About My Dry Bar Set

(So, I guess I’ll tell it. And I’ll tell it again when the special airs.)

I was invited to tape a special for Dry Bar Comedy! Yay! 

I only had a month to prepare. Ugh! 

(Well, technically, I’ve had my entire career to prepare, but that’s something I have to remind myself more often then I care to admit.)

Dry Bar’s brand is clean comedy. No problem, right? But there’s clean and then there’s Dry Bar clean. The stakes are higher. 

As I delved into my Set Book (I have all my jokes and routines written and categorized in an almost 300-page Word Doc) I found myself getting frustrated trying to figure out what material to do. My plan “B” was to do the material that I’ve stopped doing about My Parents since My Dad passed away in July and My Mom entered in-home hospice. 

The more I thought about it, the more plan “B" became plan “A.” This would be the perfect send off set for that material. It would be my private/not private tribute to My Parents. It would be my way to celebrate and let go of who we were, and in the process, make people laugh. This would’ve made Old Folks proud.  

With jokes I talked about aging parents, caregiving, self care, love… 

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"I’m a new mom. I have a 77 and an 84-year-old."

"I’m spending a lot of time with my parents because I’m trying to stay in the will."

"I’m not their only child, but I am the only one they like, so hashtag winning."

"I’m a daddy’s girl, that’s why my favorite movie is 'Taken'."

“Every girl wants to believe that if she gets kidnapped, her dad is gonna come for her. And I believe that. I believe that if I got kidnapped, My Dad would come for me. But My Dad is 84. It’s gonna take a while.”

It felt good. 

Giving a humorous voice to my experience maybe gives comic relief and hope to others who are in the same boat or who are about to be.

In between shows, The Director shared with me that his parents aren’t “there” just yet, but that he can see it from here; and he’s starting to worry what that might mean for him and his siblings. 

As I was leaving the Dry Bar Comedy, I had a long and lovely conversation with a couple who have been there with Her Parents. They’re both gone now. Her Mom had alzheimer’s. We hugged. The Husband told me that His Dad is okay now but…  This is not inherently funny stuff but they said it was good to laugh about what is a painful part of life. 

In my humble/not so humble opinion, that’s what comedy is supposed to do. And I did that. 

I don’t know when the special will be out but when you see it, if it looks like I’m standing on stage alone, I’m not.  (Note the three stars in the background.)