The Side Mullet Nation is expanding its territory as its leader prepares to occupy Zanies. Lesbian Chicago-based comedian Cameron Esposito, the founder of SMN and former Windy City Times 30 Under 30 honoree, is set to MC at Zanies Comedy Club for the entire month of July.
Zanies plays host for contemporary comedy big names like Natasha Leggero, Chelsea Peretti and Whitney Cummings. Now, Esposito has control of the microphone.
Windy City Times: How long have you been performing stand-up?
Cameron Esposito: About six years
WCT: What motivated you to start performing stand-up?
Cameron Esposito: I was doing improv professionally but felt that something didn't exactly fit. I was never any good at characters & wanted to speak from my own life experience, so I gave standup a try.
WCT: How long had you performed improv before you decided to start performing stand-up?
Cameron Esposito: Six years—I started in college.
WCT: What subjects motivate your stand-up routine?
Cameron Esposito: A lot of personal stories: I'm less Jerry Seinfeld "what's the deal with" general observations, more punk rock styling on true life tales.
WCT: What sets you apart from other stand-up performers?
Cameron Esposito: Oh, probably my haircut or my jean jacket, nothing else.
WCT: What impact does performing have on your life off stage?
Cameron Esposito: Well, it's a job and in some ways, more normative than you might think. Like I get emails and I drink coffee and I sometimes hate my boss, which is me. That said, it's a job that goes down late at night, in bars, and comics get drink tickets not health insurance. I suppose it's much easier for me to relate to other folks in the arts, as opposed to a traditional nine-to-five. Different hours, different retirement package, etc.
WCT: A lot of famous comedic performers hail from Chicago. What is it about the city that sets its performers apart from individuals in other cities?
Cameron Esposito: Chicagoans work hard, across the board. It's a "put your head down and plow through the blizzard" type of city. I think that's part of it.
WCT: You are an out and open lesbian, both in your performance and in your personal life. How receptive have people been about your sexual orientation?
Cameron Esposito: I'm not sure how to answer that. I don't let it be an issue that's up for debate. It's just who I am, part of the premise, not the punch-line. Have I ever felt uncomfortable onstage or off because I'm gay? Yes, absolutely. I've also been gifted with a viewpoint that is mostly outside the stand-up norm, and that has really helped me. In stand-up, you want to be a bit different. [It] makes you memorable.
WCT: What kind of criticism have you received as a performer who is a part of the LGBT community?
Cameron Esposito: The toughest part of being a gay performer isn't criticism, it's connecting with a mostly straight audience and audiences are often mostly straight, because the world is mostly straight. I mean, we are all human beings, and I believe, more similar than different. But straight culture is all around. Sometimes I'm the first lady an audience member has heard talk about dating ladies—even in 2012 this is true. So there might be a moment of education that needs to take place.
WCT: What criticisms have you faced as a female performer?
Cameron Esposito: Really similar answer as the previous question. "Criticism" isn't the right word. Folks recognize funny. I've definitely, like any comic, faced criticism about my act or my joke telling style; never for being a lady. It's more subtle than that. The generally accepted viewpoint in stand-up is male; being a gal sets me outside that perspective.
WCT: What was it like for you growing up?
Cameron Esposito: I had to wear an eye patch for eight years of my childhood because I had crossed eyes. It was kind of like that.
WCT: What was your coming-out experience like?
Cameron Esposito: Tough. I was raised super-Catholic and there was a whole thing with that. But that was also 10 years ago. All is well at this point.
WCT: What do you have planned for your upcoming position as MC at Zanies?
Cameron Esposito: I'm excited to work at the same place every night for a month; that doesn't usually happen for a stand-up. I am planning on investing in a travel mug & tweed blazer with elbow patches for the occasion. And Zanies draws great, packed crowds. A month in front of Zanies crowds is like a Rocky training montage.
WCT: What do you hope to accomplish in your career as a stand-up performer?
Cameron Esposito: Oh you know: inordinate wealth, fame, E! True Hollywood Story, personal masseuse that lives in the pool house—that or happiness. If it just remains challenging, fulfilling work, I'll be very happy with that.
Cameron Esposito is that house emcee at Zanies Chicago, 1548 N. Wells St., through Sunday, July 29. See TheRealCameronEsposito.com or www.chicago.zanies.com .
