Nathan lives right around the corner and I thought it would be super easy to zip by before his show too much Fun! at Deer Pile. And you performed last night too, Mara? Mara: Yeah. She needed big guns I guess. Last night was one of those moments where I fell in love with comedy again. Because we all get in our heads about things and now I’m in a good spot where I’m shaking that schluff off of me. It’s just insecurity—thinking you’re not funny. Sometimes I get these writer’s blocks where I write these jokes and I think they’re funny but they’re not hitting. It’s like, what am I saying wrong? Am I good enough? But I think we’re all at a point in this community where we’re not competitive in a way where we wish ill against each other. We just have to keep creating to get better and to make a name for ourselves. So there is a pressure, and I think I lost a little sight of why I’m doing all this. It’s been fun getting back to having fun while doing stand-up again, and that’s why I love your show Kristin. Kristin: I was talking to somebody last night about you and I said I think you figured it out to where you were relaxing and letting go. You just felt a lot of pressure and expectation before. I love watching you, though. Pure Mara is the best. Mara: Thank you. When I first started doing comedy, I was doing anything that popped into my head all the time. Now I feel like I’m getting back to that. There’s a weird in-between where you have to start developing your hot-five and a set list and everything else. Kristin: I think it’s overrated to focus on material that works under those constraints because at the end of the day are we not doing this to have fun? People want to watch you up there having the time of your life. That’s what I’ve been trying to do. My set lists aren’t even set lists right now. I literally go up there with the seven thoughts I’ve thought of today. I’ve only seen you two perform in your element. What was your block from Mara? Mara: I had my kidney transplant last March. Before that, two years ago, I was on disability and hemodialysis. This last year has been such a rebuilding one for me. Kristin: You were sick as a dog. Mara: I have Lupus which caused adrenal failure. I have a lot of energy all the time, but when I got sick that spark kind of dimmed. I was still trying hard to go out, but it wasn’t the same. It’s a hard schedule to keep and I was working a full time job at the time too. I felt out of touch with myself. I didn’t have any expectations before and then life just came to me so quickly. It was like, what do you want to do? Who do you want to be? What is this all for? Do you love yourself? Do you love the people around you? You may die. This last year was all about getting comfortable with my body again and learning my limits. I feel like I’m just getting back to the Mara of four years ago. The free me. You’re getting back to your roots and why you’re doing comedy in the first place. Kristin: I think about what comedy really is all the time. Sometimes I sit back at shows and I realize I’m 30 years old, with all of my best friends and we’re really putting on shows for each other. I used to put on shows as a kid in the basement ISSUE 6
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