***
Maria Ciampa juggles a lot of balls in the air.
(Mmmm…balls.) A hard-working stand up comedian in and around Boston (check out her list of up-coming shows!), Maria
also does improv comedy, teaches yoga, is writing a book, has a nerdy day job,
does commercial work, and – last but certainly not least – co-produces the Women in Comedy Festival, which is
taking place March 21- 25, 2012 and features 27 shows, 225 comedians (including
the headliners Wendy Liebman and Carol Leifer), 11 workshops, and 1 free
headliner panel. Don’t applaud yet, folks, there are still more balls in the
air: Maria co-hosts the Women in
Comedy Podcast, produces the hilarious web series Interviews with My Husband which
features her scene-stealing straight man husband Justin Carr, and Maria also hosts Stand Up Sundays at ImprovBoston.
You may now applaud for all of Maria’s balls.
***
PAM VICTOR: My
first question always has to do with your comedy trajectory. When did you first
do comedy? What was your path?
MARIA CIAMPA: I first did comedy when I was about 8 years old. My
sisters and I made comedy sketches at home and recorded them with my father's
old-tyme camcorder. We'd do feminist commercials for Lee Press On Nails and
racist commercials for Chinese food.
PAM: Did you do improv in high
school or college?
MARIA: I
auditioned for an improv group at Smith College and was rejected.
PAM: I have to confess. I did a
pre-interview with your husband, Justin Carr, and he
takes full responsibility for your rejection. As he tells it, you didn’t get
into the SIKOS, “most
likely because of me, since I'm not a woman, which makes her a breeder. Reverse
sexual preference prejudice or something like that. Either that or she just
wasn't any good yet.”
MARIA: HA!
Love it.
PAM: I think the "yet"
is my favorite part. Shows his total belief in your abilities.
MARIA: Aw!
True love.
PAM: So when did you get the improv bug?
MARIA: I
started doing improv after college. I was taking an acting class at Harvard
Extension School because I worked at Harvard Business School. The
instructor was a director at ART and kept laughing at my characters, when I was
really just trying to do them straight. She told me to go take improv classes.
So I took them at IB [ImprovBoston]
and IA [Improv
Asylum]. I joined The Tribe, run by Michelle Barbera. Then I was
invited to audition at IA, where I was on the Mainstage for a few years.
PAM: What
was that first improv experience like for you?
MARIA: Wonderful! I remember from my very first class
feeling like I landed in something that I'd always done and never knew existed
outside me.
PAM: Beautifully said. I get
that. What resonated with you? (As an inhabitant of western Mass., I have to
say the word "resonate" every day, so thanks for helping me get in my
quota.)
MARIA: Ha!
I loved this sense of play, learning
there was a system to it. I loved that it was okay for grown up people to
communicate in a more open and honest way, and find games in that communication.
PAM: What element about scene
work grounds you or helps you to be a better improviser? I mean, are you a
character person? Someone who follows the game? Relationship?
MARIA: Relationship,
definitely. I like playing things real. I like following the relationship to
see where it goes.
PAM: I think I will find that
most people trained in Boston, particularly under Will Luera's reign, play that
way.
MARIA: Yes! Will's a genius.
Are you still performing improv?
MARIA: Only
now and then. I keep thinking - I need to get back into it in a more
organized way! I'm busy with stand up, but stand up is different.
PAM: You started in improv
(after your childhood career in sketch), but then you stepped across the
railroad tracks to stand up. How did that change come about?
 |
| Maria Ciampa, standing up |
PAM: As a woman who does stand up
and improv, can you tell me about your experience in both and how they reflect
and differ from each other?
MARIA: Both
have this sense of creating something new, which I like. In improv, it's
collaborative and surprising on the spot. In stand up, it's less
collaborative and you never know if you will be surprised in a good way or a
bad way on any given night.
I like that you can keep
what you create in stand up - you can keep those jokes, for probably way too long, and try to
re-create them over and over. You can do that with improv too, translate it to
sketch, but the challenge is even more so in stand up because it feels more
that it's yours. In stand up, it's up to you to bring it; whereas in improv,
you can lean on scene partners and find something new that way.
PAM: But they're totally
different skill sets, aren't they?
MARIA: Yes,
I think they are. I'm still learning how different they are.
PAM: I've never really done stand up, so I
don't know what goes into the stand up training.
MARIA:
Stand up training! Ha! There are classes, but it's just - go out to open mics,
fall on your face, feel bad, remind yourself never to feel bad, repeat.
PAM: I imagine stand up training
involving a lot of self-flagellation. Stand up seems so VULNERABLE to me.
MARIA: You got it, lady. Well, depends on how you choose
to do it, too.
PAM: To
me, it seems like you stand up in front of strangers, crack open your chest,
and invite them to laugh at the contents.
MARIA: Yes
- those people who tell true stories, though, really open themselves up -
that's the most vulnerable way to do it. And that's a fairly new style in the
stand up world.
PAM: No offense, Maria, but you seem
to be one of the happier, more well adjusted stand-up comedians I know.
MARIA: I
try! I try!
PAM: Would you like to speak to
the adage that “stand-up comedians had difficult childhoods...improvisers grew
up in loving homes"? (Or however that adage goes.)
MARIA: Now
I'm seriously laughing.
I don't know anyone who had
a totally perfect childhood. Even in a loving home, there is room to find jokes
about something.
 |
| Maria Ciampa, still standing |
MARIA: Yes,
I can see that. I think maybe there is some truth to it. But I don't
think you have to be broken to do stand up. I think you need to be pretty
strong actually. Or just used to being broken over and over, which makes sense?
I am so interested in coming
at stand up from a different place. From a place of, “Here's what I have
to offer, take it or leave it.” Not, “Love me love me!” Amy Sedaris recently
said something on the WTF podcast I
just loved. She said, "I do whatever I want. And some people seem to
get really angry about that."
PAM: Yeah, I heard that episode.
(Speaking of broken but hilarious people.)
MARIA: Is
she?
PAM: ::sigh:: I think she and
David both try to heal themselves through comedy. But that's just my opinion.
MARIA: Yes,
well, it's the same with me then. One of the most honest conversations I've had
about this was with the brilliant and hilarious Jennifer
Myszkowski.
PAM: Love
her! One of my hometown peeps. How do you know her?
MARIA: From
when I was doing comedy at Northampton Center for the Arts. She was in the audience, and
she laughed really loudly at a “Golden Girls” reference. Then we met after
the show and I fell in love.
PAM: Hahahaha!
Oh good. As the producer of that very show at the Northampton Center for the
Arts, I'm glad I was able to facilitate comedy love.
MARIA: You always do, Pam!
PAM: Awww.
Do you think there should be limits to comedy material,
either in improv or stand up?
MARIA: No
and no! You gotta be free with it all, even and especially if it offends.
PAM: I’ve seen that some
comedians (like Louis C.K., who we all agree is brilliant) can write and
deliver material that would get other comedians (e.g. Tracy Morgan) in a load
of doo-doo. How do you walk that line?
MARIA: I
wish I knew. I’m working on it. I think you have to ask yourself: What is it
that I'm saying here? Why am I saying it? Why is this true? Why is it funny?
But then sometimes that just
too much thinking, so I do a joke about a carrot with
balls.
PAM: Hahaha! I think it also
depends on your audience. I live in a place with people who have a pretty
strict sense of political correctness. Although it's fun to poke at the
boundaries, I'm still rankled sometimes that I don't get to do my deaf retarded
girl character.
MARIA: HA!
I also think that if you are coming from a place (and this is where
Maria the yogini speaks) of right thought and right speech, then really all
that means is that you are being honest about why something is funny to you, so
there you go.
PAM: Given your answer, would
you care to complete the following statement that someone else suggested I ask
a comedian? “The funny thing about rape is…”
MARIA: How
absurd it is. Humans come in a form where one can mess up another in such a
gross way. Gross! Absurd! And to top it off, in another context, the same
thing is awesome. WEIRD.
PAM: To be honest, I don't think
rape is that funny. I really was reluctant to ask that question. But that's
just my personal boundary. I can imagine that a comedian and audience members
could find it cathartic to joke about, perhaps empowering. But you're right.
It's really weird.
MARIA: Yes
- I agree, it's cathartic - and that's such an important part of comedy. It's
a way to have an open dialogue about the taboo.
PAM: I guess that brings up what
your experience has been as a lady comedian in both improv and stand up.
ImprovBoston is SO inclusive! A big, warm, loving family…
MARIA: Weird
segue, Pam. Weeeiiird!
PAM: HAHAHAHAHA!
MARIA: Now
that's what's funny about rape. Right there.
PAM: Well, we were talking about
vaginas. That was the segue in my brain: rape, vaginas, ladies, comedy...
MARIA: “So,
you're a lady who could potentially get raped. How is it being a lady in
comedy?”
PAM: LOL! Hahahahaha!
MARIA: Yes
- IB is a wonderful place, a home to me and so many of my friends, the
community of people that has created so many opportunities for me to try new
jokes. I think back to the Bastards, Inc. shows - one of the funniest group of
improvisers - and they would put up stand ups on their show. They gave me a ton
of opportunities to try out bad jokes. And now Stand up Sundays! [Every Sunday
at 9pm at ImprovBoston, Maria and Dana Jay Bein host Stand Up Sundays featuring
stand up comedians from Boston and beyond.]
PAM: I guess I’m wondering if you've
found more or fewer obstacles in the stand up world than in improv...as a vagina-owner,
I mean.
MARIA: Ha!
PAM: To be blunt, are stand up
comedians sexist assholes?
MARIA: I
have found more sexism in the stand up world, yes. I think it's because the philosophy
of improv is to trust, which is not a foundational thing in stand up. But I've
found plenty of sexism in the improv world too.
 | |
|
PAM: That leads – awkwardly, of course,
thankyouverymuch - to our discussion of the Women in Comedy Festival! First of all, thanks to you and your co-founder,
Michelle Barbera and co-producer Elyse
Schuerman. I think I sent you guys a note after the first festival, telling
you how proud I was to know you and that you had created that festival, and I
still feel a lot of gratitude towards you three in relation to the festival.
Not from a personal perspective, but rather in relation to the comedy world as
a whole. I personally think WICF is extremely important right now and
potentially can alter – for the better - the position of women in the comedy
world (as well as possibly alter the space-time continuum but that’s another
article). Tell me about what lead to the founding of the festival? What
compelled you to create it?
MARIA: My friend and co-producer Michelle Barbera was like, "Hey let's do a bunch of shows that feature women more prominently." And I was like, "Brilliant!" So we did that. Also we both have been feminists all our lives, which also probably lead to the founding of the festival.
PAM:
You ladies are quite clear that you encourage non-women to apply and perform,
but still you’ve created a unique and much-needed showcase for card-carrying
vagina owners, don’t you think?
MARIA: Yes we have! I love
that men apply too, though, for a few reasons. One, because I like to think we
have created something that above all advocates for a level playing field. Two,
I like men. Three, if you are a man who is applying to a festival called
Women in Comedy Festival, good job, dude.
I think WICF is not only a great showcase for all the women comedians out there, but it's also a chance at connecting in an ongoing way with men and women who want a certain dialogue to exist - during the festival there are workshops, panel discussions, and parties. And during the year, we have mini-tours, we have the WICF News Site, the blog, the WICF comedy podcast, and the ongoing connections that people make at the festival. I've kept in touch with so many people I've met through the festival, looked them up when I'm in their town. And people get in touch with me when they know they'll be in Boston and let me help them find stage time. That's what I really like - this sense that the festival is creating a way to connect with other like-minded artists all over the place.
I think WICF is not only a great showcase for all the women comedians out there, but it's also a chance at connecting in an ongoing way with men and women who want a certain dialogue to exist - during the festival there are workshops, panel discussions, and parties. And during the year, we have mini-tours, we have the WICF News Site, the blog, the WICF comedy podcast, and the ongoing connections that people make at the festival. I've kept in touch with so many people I've met through the festival, looked them up when I'm in their town. And people get in touch with me when they know they'll be in Boston and let me help them find stage time. That's what I really like - this sense that the festival is creating a way to connect with other like-minded artists all over the place.
PAM: What are
your goals for WICF?
MARIA: Attract
talent from all over the world, in all genres of comedy, doing unique comedy
that just needs a forum to be heard. Encourage artists to keep working and creating. Put on hilarious shows for our
audiences. Be a
news portal for all things comedy. Support WICF comedians in their own endeavors in any way
we can. Continue going on mini-tours in NY and LA. There has been talk of
creating a production company that connects WICF comedians with colleges,
universities, and other organizations. Attract industry and bookers from networks
like IFC, Comedy Central, Late Night, ABC, NBC, AMC, FOX, any way for our
artists to be seen! On the
business side, secure sponsorships and partnerships with like-minded
organizations so WICF can grow as our staffing and resource needs continue to
expand. Keep this sense of friendliness and and accepting community that we
have established.
PAM:
I understand that submission doubled this year. (Congratulations!) What
troupes/performers are you really excited about scoring this year?
MARIA:
All Girl Revue, Arden Myrin (Chelsea
Lately), Sue Galloway (30 Rock),
and so many more! [Check out the full list of the line up this year.]
PAM: Let’s talk about the inherent comedy
of yoga. As a yoga teacher, can you draw some parallels you’ve discovered
between yogic thinking and improv?
MARIA: Yes!
Trust yourself. Detach yourself from the outcome. Accept what's happening
now. Allow room for discovery.
Oh my, that was so much
bullshit all at once.
PAM: How do you not crack up
when someone farts in yoga class?
MARIA: I
do crack up even after all these years, especially when it's a kid.
PAM: You know where you can't
crack up about farts? In the classroom. When I taught elementary school, when a
kid farted, it was the WORST. I'd have to leave the classroom. Not because of
the smell, but to laugh at the kid.
MARIA: Yeah,
I don't know how teachers do it.
PAM: I find yoga classes a deep
well of comic material because people tend to take themselves extremely
seriously, plus people are so weird. (Plus plus, the farting thing.)
MARIA: Yes
- it's the best when someone is, or thinks they are in a place of self-inquiry.
I am there all the time, and that's how I found out I'm a total asshole.
PAM: Ha! I didn't know you were
an asshole! Congratulations!
MARIA: Thank
you. Thank you.
PAM: So yoga is a place where
you explore your inner asshole?
MARIA: Oh
yes!
PAM: Deep.
MARIA: Very
deep.
PAM: (Insert lower intestine
joke here.)
Do you turn off your comedian brain when you do yoga,
or do you also find yourself writing jokes during classes?
MARIA: I
find the stillness that yoga affords me lets me shut off the critic, so after
class there's a good amount of stuff usually. But during class, I'm a
totally serious asshole.
I also write jokes as I'm
falling asleep. It's a similar quietness.
PAM: I'm just back from a yoga class.
I don't think I was asshole-y enough. But that's why we call it
"practice"!
MARIA: Yep!
You gotta keep practicing, then you'll find out if you're as much of an
idiot as the rest of us.
PAM: Haha!
I deeply LOVE your web series Interviews with My Husband. Tell me
about how that series got started, what inspiration you draw from to make it
and – for the love of all that is Good and Just – are you going to make another
one?
MARIA: Thank
you so much! I love this project. It got started because he has great answers
to my questions. I once asked him if I was paralyzed from a car accident
and I just wanted to die, would he shoot me dead? And without a beat, he
said, "Of course I would."
PAM: That’s hilarious. My
husband and I have a similar joke, but it involves having my lips burned off in
an accident.
MARIA: Ha!
So the inspiration is our relationship and how we communicate. I am working on
making more. We have a bunch of scripts.
PAM: Speaking
of Justin Carr, he made a claim and I want you to tell me if it’s true or
false. Does your creative process include, “various activities such as
procrastinating and watching Netflix and Hulu in bed”?
MARIA: YES.
I am not proud of this. I am addicted to the show Medium with Patricia Arquette, and there are about 17 million
episodes on Netflix.
PAM: Rumor has it you’re writing a book? What is
it about? (Ok. It wasn’t a rumor. It’s on the front page of your website.)
MARIA: I am! We Are
The Ciampians is a collection of stories about my version growing up
just north of Boston in and Italian-American family of seven kids, with a
father who was elderly my entire life, and a mother 17 years younger than
him. I say my version, because I'm sure there at nine different versions
(seven kids, two parents) of how it happened, all of them true. The
stories are an extension of my live comedy. It's a tell-all! I tell all I
can remember about by my liqueur-making father, my Yorkshire Terrier-breeding
mother, and my five wild sisters and one middle-child brother.
I'm pitching it to agents now, so if you're an agent reading this, lucky you. It's your big break!
I'm pitching it to agents now, so if you're an agent reading this, lucky you. It's your big break!
PAM: There is an elephant in the
room, and I can’t ignore it anymore. Would you like to make a public statement about
your hair?
MARIA: Ha!
It's true. I've never had a job as a hair model. I thought about it once, but
they said I'd have to let them cut and color it and it wouldn't be up to me,
and I'm too protective of my ‘fro.
PAM: I have a quick question from the Dorky
Pharmacist of FacebookLand, who needs guidance in his lifestyle either towards
books or buffets: In the coming apocalypse, will the zombies be more interested
in brains or entrails?
MARIA: Ha!
I'm a traditionalist when it comes to zombies. They like brains and move
slowly. They are easily defeated by those of us with wits who can still move
quickly.
 |
| Maria's carrot with balls |
Catch up on other improv geek-a-thons:
…with Joe Bill of BASSPROV
…Jimmy Carrane of the Improv Nerd podcast
…Susan Messing of Messing with a Friend
and many more!
And "like" the "Geeking Out with..." FACEBOOK PAGE please.
Pam Victor is the founding member of The Ha-Ha’s, and she produces The Happier Valley Comedy Show in western Massachusetts. Pam directs, produces and performs in the comic soap opera web series "Silent H, Deadly H". Pam also writes mostly humorous, mostly true essays and reviews of books, movies, and tea on her blog, "My Nephew is a Poodle." If you want to stay abreast of all the geek out action, like the “Geeking Out with…” Facebook page!
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