Talking To The Audience

[cinemaguy1]

In a lot of recent the interviews, I hear Maria talk about her desire to be better at conversing with the crowd during her act. Personally, I think she's being too hard on herself here. I understand she wants the crowd to feel more involved and in her shoes, I might feel the same way. I was actually really digging the fact she got up there and performed. I feel it kind of added to her act and made it feel more like a character piece which I think it kind of was/is. I don't know... I think she's just so natural funny and her material is so strong that it really isn't a skill she needs to add in there.

Maybe my view on this is skewed. It's something on which I'm torn both from my few days as a stand-up and getting to know some local comics as well as being an audience member in a lot of comedy clubs. Do you guys have thoughts either way on this? How do you feel about audience interaction?

[shortylongpants]

I am up early lol. Anyway, she just asks a general question in her bits that lead to the next joke. But this sort of thing leads to creating new jokes and makes you more relatable to the audience. Talking out my ass there but it sure sounded good. She was really nice about meeting Lane and I after her show and for some reason seemed very comfortable and hospitable.

[cinemaguy1]

Well that's great to hear. Maybe I'll met her someday myself. I have wanted to move out to California since well... ever. It'd be cool to catch a show at some point. I'm sure she'll be way too famous and inaccessible by then. The clock's ticking!

[Lane]

Comedians call it "riffing" - just talking to the audience and making up jokes off the top of your head. Speaking as a (very) amateur comedian, it ain't easy. It's hard enough to riff off a friendly audience. Riffing off of a heckler is even worse. I guess Maria scripts her bits very carefully and doesn't like improvisation.

Maria tells a story about being heckled in a club. Some woman (with no taste, obviously) got up and said she was bored and wanted the next comedian to come on. Maria broke into tears on stage - and that was the inspiration for the Plan B series.

Also, Maria put together a live show in LA called "Crowd Work". The comedians couldn't use their scripted material. They had to riff with the crowd. And then they would stage distractions, like people getting in fights or heckling, for comedians to deal with. And Maria's distraction was always a woman getting up and saying she was bored and wanted to see the next comedian.

Isn't that cool? I'd love to see that show. For someone with an anxiety disorder, Maria is very into facing her fears, obviously.

[cinemaguy1]

Wow, that sounds like an awesome show. I'd read that story about her, but I didn't know she broke into tears. That's awful. Well as she says comedy is subjective. Maria's act is pretty smart and it sounds like this woman simply wasn't. I don't have any awful heckling stories myself, but I really think I'd start laughing if someone took me seriously enough to be enraged by me. I am actually inspired lately in trying to actually formulate an act and get back out there, but it needs work and I don't have the time. Also smoky clubs give me migraines which definitely make me less funny.

[Steve]

Maria,can you describe the heckler?