sue smith

Yesterday was tough. Getting married is a big, emotional deal, even if you’ve been with your partner for six years. (Committing to anything until death do you part is terrifying.) Also, I had PMS and it was my “rage week” (third week in my cycle), so...not good. 

I co-host a weekly show called Amazingtown every Tuesday. I did NOT want to go yesterday. I texted the other hosts to tell them I was gonna bail. BUT, I wanted Pinkberry real bad—sugar is transformative when you’re sad—and I figured if I was getting it, I might as well pop in and do my show. It was just around the block. (In case you’re wondering: I got the original flavor with blueberries, raspberries and dark chocolate.)

There were only four audience members, including a drunk heckler. I still wanted to bail. I was SO close to leaving, but I’ve learned to keep showing up no matter what. All shows help you grow, despite their size. Plus, I was already there. 

I went up and I felt transformed. The drunk girl shut up. People paid attention and laughed at everything, even the new jokes. (That never happens!) I got offstage and the heckler said to me, “I want to be your best friend.” 

I felt so great that I couldn’t remember why I’d been sad earlier. A good set is better than anything else. Yes, it’s a drug. Yes, I’ll be chasing that high for the next week, but ~*~who cares~*~. I feel so lucky to have found something I love. 

We HAVE to stop bragging about our agents/managers/auditions on social media. It’s not nice. It makes people feel like they’re failures/not doing enough/aren’t talented. It’s okay to get excited, but just don’t share about it online. Wait until you book that big job or are promoting a huge project that you’re super proud of. Then post the hell out of it and we’ll all be excited for you! But wait until then, please. We’re comedic actors. We’re supposed to be the cool ones. 

Also, if you’ve reached the point in your career where you’re offering notes to other people in your industry, please be careful. This is a very personal art form and we’re all fragile. You advice must come from a place of love and an honest desire to convey what you’ve learned. You shouldn’t try to boost your own self-esteem by making others feel like they’re not as accomplished. Approach it this way: there is Enough to go around. Enough laughter, jokes, auditions, mangers, jobs, whatever. Even though it never feels that way, pretend there is.