There were hardly more than a handful of competitors considered to be legitimate targets for participation in this year's competition on Producer Ron Reid's radar screen when Ron invited me over to his house to discuss some possibilities. While talking about potential competitors and tossing any number of slobbery tennis balls around the yard to his dog, Calypso, Ron's phone rang. It was a call from a performer from Chicago, hoping to be considered to be included in this year's competition. Without any discussion or any hesitation, Ron said "Yes." That's because Ron remembered how strong he was the PREVIOUS time he'd been a competitor and he knew that he'd bring a strong, smart, professional performance style to the show. He did just that, as he started and ended Preliminary Week Two with first place finishes and filled in the week with enough high scores to place him third, overall, for the week. He is TONY BOSWELL.
SeattleComedy.net's "Interview by E-Mail"w/Tony Boswell
--background--
How old are you?
45.
What is your hometown?
Chicago, Illinois.
Did you start doing comedy there?
Yes.
Where are you living now?
I currently live in Fort Mill, SC--off the grid. I didn't intend to be off the grid but, once you get to South Carolina, you have no choice.
Did you move there for comedy?
If I had moved from Chicago to Fort Mill, SC that would be comical, wouldn't it?
How long have you been doing comedy?
20 years, 4 months, 18 days.
I'm not so sure I'm being funny right now, but I don't have another job if that's what you mean.
What did you do before you went full time with comedy?
My last "real" job was in retail management and I have been a bartender, door to door salesman, and a lifeguard.
My last "real" job was in retail management and I have been a bartender, door to door salesman, and a lifeguard.
How did you get into comedy?
After graduating from the Players Workshop of Second City in 1986 I performed with my improv group, "Department of Works" for a couple of years. My first stand up set was at the Roxy in Chicago in June of 1987.
--inspirations--
What are your first memories of stand-up comedy?
I remember babysitting for a neighbor who had a George Carlin 45 (for younger readers feel free to Google what a 45 is but think, really big CD with very low storage capacity). One side was Hippy Dippy Weatherman and the other side was Wonderful WINO Radio. I played it over and over again and memorized the whole thing.
What made you decide to try it yourself?
After returning to college at age 24, I started hanging out with actors and watching improv classes and it looked like fun. I just thought it would be a fun thing to do one summer. I started doing open mics every night and being late for my day job. I eventually got fired but had lined up a couple of paying gigs so I just thought I'd do those and get another job later and that was that.
Who inspired you to become the kind of comedian you are?
I always liked a lot of different comics, Steve Martin, George Carlin, Dennis Miller. I tried not to be like anyone but just write funny jokes. I still don't know what kind of comedian I am.
I always liked a lot of different comics, Steve Martin, George Carlin, Dennis Miller. I tried not to be like anyone but just write funny jokes. I still don't know what kind of comedian I am.
Are there performers who inspire you today?
I am always excited to see new people and comics trying new things. I am also always slightly pissed off and annoyed that I didn't think of it first.
Do you have any major interests outside of comedy?
Reading and raising my son.
And, do those interests inform your comedy?
Reading does, of course. And I have a good deal of material about my son and he also has written a couple of great jokes for me and he is only 6. Legally, I don't have to pay him for 12 more years.
Is stand-up comedy your ultimate career goal?
I am always open to opportunity, but I would want to always continue to do stand up.
Describe what is happening if everything falls into place and you attain the level of success you want in comedy.
--this competition--
How did your preliminary week go?
I had a great time. I couldn’t have picked a better group of people to spend the week with. Team Travelodge was great.
What do you know now that you didn't know before the competition started?
What have I learned? I learned what a melodica is, that Canadians go to University, that even though it’s called a bed and breakfast you can eat all day, that there are actually 8 dots on the other side of the card, that David Bowie has a large penis, that sharks don’t like the taste of us, that rape ensues, that a bow and arrow looks like a large cheese slicer, that gas makes your car go vroom-buy it, why Mexican bank robbers hold their guns sideways, what a wubell is, how you end up hanging drywall, what a starter brother is, that it’s a long drive from Birmingham, and where Pepperidge Farm gets their walnuts.
And, knowing what you know now, would you still have entered the competition? Definitely.
What do you think will be the key to your moving on to the finals?
Mind games, sabotage and weather conditions.
How has this competition impacted you or your career?
I have met some great people and, as I understand it, there is a sofa in LA with my name on it.
Who impressed you in this year's competition?
Everyone did great but I was impressed by the great writing of the younger competitors.
What was the best moment from this year's competition so far?
Turning the bowling alley, maybe the worst show of the week, into one of the best with everyone hanging out, watching people dancing and singing. It was the bonding night.
Everyone did great but I was impressed by the great writing of the younger competitors.
What was the best moment from this year's competition so far?
Turning the bowling alley, maybe the worst show of the week, into one of the best with everyone hanging out, watching people dancing and singing. It was the bonding night.
And the worst moment?
Seeing Randy (Liedtke)'s set in the theater get off wrong due to a bad sound level.
--the final question--
Why should someone come see you perform your comedy in the semi-finals of this competition?
Because my sponsor and I decided that I should be far from home in a high stress environment where I am judged by strangers on a daily basis.
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