Andrew Hamlin
Northwest Asia Weekly
Bernice Ye at Caroline’s on Broadway (Photo courtesy of Bernice Ye)
The road to stand-up comedy, like the road to any other creative endeavor, can run along seemingly infinite lines. For Bernice Ye of Seattle, who grew up in Wuhan and was once the No. 1 student in that Chinese city, the road didn’t seem like a liking at first.
“I remember the first time I was in a live stand-up comedy show. It was Jim Gaffigan at the Paramount Theater in 2008,” she said. “Everyone else was laughing, but I thought, ‘What’s a pop pie?’ I didn’t get a reference, and I felt stupid. Not only did I think I couldn’t do stand-up shows, but I stopped doing stand-up shows as a spectator. “
However, fate lent a helping hand.
“Around 2016, I started watching comedy specials on Netflix. I noticed more comedies from different voices talking about experiences that I could relate to.
My English was also better then. I’m watching Ali Wong, Hasan Minhaj, Chris Rock, Gad Elmaleh… [and I thought]maybe I should give it a try!
When 2018 arrived, I made a New Year’s resolution: By the end of the year, I’d go to at least one open mic. How the universe responds to our wishes is very powerful once we make up our minds. I signed up for a stand-up class in February and the rest is history. “
Deborah Tahara at the Comedy Club in 2019 (Photo by Derrick VanSoolen)
For Deborah Tahara, a funny woman and filmmaker who grew up in Hawaii, peer pressure proved to be important.
“The two people who made me want to do stand-up performances were my colleagues, and they invited me out to try the open mic,” recalls Tahara. “I told them, ‘Impossible! I’ll never be able to stand up! But I went to watch and support them anyway. When I saw them bomb, I thought, ‘I can do it. So I wrote some jokes, and the following week, I went to the same open mic for my first standup. After that, I was hooked!
“I’m the only one of the three of us still doing this. If they hadn’t bombed, the outcome might have been different.”
When asked about discrimination, the two agreed that they didn’t see much directly.
“I don’t know if there was outright racism at the scene,” explained Yeh. “But in my experience, it’s more of the gatekeepers (bookers) assuming their white audience doesn’t like me or doesn’t like me and therefore doesn’t give me a chance to book.”
Tahara explained, “Fortunately, I haven’t experienced outright racism. I sometimes feel ignored or ignored, but I blame my insecurities rather than discrimination. Make people laugh, try to improve and Getting bookings is my way of trying to be seen and respected by comedians and audiences.”
When asked about the best venue, Ye was quick to praise Nate Jackson’s super-hilarious comedy club in Tacoma.
“First of all, Nate is a very interesting comedian with a wealth of industry credit and experience, he respects and loves the craft of comedy, and is very passionate about developing talent. Second, he is a sincere, generous and dedicated person, He creates a very supportive and safe environment where everyone respects each other and is non-judgmental, which is essential for young talent to experiment and grow.
“Finally, it’s one of four black-owned comedy clubs in the country, and arguably the one with a top stage. Nate books really funny veteran comedians and draws a huge audience, so it’s great to learn from the pros , and it’s a super fun stage to perform.”
Tian Yuan has his own preferences.
“I have a soft spot for the open mic at the Tony V’s Garage dive bar in Everett because that’s where I started and a great place to venture out and try new materials. Every week, the place is packed or nearly packed Audience, which is a rarity for free open mic shows. I’m a regular at the Capitol Hill Comedy Club. Their new location is classy and even weeknight shows draw crowds.
“Theatrical performances are my favorite bar performances,” she added. “In the theatre, the audience wants to laugh, and they support you to make them laugh. In the bar, you have to win over the audience, but when you do, it’s totally rewarding.
Great comedy theatre venues are the Carco Theatre in Renton and the Red Curtain Arts Centre in Marysville, both of which I have just played in the past two weeks. “
The two ladies also try to book comedy nights. During the pandemic, Ye moved to Camano Island, which she describes as “a predominantly white retirement community.”
“There wasn’t any comedy, so I brought comedy to the local community. I also started bringing comedians from different backgrounds (POC, immigrant, LGBTQ+, etc.) So beautiful.”
As for Tahara, “I just made my own show at the Red Curtain Arts Center in Marysville on April 8, 2022. It was my first time doing it, so I thought it was a learning experience. We had five people from Comedians from the Seattle area, including me, and one from Portland. The comedians were great and the crowd loved it. We didn’t sell out, but I hope to increase the audience with future shows. As far as I know, the horse There are no other comedy shows in the Leesville area, so I think the venue has real potential.”
When asked about future plans, Tahara said: “I plan to keep improving as a writer/performer and continue to create experiences that make audiences laugh, whether it’s on a comedy show or watching a movie. Watch my web series “Fun and More episodes of “Fearless.”
For Ye, “My mission and passion has always been: to build cultural bridges and empower immigrants through my personal story. With this vision in mind, I wanted to continue honing my craft and unique voice, while also entering Acting and screenwriting. I firmly believe that the more people hear and see real immigrant stories, the more human we become and the more connected we become to each other.”
Andrew is available at info@nwasianweekly.com.
