7 Questions for stand-up comedians Andrew Frank, Sarah Pearl, and Rob Tee

We roll through summer, adding more names to our year-long conversation with local comedians. Each time out, we ask three St. Louis-based stand-ups the same seven questions. As is true every month, the variety of responses this month varies quite a bit among our three subjects; a special shout-out to Andrew Frank’s response to political comedy! Certainly, that’s true this month, as we quiz Frank, Sarah Pearl and Rob Tee. You can also our past editions at the bottom of this article.

We’ll note, too, that we’re starting a new monthly feature, highlighting, well, highlights on the local comedy calendar for the upcoming. Look for both blog items to appear in the first month of every month.

What types of mindset are ideal for creating good comedic bits? Do you work best with deadlines? Do you writing under pressure? Or do you work more productively when life's playing nice? Have you worked something that's happened that day into a set?

Andrew Frank: I think curiosity is at the core of my approach to creating comedy. Learning is such an integral part of the life of a stand-up. Your skill as a comic is directly linked to your ability to extrapolate lessons from the accumulation of your experiences on- and off-stage. Through the act of repeatedly exploring your ideas while being observed, your awareness expands. You start to develop a refined idea of your identity, which is constantly evolving, and how to effectively communicate who you are and how you see reality to strangers. To do that well takes a ton of introspection, willingness to fail, and a bunch of empathy. Deadlines aren't great. I prefer a self-imposed urgency to create and share. Every day, I am compelled to work on what I do and grow. I don't need anybody telling me to do that. I frequently bring ideas to the stage that I thought of that day. I love the immediacy of stand up. If you have a lot of thoughts, and enjoy the Socratic method, stand up is the best.

Sarah Pearl: An active mindset of curiosity and creativity work best for me. When I learn about something new, I tend to find ideas in the details. Deadlines have always been difficult for me, but the pressure of being right before a deadline helps, so... both? My sense of humor was developed as part personality trait, part coping skill, so I tend to feel like I'm less funny when life is going smoothly. I have a bit that came about on the drive to an open mic, but usually I like to write on something before I try it out.

Rob Tee: I write a lot (and, in most cases I overwrite) and because of that I have a back-order of jokes. It takes me awhile before I decide it's a good bit, so I have to work it out before I trust the bit. I don't work well with deadlines; just let me create. You can't have pressure while being creative, in my opinion. I don’t like working in jokes that happened that day, because I like to stick to what I worked on the night before or for weeks prior.

Similarly, describe your experiences with open mics and how important (or not) they are in how you shape a set, or incorporate new material?

Frank: Open mics are an essential part of your development as a comic. Working on ideas repeatedly, building on them, and condensing them is all very important. There are so many variables that need to be experienced to cultivate strong instincts. Stand up is performed in a wide range of environments. You start to see patterns that increase your ability to make the right moves on stage. The speed and accuracy of your decision-making significantly improve after an enormous amount of time spent on stage throughout the course of several years.

Pearl: Open mics are a comedian's worst best friend. They are absolutely necessary to work out and lock in material, but they can be tough. It can be nerve-wracking to try new material, especially if you're at a mic with a reluctant audience. But some of my favorite bits have been developed out of trying to make a difficult crowd, or friends who are comedians, laugh. You've got to work and polish your material and mics are the best place to do it.

Tee: They really help you become a real comic. They can be frustrating because of the long waits and the rooms full of comics, but they are necessary.

Do your sets involve topical humor, i.e. based on the news, politics, current events or "now" pop culture? Or do you enjoy working with more evergreen-types of material?

Frank: The answer for me is a combination of the two. The political humor I try to create is an analysis of our social systems, institutions, propaganda, consumerism, imperialism/state funded terrorism, etc. I think many people think that jokes about current events and pop culture are political, and they are, but almost always to the benefit of the establishment. They create the illusion of political engagement for the listener through titilation, distraction, and simplification by presenting jokes/information that are purposefully detached from a larger context. For example, a joke about Trump's hair manipulates the audience member into thinking they just experienced political comedy, and they did, but at the lowest level. We are conditioned to just skim the surface when it comes to public discussion of our culture. A great political joke would explore the very structure of our society and the distribution and consumption of cultural information by billions and billions of people over the course of human history. That kind of context is possible to create and joke within, but it takes relentless learning, questioning, performing... My point is: it's hard. Most people would blame audiences, but I think it is the responsibility of the comic to be fearless, imaginative, and ambitious enough to make that work. I think the struggle between power and the people is evergreen. Oppression, Death, God, and Meaning are all parts of the human experience, and will always be relevant, fascinating, and puzzling, so I'm going to keep talking about them.

Pearl: Occasionally, if I have a l topical idea that's completely unique and is good enough to spend the stage time on, I'll try it out. I appreciate great topical humor, but I usually stick to things with a longer shelf life.

Tee: My jokes come off as random but, in my mind, they are where they should be. I like to touch on things that I think about or experienced myself. I leave the heavy stuff to other comics; not saying I won't address serious issues, it just has to fit in my into my style of comedy. I love to move around and have the audience visualize in their head my thoughts. Just grossing them out works for me, as well.

Any recollections of your first set? Went smoothly? Better left in the past? What stands out weeks, months, years later?

Frank: My first set was at my freshman year talent show. I attended a small, fundamentalist Christian school. Everyone knew me, and the whole school was the audience, so it went well. I won the contest that year. I mainly made jokes about our school and the adults in positions of authority. I was definitely addicted to it right away. I immediately found an open mic at this coffeehouse by my house, and started going every week. Every day since that first performance I have focused the majority of my mental energy towards the craft of stand up.

Pearl: Oh man. I'm glad most people I know weren't there to see that first set. It was November 4, 2014 and I had just gotten back from visiting family for my birthday. As a gift, my parents tell me the story of my conception every year. I decided to retell it, along with some bit about things my dog and I had in common. There were laughs, but they couldn't have been genuine. I don't do that "material" (really using the term loosely here), and I've learned so much in the time since then. I record audio of every performance (thanks to AJ Finney for that advice early on) and listen to every set, whether I want to or not. Videos are really helpful to chart progress, too. I still have so much to learn but I've come such a long way since that first time.

Tee: My first year and a half of comedy fooled me; I did really well, didn't bomb or feel bad about a set. Then for about two months I had a bunch of tough shows. I've never bombed as far as boos from a crowd, thank god. I had one attempted boo, but the crowd drowned them out. My very first set I almost had to fight a heckler in a bar.

If given the choice, would you prefer to: deliver a technically solid, polished, rehearsed, all-cylinders-firing set to a middling-into-it audience; or would rather offer up a loose, spontaneous, messy, circus-wire performance to an appreciative audience?

Frank: I would prefer the latter. There is more risk/honesty/euphoria in the second option. Sometimes everything lines up like that and it is an incredible feeling. It's a feeling you keep chasing over and over again.

Pearl: Hands-down, I would rather give a killer set. Sure, it's important to be spontaneous and have fun onstage, and hot crowds are great to experience. I'd rather go to bed that night knowing I did my best and that if I did get laughs, I earned them.

Tee: I like to go over sets. I admit I will be doing this a lot more because, even with an audience that's not attentive you still want a polished set. I want that for me, just as much as the people who pay and enjoy comedy.

The set's over. People are milling around the room. What's the best way to compliment a performer's set? What's the best comment that you've heard of late, whether it be a compliment or a smart observation? How much do you wanna hear from patrons, as opposed to other performers?

Frank: My performance and subject matter tend to get people to come discuss these big ideas with me. I like talking to other people who think about this stuff a lot. I am a Pastor's kid, who no longer subscribes to a religion, which is an experience a lot of people share. I meet them everywhere. When it comes to compliments, it's nice if the interpretation of my act is close to what I intended when I created it. When people have the experience I set out to create and share, it is so rewarding. When they don't, and try to tell me that I hate Jesus or America, I will try to provide some extracurricular context. That's fun too.

Pearl: I love hearing from anyone that enjoyed a show, whether they are a crowd member or comedian. There's nothing more flattering than when someone comes up and tells you why they loved a specific joke or how they related to your set. Ultimately, that's why we're in it, even if it's a really weird way to connect with and relate to others. The best compliment I've ever received was from someone who said she wanted to try it, but I pushed her over the edge to try it. She's still at it to this day and I couldn't be more proud.

Tee: I am not sure. I always feel a little uncomfortable being complimented. It’s just because I don’t feel I’m doing anything that most people can’t do. But I appreciate the love I get from people. I best compliment I’ve ever gotten is “you remind me of Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy.” Does it get any better than that?

When are your next, planned public performances?

Frank: I will be doing my new hour of stand up at STL Fringe Festival. I will be at the Kranzberg Gallery August 18-20, Friday at 9:30 pm, Saturday at 6:00 pm and Sunday at 4 p.m.

Pearl: You can see me at: Hey Guys in Fairview Heights on July 5; the Comedy Penthouse show at Brennan's on July 16; Coffee Break at Foam on August 11; and plenty of mics in between, a list of which can be found at stlouiscomedy.com.

Tee: Open mics throughout the city. And Helium open mics; I'm always there. Or check out my Facebook Page for shows: Rob Tee.

Read prior editions here:

January: Carolyn Agnew, Rima Parikh, Angela Smith

February: Sarah Bursich, Kenny Kinds, Stryker Spurlock

March: Tina Dybal, Justin Luke, Ken Warner

April: Eric Brown, Ella Fritts, JC Sibala

May: Yale Hollander, Kelsey McClure, Tree Sanchez

June: Ryan Dalton, Jamie Fritz, Sam Lyons