Dallas Darling Chelsea Hood - An Interview

This past weekend, Sub.Urban Comedy Connection had the opportunity to sit down with local treasure, Chelsea Hood, at The Addison Improv. 

S.UCC: Thank you so much for taking a moment to speak with us tonight about your career. Things just seem to be really blowing up for you lately - you just finished up the Dallas Comedy Festival, you're a regular at several local comedy clubs, things are really going well.

CH:  Thanks, yeah, the Dallas Comedy Festival was amazing - the talent was unbelievable, I had a great time.  It was cool to work with that caliber of artists.

S.UCC: So have you always known that Stand Up was what you wanted to do?

CH: I think I've always been naturally funny, and had a desire to perform, I just didn't put the two together until after college.  I'm from Chicago, originally, and I was in school for acting at Illinois State when my room mate and I went to a comedy show for the forst time, and my room mate told me that night, 'this is what you should be doing.'  I kind of shrugged it off because I knew nothing about Stand Up Comedy, and I continued to pursue my acting degree. 

S.UCC:  So what finally made you decide to go for it? How did that happen?

CH:  I moved to Dallas to teach children acting and theater, and was supplementing my income waiting tables, and it was while waiting tables I just had a really good night and a fun customer.  This customer told me he'd give me a $100 tip if I just tried stand up one time. That's how much confidence he had in me.  I thought really hard about whether to take his money or not, because I had no idea what Stand Up was about or how to get started.  But I took the guy's $100, and I'm a person of my word.
I started by going to a lot of open mics to observe.  I watched a lot of people bomb, but then saw some good comedy, too.  I took a class on stand up given by Dean Lewis. I finally worked up to that first opportunity on stage.

S.UCC: Then what??

CH:  It was the worst 90 seconds of my life!  I bombed in front of my boss and two others at the Dyer Street Bar open mic - but I didn't give up.  Next I started going up at Hyena's, Backdoor, every opportunity I could, and eventually I was offered a guest spot at the Arlington Hyena's before it closed.  It all happened very quickly.

S.UCC:  How did Stand Up differ from acting, and what did you like about those differences?

CH:  Stand Up is so, so different from acting - I'll tell you that writing my own material and having full control over my own success or failure has been the best.  I'm not having 'creative differences' with a director. 
While I was teaching children acting and theater, we were back stage before a performance, and one of my students said, 'gosh, I'm so nervous!'  well I had lost that - that uneasy feeling, that nervousness before a play, and at that moment, when I heard that little girl's words, I realized that I really missed that feeling.  I didn't get it anymore with acting.  But I get it every time with stand up.

S.UCC:  Is your family back in Chicago?  What do they think of what you're doing?  Supportive?

CH:  Oh, yeah, my family is incredible back in Chicago.  So supportive.  My dad is an immigrant; he came from London to make a better life in the US (he's a musician), and my mom is a violinist, so they always encouraged my interest in the arts.  Growing up my parents were always most proud of my performances on stage because they saw me in my element.  They knew I was most comfortable and at my best on stage. 

S.UCC:  Chicago is such a great city for comedy.  Do you plan on going back?

CH:  Well, right now I only see my parents two times a year.  I have been seriously considering taking some time to spend with them this Fall.  When I was in college and right after I graduated, I did some performances at Second City and with other groups, but never any Improv or Stand Up.  I think it's a possibility - yeah, I'd like to perform back in Chicago if possible. 
The goal right now is to actually move to New York.

S.UCC:  You don't want to stay in Dallas?

CH:  I would love to stay in Dallas - I love Dallas, and the amazing, talented comedians I have met and worked with here.  I owe a lot to comedy in Dallas - these are the people who took me under their wing, gave me pointers, kept me from writing hack material, and really told me what was what.
But...

S.UCC: Ah, here comes the but....

CH:  This past January I went to two auditions, did very well, and made it to the final rounds of those auditions.  Then no further.  But that was it - there literally were only two auditions that month in Dallas.  I can go to five times as many auditions every day in New York. 
I think there are genius comedy writier here in Dallas.  They have pushed me to be open to new experiences, and shared with me what made them better comics.  But there's more work to be had in New York.

S.UCC:  Do you feel you have a unique perspective on the business of comedy as a female?

CH:  Absolutely.  I am living my life on a different schedule than most other people.  I work at night, in a club, until two or three in the morning, and while many people I know are planning their weddings and future families, I'm planning a move to New York.
It can be stressful, and weird, being on a different timeframe for those things than everyone else.  I've lost friendships, had difficult moments with my significant other, but this is what I do.  I have to do it. 
It's like Patton Oswalt said while reminiscing with a friend, '[remember when going to clubs and performing standup was] ALL WE DID for two to three years?'  Every night, you have to eat, sleep, breathe comedy if you want to make it in this business, and that's what I'm doing.

S.UCC:  Lastly, what is it about your style of Stand Up that's different, unique?

CH:  As a female comedian, I'm not really interested in writing jokes that denigrate women.  I don't like jokes that reinforce negative stereotypes about women either.  I think I can be funny without that.  Sure, I poke fun at stereotypes, but not in a way that cheapens what women bring to the equation. 
It's important to me that comedians use their time in front of a microphone, with a captive audience, to actually say something. This is your chance to get a message across to a large number of people - why not take advantage of it? 

S.UCC:  Chelsea, thank you so much for sitting down to talk with us.  And best of luck to you in the future!

You can see CHELSEA HOOD live at The Addison Improv opening for Mama Michelle on April 16th,
AND
at The Arlington Improv opening for Sebastian Maniscalco April 28th thru May 1st!

Go see this rising star, before she's gone!