What's your favorite after school activity? Soccer? Gymnastics? Hanging out at the park? How about...stand-up comedy?
We recently got a chance to talk to Zach Rosenfeld, a 12-year old from Brooklyn, NY who spends a lot of his free time on a stage telling jokes. Thanks to a program called Kids 'N Comedy, Zach is a real comedian who gets to crack up real audiences at Manhattan's Gotham Comedy Club. Here's our conversation with Zach:
IML: Tell us a little bit about Kids 'N Comedy and how you got involved with it!
Zach: Kids 'N Comedy is basically a group of kids who just want to get together and be funny. This is really just kids who want something good to do with their time, and it's really fun. When I was younger, I got interested in it because we went to one of their shows, and I decided to get involved. Normally, they wouldn't take anyone under eleven, but I was the exception. I was nine. I started out with the classes, which are weekly. Then after two or three classes, I moved up to the workshops, and then I finally moved up to the club shows. They used to have the shows monthly, and now they happen every two weeks.
IML: How do you write your comedy material? Do things just pop into your head during the day, or do you set aside time specifically to write jokes?
Zach: I normally sit down and say, "Okay, I need to get to work, because I want this to be good." Then I think of funny things in my life or things that have happened to me, and then I turn those into jokes, which are sometimes self-deprecating. And that ends up becoming about a five-to-seven minute routine.
IML: Are your family members funny too?
Zach: My mother is very funny, and I get my wit from her. She was always kind of quiet with her humor, so I become more of a spokesperson than she ever was. My father is witty at times, but not as much as my mom. And my little brother is interested in doing this in the future, and I also did a routine about him once.
IML: Did your parents encourage you towards comedy, or did it mostly come from you?
Zach: I would say it was mostly me. Because I just went to one of these shows and I said, "Hey, everyone always calls me funny, but I've never done something like this. Maybe I can be funny like this, too." So I decided to try my best at doing something on a stage. And I've come to love the microphone, and just being on the stage and having the attention. It's just really great.
IML: Once you started taking the comedy classes, how long was it before you got on stage in front of an audience?
Zach: They have about nine weeks of practices and coming up with stuff. That eventually leads to a show where you can invite your friends and family. And now I do the monthly show, and the public is allowed to come.
IML: What was it like, the first time you stepped out into the spotlight?
Zach: I was sorta nervous. But the way I see it is...for the first three seconds you're hyper nervous, and you're tapping your foot and thinking, "When's this gonna happen? Is he gonna call me on now?" And you're pacing. And then you get on the stage. And you know your material...and even if you don't know it that well, you just get into it, and you have fun with the audience. Their laughter means a lot to you, because it shows that what you've done really helps people enjoy what's going on. I normally laugh at my own jokes...or at the reactions to my jokes.
IML: One of your stand-up routines is about your experiences with dyslexia. Why do you think audiences respond to these jokes?
Zach: People respond when you make fun of yourself. Because everyone has problems. Everyone has something that they're hiding. And for someone to go up on stage and just completely put himself out there, and give funny stories about it...they like that because it shows personality and it shows that you're not afraid to go up there and tell people who you really are and get them to like you.
IML: Does comedy help you deal with the challenges of living with dyslexia?
Zach: Well, at this point, I have what they call "compensated dyslexia." I'll always have dyslexia, but it's basically been fixed. I got a tutor, and I had been working for about four years, and I can finally say that I've become a compensated dyslexic. My stand-up routine...it didn't so much help with the dyslexia, but from the reactions of the crowd you can tell that everyone else also has problems, and they're laughing with you. It's encouraging.
IML: What was school like for you before you found ways to work through your learning disability?
Zach: In my school, they started giving pressured homework around second grade. They had weekly tests of spelling, and you had to recite a poem that you had memorized. And it was very challenging. I had to work with my mom for hours, and this was before people knew I was a dyslexic. It took up a lot of my time, but I was very confident, and I kept pushing forward. In third grade, my parents had me tested, and I was positive for dyslexia. I got a tutor and she was just amazing. I still go to her once a week. She's very funny, we joke around a lot when we do our sessions and it's just spectacular. I found ways to compensate using her techniques, and eventually it just came naturally.
IML: How has being a comedian affected your friendships at school?
Zach: It's interesting that you ask that. Recently, all my friends have been going around and asking about my routine, and it's sort of exciting. Because you know that you have a skill that most people would say they have...the ability to go onstage, speak in public and be funny on top of that. Some people expect knock-knock jokes and short one-liners, but that isn't the way I do my comedy. I would think that people would like this attention... it's a unique skill, to be able to do stand-up.
IML: Is this purely a hobby for you, or do you want to pursue comedy as a career?
Zach: Like most people, I have dreams. I think it would be great to be a professional stand-up comedian. But it is definitely a hobby at this point.
IML: Have you faced different types of crowds? How important is the support of the audience?
Zach: Personally, I like the crowd's support. But there are always days when it won't be a good crowd. You can't make your routine on what the crowd is doing. You just have to focus on having fun with yourself.
IML: Do you enjoy doing new material, or do you usually like to do tested stuff that you know is going to get a laugh?
Zach: Recently I've been falling back on dyslexia a bit. I'm taking a long break from doing stand-up because of my bar mitzvah in May. So, I'm taking a break until September but I've decided there are no more excuses and I have to get something new out there.
IML: Will you have a serious bar mitzvah, or a funny one?
Zach: I plan for it to be funny.
IML: Are there any comics out there who you really respect, or want to be like?
Zach: Just like every other Jewish comedian, I idolize Adam Sandler. I also love Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld...they're all great.
IML: What advice would you give someone your age who dreams of being a comedian or entertainer?
Zach: I would say, just do what you're happy with. Just do what you like or love, and if you're gonna do it, do your best, and don't be afraid of making a fool out of yourself, because that's just part of the comedy. And I've done that once or twice. Also, you may not have the funniest life, but if there's someone around you who has something funny going on with them, do not be afraid to use peers, your parents, or siblings in your jokes, because it's just hysterical to see the reactions.
IML: Thanks for talking with us Zach, and good luck with your bar mitzvah and your stand-up!
Zach: Thank you so much!
For more on Kids 'N Comedy and to watch some videos that include Zach's performances, check out www.kidsncomedy.com.
We recently got a chance to talk to Zach Rosenfeld, a 12-year old from Brooklyn, NY who spends a lot of his free time on a stage telling jokes. Thanks to a program called Kids 'N Comedy, Zach is a real comedian who gets to crack up real audiences at Manhattan's Gotham Comedy Club. Here's our conversation with Zach:IML: Tell us a little bit about Kids 'N Comedy and how you got involved with it!
Zach: Kids 'N Comedy is basically a group of kids who just want to get together and be funny. This is really just kids who want something good to do with their time, and it's really fun. When I was younger, I got interested in it because we went to one of their shows, and I decided to get involved. Normally, they wouldn't take anyone under eleven, but I was the exception. I was nine. I started out with the classes, which are weekly. Then after two or three classes, I moved up to the workshops, and then I finally moved up to the club shows. They used to have the shows monthly, and now they happen every two weeks.
IML: How do you write your comedy material? Do things just pop into your head during the day, or do you set aside time specifically to write jokes?
Zach: I normally sit down and say, "Okay, I need to get to work, because I want this to be good." Then I think of funny things in my life or things that have happened to me, and then I turn those into jokes, which are sometimes self-deprecating. And that ends up becoming about a five-to-seven minute routine.
IML: Are your family members funny too?
Zach: My mother is very funny, and I get my wit from her. She was always kind of quiet with her humor, so I become more of a spokesperson than she ever was. My father is witty at times, but not as much as my mom. And my little brother is interested in doing this in the future, and I also did a routine about him once.
IML: Did your parents encourage you towards comedy, or did it mostly come from you?
Zach: I would say it was mostly me. Because I just went to one of these shows and I said, "Hey, everyone always calls me funny, but I've never done something like this. Maybe I can be funny like this, too." So I decided to try my best at doing something on a stage. And I've come to love the microphone, and just being on the stage and having the attention. It's just really great.
IML: Once you started taking the comedy classes, how long was it before you got on stage in front of an audience?
Zach: They have about nine weeks of practices and coming up with stuff. That eventually leads to a show where you can invite your friends and family. And now I do the monthly show, and the public is allowed to come.
IML: What was it like, the first time you stepped out into the spotlight?
Zach: I was sorta nervous. But the way I see it is...for the first three seconds you're hyper nervous, and you're tapping your foot and thinking, "When's this gonna happen? Is he gonna call me on now?" And you're pacing. And then you get on the stage. And you know your material...and even if you don't know it that well, you just get into it, and you have fun with the audience. Their laughter means a lot to you, because it shows that what you've done really helps people enjoy what's going on. I normally laugh at my own jokes...or at the reactions to my jokes.
IML: One of your stand-up routines is about your experiences with dyslexia. Why do you think audiences respond to these jokes?
Zach: People respond when you make fun of yourself. Because everyone has problems. Everyone has something that they're hiding. And for someone to go up on stage and just completely put himself out there, and give funny stories about it...they like that because it shows personality and it shows that you're not afraid to go up there and tell people who you really are and get them to like you.
IML: Does comedy help you deal with the challenges of living with dyslexia?
Zach: Well, at this point, I have what they call "compensated dyslexia." I'll always have dyslexia, but it's basically been fixed. I got a tutor, and I had been working for about four years, and I can finally say that I've become a compensated dyslexic. My stand-up routine...it didn't so much help with the dyslexia, but from the reactions of the crowd you can tell that everyone else also has problems, and they're laughing with you. It's encouraging.
IML: What was school like for you before you found ways to work through your learning disability?
Zach: In my school, they started giving pressured homework around second grade. They had weekly tests of spelling, and you had to recite a poem that you had memorized. And it was very challenging. I had to work with my mom for hours, and this was before people knew I was a dyslexic. It took up a lot of my time, but I was very confident, and I kept pushing forward. In third grade, my parents had me tested, and I was positive for dyslexia. I got a tutor and she was just amazing. I still go to her once a week. She's very funny, we joke around a lot when we do our sessions and it's just spectacular. I found ways to compensate using her techniques, and eventually it just came naturally.
IML: How has being a comedian affected your friendships at school?
Zach: It's interesting that you ask that. Recently, all my friends have been going around and asking about my routine, and it's sort of exciting. Because you know that you have a skill that most people would say they have...the ability to go onstage, speak in public and be funny on top of that. Some people expect knock-knock jokes and short one-liners, but that isn't the way I do my comedy. I would think that people would like this attention... it's a unique skill, to be able to do stand-up.
IML: Is this purely a hobby for you, or do you want to pursue comedy as a career?
Zach: Like most people, I have dreams. I think it would be great to be a professional stand-up comedian. But it is definitely a hobby at this point.
IML: Have you faced different types of crowds? How important is the support of the audience?
Zach: Personally, I like the crowd's support. But there are always days when it won't be a good crowd. You can't make your routine on what the crowd is doing. You just have to focus on having fun with yourself.
IML: Do you enjoy doing new material, or do you usually like to do tested stuff that you know is going to get a laugh?
Zach: Recently I've been falling back on dyslexia a bit. I'm taking a long break from doing stand-up because of my bar mitzvah in May. So, I'm taking a break until September but I've decided there are no more excuses and I have to get something new out there.
IML: Will you have a serious bar mitzvah, or a funny one?
Zach: I plan for it to be funny.
IML: Are there any comics out there who you really respect, or want to be like?
Zach: Just like every other Jewish comedian, I idolize Adam Sandler. I also love Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld...they're all great.
IML: What advice would you give someone your age who dreams of being a comedian or entertainer?Zach: I would say, just do what you're happy with. Just do what you like or love, and if you're gonna do it, do your best, and don't be afraid of making a fool out of yourself, because that's just part of the comedy. And I've done that once or twice. Also, you may not have the funniest life, but if there's someone around you who has something funny going on with them, do not be afraid to use peers, your parents, or siblings in your jokes, because it's just hysterical to see the reactions.
IML: Thanks for talking with us Zach, and good luck with your bar mitzvah and your stand-up!
Zach: Thank you so much!
For more on Kids 'N Comedy and to watch some videos that include Zach's performances, check out www.kidsncomedy.com.
