Laugh or Don't Laugh, Your Call

Laugh or Don’t Laugh, Your Call

The stage at The Edge Comedy Club was different from the ones Ben had stood on in the past. When he’d started working on his career in stand-up comedy the venues were mostly small, badly lighted clubs with a tiny stage or floor-level pad. The audience sat around closely set tables and the noise from the bar often drowned out his act. The Edge was a totally different thing. He’d been there a few times to watch other comedians and wondered what it would be like to stand on that big stage. He was just a few hours away from finding out

The broad stage overlooked a large expanse of seating. The floor was sloped auditorium-style and the walls were lined with acoustic baffles. The lighting could be varied from dark to very bright and the spotlight could move with the performer. The bar was in a separate room in the back. Being on that stage was a very big deal for people in his line of work. It was a special opportunity and he hoped he was ready for it.

An older man in jeans was kneeling in front of a large sound panel off stage and Ben thought it might ease his own nervousness by chatting with him. The man looked over and saw him heading his way. “You Upton?” he asked.

“Yeah, that’s me. I just wanted a closer look at the stage before my show starts.”

“Well, it is what it is. I think you’ll like the way I set the microphone. Don’t try to get too loud and crazy with it. Just talk normal and the crowd will hear you.”

Ben hesitated. The man’s comment seemed to show he was familiar with Ben’s act. He was known for his dark, acerbic material and the controlled rage he used to present it. Sometimes things got a little loud. “Okay, I’ll try to remember that.” Ben knew he had no intention of modifying his style. Like the old man had said, “It is what it is”.

Ben turned to walk off the stage but the old man stepped in front of him and handed him a microphone. “Since you’re here we might as well do a sound check. Just hold this close to your mouth and tell one of your jokes. Don’t yell into it.”

The man had heard that Ben’s routine could get a little loud but he didn’t know much about the content. Ben took the mike, shaking his head. His brand of comedy wasn’t jokes, it was observational. It was the type of humor that had started with Lenny Bruce and was perfected by George Carlin. Bill Hicks had brought it to a new generation. There were no jokes, just honest talk about what was happening in the world. He thought for a moment, put the mike next to his mouth, then began talking about something he’d read in the news that morning, something he planned to roll into his act. He spoke in his usual voice that often turned into a growl. The old man studied the settings and dials on the sound panel, made a few adjustments and said, “Okay, Upton, we’re good here.”.

On his drive home Ben couldn’t stop thinking about the sound man’s comment. Being told that his routine was too loud didn’t surprise him. His material was topical. It came from the headlines and all of the things going on in the country and the world. There was no way to present it in a normal, conversational tone. So far, his audiences had laughed and applauded enthusiastically but he knew he was always on the edge of taking it too far.

When he turned onto his street he saw Mindy pulling into the garage. She stood and waited for him to park then they walked into the house together. Ben waited in the kitchen while she stashed her laptop then they went into the kitchen. As they sat down at the counter, Mindy said, “Remember, we agreed to have a DoorDash dinner so we can get to The Edge on time.”

“I remember. To be honest I’m too nervous to eat much so you can pick the menu tonight.”

“So what did you think of how the place looks from up on the stage? Did it feel different?”

“Very different. You know, from the two times we’ve been there, it’s a lot bigger than the places I’ve performed. It looks even bigger from the stage.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Yeah, I am. I’ve been working in front of crowds for almost three years and I’ve always felt comfortable, but The Edge isn’t just a big place, it’s a big step for me.”

“Honey, I know how you work. You’ll get up on that stage and start your routine and you’ll get into it and feel like your normal self.”

“There’s something else, though. The soundman there was setting the volume on the mike and speakers and he told me not to be so loud. But loud is what I do.”

Mindy sighed and nodded. “I know. When we were dating, your Mom told me you were born with a chip on your shoulder. You’re the angry man, the man who looks at the world and sees darkness everywhere, and somehow you find a way to make people laugh about it. That’s your gift.”

“Yeah, that’s what I keep telling myself. The Edge wouldn’t have asked me to perform if they didn’t like what I had to say but every time I step onto a stage I wonder if that will be the night I cross the line. There’s so much shit happening in this country right now I want to scream. It’s getting harder and harder to find a speck of humor in things.”

“I feel the same way, honey. I marvel at the way you can make the darkness relatable to people, make it relatable and strangely funny. You use sarcasm like a weapon against the bad guys. I think that’s why The Edge wants you on their stage.”

Ben sat silently for a moment, staring at the countertop. Finally, he looked at Mindy and said, “You know, politics and problems are what every stand-up performer in the country talks about. Every single night on TV, Kimmell and Colbert go after the people in power and their audiences seem to eat it up. I hope it doesn’t look like I’m doing the same stuff.”

“Honey, their stuff is tame compared to yours. They have network bosses and censors that keep them in line. You don’t have to deal with that.”

“Sometimes I wish I had some kind of guide for how far to push things. I know my stuff is dark and cynical, it’s just how I see things. I take it seriously. I gave up a long time ago trying to figure how much of it’s my act and how much of it’s me. When that sound guy told me to grab the mike and just tell a joke I started to wonder what it would feel like if I actually tried it.”

Mindy looked at her phone. “Hey, hon, it’s almost six and you have to be at The Edge by eight. Let’s get our dinner order going.”

While they waited for their food Ben looked through his written notes about what he’d be presenting to the crowd. For days he’d pored through newspapers, news websites and social media to put together his half hour act. It had been a struggle to write his lines. Were they cruel? Were they too dark? Most of all, were they funny?”

His bit about what was happening in the Middle East was particularly difficult and each side of the fight got a thorough and bitingly funny rebuke. It had been a real struggle finding anything remotely humorous in that horrible story. He had a piece about the economy which he knew was something that would touch every person in the audience. He’d written another piece about AI and how it was affecting every part of people’s lives. A large part was about climate change. That was a slow moving topic but, with the change of seasons approaching, he knew it was on everyone’s mind.

It was seven-thirty when they walked into The Edge. Tom Murphy, the manager and emcee, saw them and walked over. While he and Ben went over the schedule for the evening Mindy found a seat at the bar. Tom led him to the sound equipment at the far right of the stage and introduced him to Morty, his sound man and father. They shook hands and Morty said, “Yeah, we met earlier. I told him to watch his volume and we set it at a normal level.”

Tom looked at Ben then back at his father. “Dad, this is an act that shouldn’t be muted. It’s okay to crank it up a little.” Morty sighed, shook his head and walked back to the panel.

Ben was smiling. “Thanks, Tom.”

Fifteen minutes later Mindy took a seat in the center of the front row. Ben had always thought of her as his good luck charm and she wanted him to see her while he worked. When he looked at her she blew him a kiss and gave him a thumbs up. The crowd was beginning to filter in and it wasn’t long before every seat was filled. Ben had gone backstage to meet the comedians who’d be going on first. When he peeked out from behind the curtain the size of the crowd gave him chills. No matter what happened, it was going to be a very big night for him.

The opening acts were very funny and they did a great job getting the crowd warmed up. After a short break Tom walked out and the crowd quieted down. “Folks, thanks again for coming tonight. I’m sure you’ve heard about our next performer. Ben Upton has been making a name for himself.” He looked over at Ben, waiting at the edge of the stage. “Ben has a very interesting and a very different way of looking at the world. Buckle up, you’re in for a wild ride. Ben Upton!”

The lights dimmed and a spotlight followed Ben as he walked out to center stage. The volume of the applause was something he’d never experienced and it was the first time he’d had to wait before it died down. He greeted the crowd and began his act at normal, speaking level. The further he moved into his material the further his volume grew. It grew right along with the anger his topics brought to him.

Every time Ben had done his act the audience had given him constant clues on how his material was being received. The crowd in front of him was no different. There were gasps. There were raised eyebrows and people turning to look at each other’s reaction. There were dropped jaws and shaking heads. And mixed in with all of it was laughter, a lot of it. He was riding a wave of an enthusiastic crowd when he heard a man shout from the back of the crowd. “How is that funny, you jackass?” The man stood up and another man and a woman rose with him.

It caught Ben off guard and he tried not to let it rattle him. The crowd quieted briefly until Ben continued. Hecklers were a part of every comedian’s life. In a strange way when a comic pisses off a person enough to make him shout out it’s a sign that the material is working. A few minutes later, during the part of his act that dealt with gun control the same man stood up, shook his fist and shouted, “Come on, man, come and get my gun!” It was only a matter of seconds before a large, muscular man came out from behind the bar and confronted the heckler. They exchanged a few words then the man walked the heckler and his friends to the front door. A few other people got up and walked out behind them.

The wave of enthusiasm Ben had been riding was now a sea of whispering and shaking heads. He wondered how to get things back on track so he could finish up. After a pause, he put the microphone close to his mouth, and said,” Folks, there’s an old saying that comedy is tragedy plus time. I’m sure you’ve all seen the classic symbol of the theatre, the laughing mask next to the crying mask. And you’ve also heard the old saying, “They were whistling past the graveyard”. People need to find some kind of release from all the shitty things happening in this world. Let’s not forget how to laugh.”

A few people clapping slowly turned into the entire crowd applauding to show their support for Ben and his humor. He looked at Mindy in her front row seat. She had tears in her eyes. When the applause began to fade Ben stood tall, raised his hand and said, “Thanks, you guys get it.” He started back into his act with a bit about Washington politics and then finished with a quick bow. He put his mike back into the stand and stood smiling as the crowd erupted in another wave of applause.

Their ride home felt different than the ones in the past. Even though the crowd had responded positively to his performance it was the small group of people who’d walked out with the heckler that bothered Ben. Mindy could tell he was lost in thought and said, “You did a great job tonight, hon. The crowd liked you and so did Tom.”

“Yeah, I think it went pretty well but it was those people in the back that got me jazzed. I was so tempted to yell back at that guy, but I figured that would just make him yell more and things would get out of hand.”

“I think the club handled it really well by escorting him to the door. And I’m glad the guy’s friends left with him.”

“You know, before I left the stage Tom came out and said he wants to talk to me about doing some more shows. He also told me not to let a heckler get under my skin, but that’s easier said than done.”

“Let’s face it, your stuff gets people pissed off. The only way to stop that is to change your act…lighten up and just tell jokes.”

Ben took a deep breath, smiled and answered, “Nope, I’m not afraid of the dark.”