Comic-Al: Comedian Al Samuels talks improv, China and Chopschticks

There’s much in the detail of life in Beijing for an aspiring standup comedian to draw inspiration from, and yet live English-language comedy shows are still few and far between here. Chopschticks is one of the few groups putting on standup nights, bringing comics from overseas every few months to give us some laughs. This weekend Chopschticks presents the Chicago Improv All-Stars, who’ll be making it up on the spot for two consecutive nights at Block 8. We cornered the All-Stars’ Al Samuels to put his improv skills to the test ahead of the show.

How did you get your start in comedy?

I started at college. I was taking some "regular" theater classes and someone asked me to be part of the college improv group. It was terrifying, but also totally addictive.

You hold an MBA from Stanford University, a rare credential amongst comedians. Why did you do the MBA, and has it helped you in any way with your career as a comedian?

I had thought that I could use an MBA to help open a theater and start a film company. While I was getting the MBA, I realized I missed performing too much. After I graduated, I went back into performing, but I started a company, along with other Stanford grads, that used comedy and other skills from the arts to help employees become more creative and become better presenters. We also do comedy shows and videos for corporate clients. Having an MBA has also allowed me to appreciate the humor in what's going on in the financial world today. It's funny to lose USD 50 million, right? … Right?

Where do you find inspiration for your material?

The news. There have been few things more amusing than our president for the past eight years (President Bush, that is). Also paying close attention to everyday people and situations and recreating those on stage. The best comedy comes from the truth.

What are the best and worst things about being a comedian?

Best thing: Hearing an audience laugh. Worst thing: Hearing an audience laugh for the wrong reasons.

And what were the best and worst shows you ever did?

Best show: [I’ve had] many great experiences, but some of my best were performing improvised musicals in Scotland at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Worst show: Accidentally rolling off stage into the audience as I was playing Stephen Hawking, the wheelchair-bound scientist. Painful – both physically and emotionally.

What is your favorite thing about improv?

The immediacy and the surprise of “creating in the moment” with other performers. I also like the fact that the audience is part of the creation.

What do you think is the most important thing that the audience has to understand about improv?

It really is made up on the spot. We don't plan things beforehand.

How much audience interaction do you allow, besides shouting out the title or topic for your performance?

It depends on the show. We perform a completely improvised full-length musical twice a week for our normal show, and in that show we just get one suggestion – the title of a musical that's never been written before – and make a whole show up based just on that suggestion. For our Chinese shows, we will probably do a number of shorter improv scenes and songs so people have the chance to call out more suggestions.

What did you think of the Beijing audience from your previous experiences performing here?

They're great: very supportive and smart. We had a lot of new fans come up after shows to talk to us, and their questions were always enthusiastic and insightful.

Do you have to change your content when you perform to a Chinese audience instead of to a Western audience?

Some content. Obviously, there are some specific cultural references a Chinese audience won't know, so we shy away from those. We use things we've learned about China and what makes Chinese people laugh in the show to make it more relevant, and we try to use things about the specific city we're in. Also, since the show uses audience suggestions, it will, by its nature, have a lot of Chinese content.

Have you found any inspiration for your comedic material from your experiences here in China?

There's a lot of humor in Westerners trying to navigate Chinese culture, and how clumsy [they] can be in trying to do so. There are also a lot of amusing things about China – the rivalry between the cities, for example – that's great comedic fodder.

Have you seen any local comedic talents here?

We got the chance to play with some local improvisers in one of our Beijing shows, and they were great. We performed in English with them.

What tips do you have for aspiring comedians?

Read, read, and read! The smarter you are, the better your comedy will be. Also, do what you find funny. People want to hear a new and unique point of view.

And last but not least, do you have a foolproof joke? Something that always gets a laugh, even from the most hostile audience?
Do you mean other than my love life? That's the most foolproof joke I know!

Catch Al’s improv shows (each totally different, of course!) on Saturday, Feb 28 and Sunday, Mar 1. RMB 290. Tickets at 158 1026 1614. 9pm (Feb 28), 8pm (Mar 1). Block 8. 8 Chaoyang Gongyuan Xilu, Chaoyang District. (6508 8585)朝阳区朝阳公园西路8号www.chopschticks.com

Interview by Rita Chung; originally published in agenda, Beijing’s free biweekly source of dining and nightlife listings. Can’t find a copy? Call our distribution team on 5820 7101.