It also helps that my friend didn’t bomb. He had a very nice set. I could tell he practiced in private beforehand—maybe in front of a mirror, maybe not. Rehearsed, edited, re-rehearsed and re-edited the wording until the phrasing was tight and crisp. The knowledge that he began doing mics only a few weeks ago made his belly-laugh inducing 4 minutes on stage all the more impressive.
Even today, 13 hours later, I am still running a residual high from watching him shake the host’s hand, take the mic in his own, and stay on stage for the entirety of his allotted time in spite of the fear one must battle when the host asks the audience to, “put your hands together for the very funny next comedian!” It’s the fear that you won’t be “the very funny next comedian” you’ll just be the next comedian. But, last night, my friend beat the fear. And, for that, I am exceedingly proud of him.
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Jorie Stein |
But last night wasn’t one of those nights—last night he made them laugh—he made me laugh. He was beaming after his set. I saw a side of him I hadn’t seen before. I liked him more because he liked himself more. He was finally doing what he had thought about for years but shared with few—a comedic coming out. It was beautiful.

I wanted to insure that the best part of his new comic naivety might stay intact— the excitement, the awe for the seasoned comics that came before him—that he might not become jaded—that he would continue to laugh. I wanted to give him everything I could so that he would never stop.
And, so, I said none of those things... I let him enjoy the moment. He deserved it.
Contributing Writer - Jorie H. Stein, Ph.D.
Stein is a writer, recovering comic, former Assistant Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology and a huge supporter of the Chicago Comedy Scene.