Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Jaffe.
Hi Karen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started taking improv classes when I lived in Chicago, after a personal crisis. My job brought me back to Dayton, where I had grown up, and Dayton hadn’t jumped on the improv train. Because I had enjoyed classes so much, and improv had given me more confidence, I took a stand-up class at the Dayton Funny Bone. It was so different from improv, but I liked it just as much, as it turns out.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Thankfully, I didn’t start stand up thinking I would be rich and famous. I started so much later in life than most, and a lot of the comedy world still sees older women as non-marketable and unfunny. But I find something to enjoy about every single gig I am given, and I don’t mind having to work harder than some to get those gigs.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I love being a stand-up comic. I also love teaching short-form improv. I think having an improv background has made it so much easier for me to be comfortable with the unknown pitfalls that come with being on stage, like hecklers who think they’re helping. Being both a stand-up and an improviser makes it easy to have a conversation with most performers, and I love meeting so many different people.
I also love being the age I am and not being sick of comedy yet. I have so much life experience that I can mine for laughs, and I’m no longer as concerned about what people might think of me. I don’t know that I would have had the self-awareness and same confidence in my twenties, and I surely wouldn’t have had as much to talk about.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Ooh yeah. Covid-19 really changed a lot about the comedy scene. Online shows were a big thing for a while, but I was terrible at them. I rely so much on audience reactions.
Contact Info:
- Website: karenjaffecomedy.com
Image Credits
Michelle Stanley
Jennifer Muncy
World Series of Comedy
