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This pandemic has been no laughing matter for local comedians

Cincinnati native Kelly Collette made the jump into becoming a full-time comedian in January 2020, over a decade after doing it as a side hustle. Three months later, COVID-19 struck and comedy venues across the country closed their doors. And just like that, Collette’s once fully booked calendar was completely clear.

The clubs that were once bustling hubs of humor and human interaction suddenly became possible superspreaders. So Collette and her peers, alongside seemingly the rest of the world, transitioned into the virtual world.

After March 2020, Collette participated in a number of virtual open mics, trivia nights and comedy shows. The unconventional way of bringing entertainment to audiences added an extra dimension to her list of possible jokes.

“It was great 'cause if you got stuck on something that wasn’t working, you would look into someone’s room and you just kind of can do some crowd work right there in front of them about the house or what’s going on in the background,” Collette said.

But not all of Collette’s online gigs were fun and games. More than once, she was hired by corporations to perform in front of crowds of indifferent businesspeople. While the shows came with a nice paycheck, the experience was far from rewarding.

“Those people were basically just working … and just looking up from their computer every now and then to make eye contact, not really giving any laughter or feedback, so those were rough,” Collette said.

Cincy-based comedian Andrew Rudick would also come to discover the shortcomings of the Zoom comedy scene. Rudick initially considered virtual shows the logical alternative but found the atmosphere of a live crowd impossible to recreate in an online setting. Muted mics left him with no way to gauge the audience’s reaction to his sets.

“You really need the laughter, so no matter how you’re doing, it feels like you’re doing terribly because everybody by instinct turns off their microphone,” Rudick said.

Making it work

Gabe Kea moved from St. Louis to Cincinnati 11 years ago for the city's well-known comedy scene. When the pandemic hit, Kea set up a brick wall backdrop in his garage (the classic stand-up background) and did Zoom shows and Instagram livestreams from there.

One of the things he is most grateful for is his steady part-time job at a local restaurant at a time when most bars, clubs and venues closed.

“Having a job saved me big-time during the pandemic,” Kea said. “It’s the truth, the instability of the comedy business, that’s one of the behind-the-scenes things. No one’s posting about how they can’t pay their bills from comedy, everybody posts on social media when they can.”

Warmer weather brings with it the chance to safely connect with others outdoors, and Kea returned to in-person comedy with a bang. He opened for Dave Chappelle at an intimate, socially distanced outdoor show in Yellow Springs last June.

“I hadn’t performed in three, four months, and now I’m performing in front of one of the best comedians in the country,” Kea said. “That was the most nervous I’ve been before a show.”

Collette also took advantage of the summer sunshine and created the Backyard Comedy Series.

“A lot of people were uncomfortable going indoors and I of course wanted to keep the shows going but do something that was much safer, so I started doing shows in my backyard,” Collette said. “It got pretty popular, people really liked them.”

Collette put together a full comedy lineup (with an opening act, a feature and a headliner), sold $12 tickets and limited attendance to 25 people. Guests were required to wear masks and could bring their own blankets, lawn chairs and booze. The shows were such a success, they came back for the 2021 spring-summer season.

What's next?

As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues and pandemic-related guidelines are lifted, local comedians are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Rudick has gone from performing every night pre-pandemic, to every other weekend at the start of lockdown, to finally seeing a busier schedule in the past few weeks.

Comedians are once again hitting the road to perform in cities across the country. Through the months of March and April, Kea booked shows in Oklahoma City, Indianapolis, Dayton, Cincinnati and El Paso, Texas.

This is going to be like the roaring '20s or something! Everybody’s looking to book now that it’s opening back up,” Kea said.

All three comedians agree on this: the live entertainment industry is likely to see a boom in business in the coming months.

“I feel like we were locked up for some time, that now everybody’s like 'just get me out of the house, let’s do something!' " Collette said.

“I honestly think it’s going to be better than ever … there’s a certain enthusiasm that wasn’t there before,” Rudick said.

During trying times, a comedy show can be the perfect pick-me-up. Now that we are finally starting to head back outside, make the time to support your local comedians – buy a ticket, go to a show and laugh until you cry.