. 

“I think at the core of it, I just like laughing…when I’m writing a joke and it’s making me laugh – that’s the beautiful part of our craft,” Gary reflects. There is, of course, nothing that kills the humor faster than talking about why something is funny. But when a comedian like Gary is laughing while writing and editing all by himself, then there’s something to be said about going deeper into a funny idea. “I’m not really trying to take up attention. I’m not trying to take up space,” Gary tells me. But that’s exactly where the best humor is found. Doing bits alone that no one will hear, but you’ll always laugh at.