((PKG)) MAKING OF A COMEDIAN
((TRT: 08:03))
((Topic Banner: Disability Comedian))

((Producer/Reporter: Marsha James))
((Camera/Editor: Philip Alexiou))
((Map: Washington, D.C.))
((Main characters: 1 female; 0 male))
((Sub characters: 0 female; 1 male))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Owen
Host, Capital Laughs))
Don’t stop clapping. This next talent, she is very, very funny. Give it up for Sandi Benton, you guys.

((NATS: Sandi Benton
Hey, hi, hey! How's it going everyone? Hi! Hi! Cool.
((Sandi Benton
Comedian))
I did not grow up wanting to do comedy. I grew up wanting ((Courtesy: Sandi Benton))
to be an actress. I wanted to be a writer. I ended up
going down a completely different path with design. I didn't know doing comedy was like an option. Like if you watch comedy specials and stuff when you're growing up, or like I never was like, “Oh, I want to do that.” I didn't think about it at all. I always
liked performing, and I liked writing, and I liked attention in a very specific performance way.
((NATS: Sandi Benton))
…And that's me.
((Sandi Benton
Comedian))
And then I remember I came to a show at DC Improv [Comedy Club] with my friends I think in 2017, and I saw the host on stage, who was a woman around my age, and I loved what she was doing. I thought she was so cool. She was like using stories from her life to make people laugh. And I was like, “Oh, my gosh. All of these horrible stories have a point.” And it took me like another year to start. But that was like the moment where I was like, “Oh, that's, you can do this. That's the thing.” And I started doing it thinking, “Oh, I'll try it once or twice and see if I like it”, or like, because I was so nervous about doing it. And then when I started it, you know, took over my life entirely. Something that's maybe unique about my performance is, I am a very gaspy person. Like my breathing is very loud.
((Courtesy: Sandi Benton))
I was actually born with one paralyzed vocal cord, and the other vocal cord was, you know, not 100%. And I was trached [the procedure called tracheostomy] until I was seven years old when the paralyzed vocal cord started to move, not all the way, but enough. And like as an adult now, I still sound gaspy.
((NATS: Sandi Benton))
Cool! I'm recording something, which is why I'm covered in wires. Just a heads up. If you ever record something, that's not the day to go with the plunge. It's the only time I've done it. I’m like I’m going to be bold tonight. No. Mistake. Hi.
((Sandi Benton
Comedian))
I started comedy in 2018. It was April 6, 2018. And I started in, I did an open mic in Arlington, Virginia, at this bar called, Summers, which has since been demolished. But, yeah, for a while, I just went like to the once a week mic, and this will be a thing I do once a week, and then it snowballed from there, kind of. Making people laugh is important to me because what I like, you know, making people feel better. I like feeling like I'm a part of something. And in the moments where I'm like not feeling great about myself, it makes me feel like I'm adding value.
((NATS: Sandi Benton))
Been working on my mental health recently because someone said I should, and I'm working on it. I started keeping a gratitude journal, kind of cheesy, but at first it started to work. My depression went way down. I had to stop keeping it because my anxiety went way up. All I was doing was listing things, and then looking at the lists and going, I have so much to lose, having panic attacks every day.
((Sandi Benton
Comedian))
And you feel like you're bombing, you, kind of, depending on the situation, there's different ways to try to get out of it. Either you can try to save it. You can acknowledge you’re bombing. I had a show recently where I was, and acknowledging it got a good laugh, but it's still a bomb. You just, kind of, end up learning it's not the end of the world if a roomful of people don't like you. I was really excited after my first ever set that I did it because I was so nervous to do it. In general, I think I'm just really grateful I started comedy because of the community it gave me. Like I have
((Courtesy: Sandi Benton))

a ton of friends who are creative and interesting and like wonderful people. I get to be a part of this whole world
that I didn't even know existed before I started this. And I get to know all these people that I wouldn't know otherwise.
((Courtesy: Sandi Benton))
And that's what I think about more often, I think.
((Courtesy: Sandi Benton))
((NATS: Sandi Benton))
I’m bad at seducing people. Anyone else?
I would love to one day be able to do this full time.
Wait, are you guys here together?
But I think I have a lot of work to do to get there, if that happens.
You did it. Congratulations! All right. I love how he’s clapping for himself. He’s like, “Come on, everyone.”
((Sandi Benton
Comedian))
I love Brian Regan. He's someone I listened to a lot before comedy. He's good. It's cool to see like all these major people in the same place that I get to be. Dave Attell is incredible. His crowd work is like unmatched. He's amazing. I was just lucky enough to get to perform in Dublin, Ireland, and Galway, Ireland, which was really cool. That was the first time I've ever done anything outside of the country. I've performed in New York. I've performed in Chicago and Atlanta.
((Courtesy: Sandi Benton))
((NATS: Sandi Benton))
- What do you do making 125 K [125 thousand dollars a year].
- DOD [Department of Defense].
- What do you do for them? Can you talk about it? Probably not.
- I send emails, review documents...
((Sandi Benton
Comedian))
During the day, I'm a motion graphic designer and I enjoy it. But I really love comedy. I really, I just love performing and would like to do it anytime I can.
((Courtesy: Sandi Benton))
((NATS: Sandi Benton))
- Are you, I hope, are you in therapy now?
- Physical therapy, actually. I think I'm pretty good, actually. Yeah.
- You're pretty good, actually. Every man who's ever…sorry…and you seem very nice. Every guy I've ever asked, “Have you been in therapy?” They've literally all said, “I'm pretty good, actually.” ((Sandi Benton
Comedian))
One of the really wonderful things about comedy, and I've heard other people say this too, is that there's no barrier to entry and there's no like requirement. Like there's no age requirement. There's no looks requirement. There's no sound requirement. Like you can just do it. And if you're funny, then people will laugh at you and you get to perform no matter what. And that's pretty cool. That’s nice.
((NATS: Sandi Benton))
...fun too. All right. Well, we're all on film here. How did you lose your virginity? You've got a platform, sir. You won't really be on film by the way. Don’t worry. Don’t worry. If you change your mind, let me know. Otherwise, give it up for the very funny Owen. He's amazing. Thank you.
((NATS))

((Sandi Benton
Comedian))
Definitely a way to feel confident and comfortable in your own voice.
I think it went okay. I think I'm getting...I sometimes get in my head a little bit. I think I was in my head tonight, but until the last 30 seconds of the set, where I felt more comfortable because I just acknowledged that I was super in my head. So that…that helped.
((NATS: Sandi Benton))
Do you want to talk about it? Okay. All right. Good. Well…
((Sandi Benton
Comedian))
And I felt better after that. So, 30 seconds out of seven minutes, I thought was solid.
((NATS/MUSIC))