Ward was interviewed in February 2008 for the Quad Cities (Iowa and Illinois) newspaper.
Ward Anderson, a former Atlanta native now living in Toronto, had a lot to talk about, including his "high-energy tour-de-force of offbeat comedy that hits you from the first minute and doesn't let up until the very last line of the night!"
Q: How did you get involved in stand-up comedy?
A: I spent years as a restaurant manager, and was also a wine consultant just before hitting the road to do stand-up comedy full-time. When I first started working the road, doing stand-up, I had an acting job in the "Medieval Times" Dinner Theatre/Jousting show in New Jersey, just outside New York City, where I was living at the time. I was an actor in the show, and rode around on horseback, introducing all of the jousting knights to the audience while speaking with my version of what some people call a British accent. I did that show for two weeks a month, and then traveled the country doing stand-up comedy the other two weeks. That went on for a couple of years, until I moved to Washington, D.C., for a while, doing nothing but stand-up comedy and writing.
Q: Was there a specific moment that made you decide to do stand-up comedy?
A: Well, when I was six years old, I was telling jokes to my aunt and mother. One of them said to me, "You should be a comedian when you grow up." I had no idea what a comedian was, so I asked. When they told me that it was someone who told jokes for a living, I thought, "That has GOT to be the job for me!"
Q: Having decided what to do with your life, how does the writing process come about?
A: Surprisingly, I don't spend a lot of time "writing" my stand-up routine. Much of it just comes from everyday experience and conversations with friends. Often what you see in my act is some ridiculous thing that actually happened to me or someone I know. Sometimes it is just a tirade I get on because of something stupid that has caught my attention in pop culture. I also have to admit that there's a lot of my act that was originally improvised onstage and then eventually written into the act. It's not unusual for me to write from the stage. If I'm in a groove, I just like to go with it and see where it takes me.
Q: Any bad experiences doing stand-up?
A: This interview. Cue the rim shot. Seriously, though, I did a show once in Florida, at a hotel bar that doubled as a comedy club on weekends. When the other comedian and I showed up mid-day, checking out the club, we were told by the staff that they thought the show was canceled and had been telling people all day that there was no show that night. Tons of people had been calling, only to be told there was no show. Apparently, the guy in charge of promoting the show had not received any press materials from the agency we were working for that weekend, and figured there simply was no show that week. There wasn't even an ad inside the hotel bar itself.
So, when 8 p.m. finally rolls around, there are six people in the audience. Rather than cancel the show, the hotel demanded we perform for the six people, or we forfeit our pay. Not wanting to do this, we performed for the six people. The biggest laugh I got that night was getting five of the audience members to hide when the sixth member went to the restroom. Ridiculous. But that wasn't the worst part of the show. Halfway through my set, an old Asian woman walked into the showroom, carrying two huge sets of wind chimes in her hands. Amidst the noise of the clanging wind chimes, she screams out, "FOR SALE! YOU BUY? CHEAP FOR YOU! WIND CHIME!" I just stood in stunned silence. It really felt like a hidden-camera show or something absurd like that.
Q: Is there anything you look forward to doing while in the Quad-Cities?
A: The Quad-Cities are rich with rare, obscure American History. I can't help but be thrilled to visit there for the first time. Abraham Lincoln had one of his biggest cases as a trial lawyer in Rock Island. Without that notoriety, there's no telling how our own national history might've been affected. Also, I'd like to take a walk across the Davenport Sky Bridge. And, of course, what's not to love about the Old Man River?
Q: Do you have anything you would like to promote?
A: I have a book out called "The Ultimate Bachelor's Guide," a humorous look at single men everywhere. It's available online at amazon.com, borders.com. bn.com, and wherever books are sold. If your bookstore doesn't have a copy on hand, they'll order it for you. Also, my Web site www.wardanderson.net features regular blog entries by me, some random stories from my tours, and well as info on upcoming projects.
BIOBOX
Who: Ward Anderson
When: through Saturday
Where: Penguins Comedy Club, the Freight House, Davenport
Tickets: $12, $14
More info: (563) 324-5233
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