Meet a SICC28 Semi-Finalist: Key Lewis

I know, I know...there's a LOT of housekeeping for SeattleComedy.net to try to get done in this one off day between the end of the Preliminary Week Two and the start of the Semi-Finals. Let's go ahead and get to know another one of this year's Seattle International Comedy Competition Semi-Finalists.

The performer who took fourth place in Preliminary Week One projects confidence and an ease in dealing with any crowd. His easy going style and connection to those he's performing for made him a clear audience favorite. He is KEY LEWIS.


SeattleComedy.net's "Interview by E-Mail"
w/Key Lewis

--background--
How old are you?
34

What is your hometown?
Sacramento, California

Did you start doing comedy there?
Yes.

Where are you living now?
Seattle, WA

How long have you been doing comedy?
Four years.

Is comedy your full time job?
No.

What is it that you do?
Construction--Light Rail Project.

Where was your first comedy performance?
Sacramento, California. Laughs Unlimited.

--inspirations--
What are your first memories of stand-up comedy?
Like many others, old Richard Pryor and Redd Foxx albums.

What made you decide to try it yourself?
It just called me.

Who inspired you to become the kind of comedian you are?
My father, Eddie Murphy, Pryor and Del Van Dyke.

Are there comedians working today who inspire you now?
Robert Hawkins, Katt Williams, Sam Bam.

Do you have other interests outside of comedy?
Yes. My family, The Story Itself, teaching, learning and loving.

Is stand-up comedy your ultimate career goal?
Yes.

When you imagine yourself at your stand-up comedy career peak, what are you doing?

Selling out arenas with no cultural boundaries from Clearbrook, VA to South Central, LA.

--this competition--
What did you take away from your work in your preliminary week?
You are your worst critic--"you" meaning "myself." To slow down, quality not quantity.

What do you know now that you didn't know before the competition started?
What Jon Fox looks like. Being funny and acting are really two different things.

And, knowing what you know now, would you still have entered the competition? Without a doubt.

What's the key to your moving on to the finals?
Having fun.

How will this competition impact your comedy or your comedy career?
The exposure and the toughness involved.

Who impressed you in this year's competition?
Rodger Lizaola, Sharon Lacey and Mike Wally Walter.

What, so far, is your favorite memory from this year's competition?
The Bellingham show.

And your least favorite?
Taking the bullet at night six and not doing that well in front of the industry.

--the final question--
Why should someone come see you perform your comedy in the semi-finals of this competition?
To see someone who is truly dedicated to accomplishing a dream of making people laugh, one joke at a time.