Page 14 - Lamplight Magazine (1)

A LIFE IN

STAND-UP

WITH

KARI J OHNSON

By L isa Coh en

T here w as a time w hen K ari John son w as a
( mi ser able) medi cal stude n t, endle ssly
por ing ove r or ganic che mistr y t e xtbooks.

Wa t ching her per for m, i t i s difficult t o
imagi ne s he ever c onsidered a care e r
outsi de the arts; her c on fi de nc e as a
c omedian c omes na tur ally, blending witty,
offbe a t anec do t e s w ith blun t c om men tary on
anything f rom e xc es sive p oli tical
c or rectness, t o three some s, t o being
mixed-r ac e . It w as through hap p enstanc e
tha t she w ound up on stag e, be ing thr ust
in t o the sp o tligh t and quick ly fi ndi ng her
unique c om edic voic e. Neve rtheless , t o
reduc e K ari’s suc c e ss t o serendip i ty is t o
ignore the c onstan t gri nd of a life sp e n t in
pur suit of artistic a c claim. I c augh t up with
her dur ing a r are brea the r be tw een daily
w riting se ssions, freq uen t four t een-hour
w or k shifts, and planning her immine n t
c aree r move t o Chic ag o (where many of the
gre a ts, i ncluding T in a Fey and St eve Carell,
have launche d the mselves in t o c omedy
stardom).

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