OC standup comic Ryan Clark’s preferred artistic expression usually involved creating something interesting out of very little under bright lighting and before a group that expected laughs. Clark is a standup comic who performed on weekends in the capacity of an Improv Shmimprov troupe member. For the uninitiated, Improv Shmimprov was a Maverick Theater troupe in Fullerton.
Clark was not unfamiliar with performing before a hostile or some other form of audience. Clark once cut the teeth when he was a Homesick Abortions bassist before he acted in service to a relatively higher cause as a jester. Here are some excerpts from an old interview of OC Weekly with the comedian.
Clark On The Reason Why He Did Standup Comedy
During the interview, Clark introduced himself to the readers as an addict with a craving for the appreciation and approval of viewers. As for Clark, the craving worked like a drug that not only ruined relationships but also made him lose a chance to join loved ones on important occasions. Furthermore, it cost him employment positions. If he did not do some kind of performance arts for some time, he would become noticeably irritable. In 2019, he did comedy just to get his fix and considered it more of a condition of being addicted.
Clark On What Else He Would Do For A Living
Clark stated that he had been unable to earn a living with what he loved to do. There was a part of him that held out for it to be the case someday. He had a range of jobs, which included white-collar jobs and blue-collar jobs. He had a steady income when he was going through a more depressing phase.
In 2019, he worked not only at Improv Shmimprov but also as an Uber driver in his side job. Clark was doing a depressing side job on his terms and was happier with a small part of what he earned before he chose to commit himself mainly to comedy. He occasionally felt that earning money was a hobby of people who did not know what they would like to do in life.
Clark On The Importance Of Illusion In Comedy And Audience Perception
Clark stated that the fact of a person pursuing their passion was different from them fantasizing about another individual who had done it. As a child, Clark attended music shows at the so-called Troubadour nightclub in West Hollywood. Back then, he used to feel that those bands made it since they played at the nightclub. It took him more time to realize that the funds they made from the shows went to creating band merchandise. Clark remembered that the money allowed those bands to sell enough merchandise to make a greater number of shirts one day.
Clark also told OC Weekly that people on the street used to recognize him for his work and that he wanted that recognition. So, it would be fair to say that he knew what a small amount of popularity felt like. He considered that recognition a cool thing when it happened on the street but not in the following situations.
- When he picked somebody who had attended some of his shows up for an Uber trip
- When a teller, who was an admirer of his work, recognized him and his bank balance was $30 at the same time
Clark stated that he achieved things he could reflect on with pride but did not feel that he had made it. He attributed the latter to a lack of satisfaction for his work in the capacity of an artist.
