Hailing from Cincinnati and a graduate of Northern Kentucky University, Kelly Collette is a standup comedian, writer and a heck of an artist, as evidenced by the artwork she posts on her website. But she’s got as much talent onstage, and we got a chance to chat with her for Take 5 ahead of her performances at Comedy Plex this Friday and Saturday.
How did you get into comedy in the first place?
Actually, I did the responsible thing. I got a degree and then a week after, I got into comedy.
I spent four years working toward a piece of paper I never wanted in the first place. I was a fan of Gilda Radner growing up … “That’s what I want to do. I want to be on stage making people laugh.”
You have a busy travel schedule. Does that get hard, from the standpoint of being tired and yet you have to be funny?
I think the hardest time to be funny is when you’ve been sitting in traffic for a long time. I like going to a city and going to the coffee shops and walking all over town. I let them know, I’m here, I’m present. I’m actually in your town and I’m going to talk about it. I’m here, I’m not a hologram.
You’ve been on Sirius XM and NPR. Is there are lot of pressure to perform in those scenarios?
To be honest, NPR was basically an interview and that was about how my content had been stolen off Twitter. This woman ran an article in The Atlantic about people who steal jokes and make memes. Their accounts have a million followers. They are getting credit for something I said.
How crucial is social media to what you do?
Unfortunately, it’s the way people are getting booked now. You don’t have to be a working standup comedian. You just have to have a following. Social media is like lottery ticket. You have to be able to back it up. I’m in the Midwest, so social media is very important.
What advice would you give to someone who would like to jump into comedy, but may be hesitant?
I think one of the things that surprises people is that no one is ever going to give you permission to try. You have to want it. I think people are searching for the right time and right environment, but you’re the one who has to find it.
If you want to get to know Kelly a little better, check out her socials, including Instagram, where she has over 30,000 followers, and YouTube, where you can get a taste of her onstage talent.
Take 5: KELLY COLLETTE