My name is Dustin White and I am a stand-up comic, which is to say I work mostly in food service. The above quote is a perfect way to describe how most comics at my level feel. We are young, hungry, and just want to be able to make enough money at what we love to stop flipping burgers or serving drinks. Of course we all dream at night of making it big to the level of a Dane Cook or Steve Martin, but most of us would be perfectly content not to live paycheck to paycheck and make enough money doing stand-up comedy to think about being able to support a family. Stand-up comedy is often glamorized, and it is the best job in the world. But most people don’t realize how tough a business stand-up comedy can be and how hard struggling comics work to make a dime.
I moved to Chicago two years ago to begin a career in stand-up comedy. I had a college degree and was urged by friends and family to pursue a career with benefits and a salary but I decided to be one of the rare few who flip off the corporate world and try to do something a little different. Since moving to the city from a small town in Southern Indiana I have made decent progress as a comic and writer. I finished the writing program at The Second City Training Center and have performed as a stand-up comic at showcases and clubs around Chicago and the Midwest. I have also done some acting and writing for film. I have been lucky enough to have been paid a time or two for my work but more than not I spend my time working in food service like most of my peers do.
With a college degree I should be able to find a job more substantial than food service and still do comedy, right? The hard truth is that to make it as a comic you must spend hours upon hours honing your craft and getting your name out there and most corporate jobs won’t allow you the time you need to pursue your creative ventures. So what do you do to at least make enough money to pay your rent and eat? You get a job as a waiter, bartender, cook, dishwasher, or some other menial job. You live without health insurance, 401k, pension plans, and without any clue of when you’ll be able to have enough money to settle down and start a family like all your friends from high school and college are doing.
Even when you start making it as a comic and are making some good money you realize that comedy clubs don’t offer health insurance. Even successful comics are forced to live without some of the things people in other careers take for granted. You have to see the disapproval in people’s eyes when your family or friends introduce you as a stand-up comic. For some reason in most people’s minds that means “slacker.” Sure, people think it is kind of cool but they also think you’re not really working for a living. The truth is we do work. We work terrible day jobs then spend our nights in bars, or clubs trying to make drunk crowds laugh. Sometimes it goes well and it’s the best feeling in the world. Other times you are performing to an audience of three drunk people who don’t even know you’re on stage. It's 1 a.m., and you have to work your other job at 7 a.m.
That is the life of a struggling stand-up comic. The same is true for most other people in the beginning stages of the entertainment industry. There are a lot of people out there just like me. The good news? There are hundreds of hilarious people in this city who are just like me who perform at bars and clubs every night and try to make people laugh and feel just a little bit better about their lives. Most people in Chicago don’t realize what a rich environment we live in for the arts. Stand-up comedy has been the most overlooked, in my opinion.
There are several great rooms in Chicago to see top-shelf stand-up comedy for free or very cheap. I plan to bring you articles, reviews, and interviews highlighting the rooms and comics of Chicago. I hope to connect Lumino readers to a truly great artform thriving in this city.
My name is Dustin White and I’m a stand-up comic. There are a lot of other people like me in Chicago. Come out and see us. Some of us will be the next big stars, most of us are pretty damn funny, and all of us work our butts off to bring a little humor and culture to Chicago.
• "The Struggling Comic" appears exclusively in Lumino Magazine. Dustin White is a comedian/writer/actor living in Chicago. You can reach him through his Web site at www.dustinwhitecomedian.com.
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Well Written
Written by Guest on 2006-10-06 09:31:55
I can vouch for the writer Dustin, it is true. Thank you for writing this article |
Great Insight
Written by Guest on 2006-10-06 09:33:17
Sums up the life perfectly. Looking forward to your next article. |
Great Job Dustin
Written by Guest on 2006-10-06 09:56:34
Thanks for shining some light on what stand up comics go thru to make it big |
Written by Guest on 2006-10-06 09:58:05
I am very proud of you Dustin your A...tammy  |
nice work Dust
Written by Guest on 2006-10-06 10:50:46
keep up the hard work !
jhw |
Hits home
Written by Guest on 2006-10-06 11:08:11
Dustin,
Great article! Really hits home.
-Kyle Lane |
New Fan
Written by Guest on 2006-10-06 12:01:48
I didn't read this article, I FELT this article. Excellent writing that communicates the passion and frustration of the artist. |
Artists Plight
Written by Guest on 2006-10-06 15:53:54
Dustin,
This is a terrific article clearly describing the challenges that anyone who chooses to pursue a life in entertainment rather than working for "The Man" deals with.
VERY well written!
Rock on!
Jes |
True dat
Written by Guest on 2006-10-06 16:45:39
I have been a stand-up comic for over 8 years and quit my day job waaaayyy prematurely in May of 2002. This year is the first year I am actually above the poverty level in stand-up comedy. If you apply yourself and have the drive and ambition to do everything at least half right, you can actually "make it" in this business. By make it, of course I mean at some point become finacially stable and actually think of it as a career rather than a "thing you do".
Fight to good fight and get those people out to the shows!
DO |
Keep'n The Faith
Written by Guest on 2006-10-06 20:12:54
Ever heard the ole saying......" life's just a series of diversions until you die" ? What better way to spend those days than doing what you love? Well written Dustin White..go get em!
Don B.  |
Forced to read
Written by Guest on 2006-11-02 18:43:22
Hi Dustin, Your Grandma Claudine insisted I read this and I'm really glad I did. Great insight and lots of humor - I'll check back next month. And, best of luck to you!!
Shelley |
