Two Veterans Of Columbia's Comedy Scene Strike Out On Their Own

Upper West Side NY

25 October, 2021

1:04 PM

Description

Columbia Daily Spectator BY BELLA PECHATY OCTOBER 24, 2021 Even for seasoned comedians, stand-up remains one of the industry's most difficult acts to master. New York City comedy club stages fill up nightly with those ready to prove themselves. With continuing pandemic restrictions on performance opportunities on campus, Columbia comedians are adding to those numbers in the city. The walls of the Upper West Side venue Stand Up NYC are lined with photos of their most notable performers from the likes of Chris Rock to Amy Schumer. On Oct. 21, Naomi Rubin, BC '23, and Jacob Kaplan, CC '20 joined those ranks during "Gaslight Gatekeep Ghoulboss," a Halloween-themed comedy lineup produced by Sophie Visscher-Lubinizki, BC/JTS '21. They performed for a packed room of supportive Columbia students and city locals. These names might sound familiar to those acquainted with Columbia's improv scene, in which Rubin still participates in and Kaplan was an active member of prior to graduating. Both have performed with Third Wheel Improv, with Kaplan writing for and Rubin performing for Varsity Show, and Rubin performing for Chowdah sketch comedy. Coming from these more collaborative forms of comedy, Rubin and Kaplan found stand-up a challenging prospect —but one more appealing than continuing to perform in other pandemic-influenced formats. The pandemic led to the collapse of major players in New York City's improv world, such as the Upright Citizen's Brigade, which served as a long-term career goal for many comedians before it closed its New York locations in April 2020 due to budget constraints. COVID-19 encouraged many comedians to try out stand-up and improv on Zoom; Kaplan tried both but described the experience as "not fun for anyone involved." Several venues offered online shows and classes to keep the industry alive, but most did not lend well to the online format. However, Rubin noted that the greatest thing that the pandemic did for her comedy career was give her more free time. "[Upright Citizens Brigade] for me had always been my endpoint. I wanted to do their mainstage show," Rubin said. "Once that became less of a possibility, I just started to reframe the way I see my comedy." She spent a lot of her newfound time experimenting with musical comedy and how she could begin to perform solo. Rubin was the first to take the stage at Stand Up NYC, cracking jokes as she adjusted the microphone in front of a keyboard, a key element in her act. Rubin's set involved two comedy songs, both based around personal experiences of roommates and bad dates. "When I'm onstage, it's like the piano feels like another person, like I'm not entirely alone," Rubin said. "It doesn't feel as vulnerable to be able to lean on the music and the piano." Coming from a musical family with over 16 years of piano experience, Rubin cites influences like Conan O'Brien and Danish-American pianist and comedian Victor Borge. At a young age, she used jokes to lighten the mood during prevalent moments of illness in her family. There is a level of personal authenticity in her songs, combined with anecdotes and musical timing, evoking direct comparisons to Bo Burnham, another one of Rubin's comedic influences known for his witty piano shorts. "I think from a very young age I adopted the idea that laughter is a medicine and a curative power," Rubin said. "which is a belief that I have that has only grown since COVID." Days before the performance, Rubin admitted that she had not solidified her set, which was remedied with enough alone time with her piano. She described her writing process as mainly solitary, always starting with eating exactly one square of dark chocolate, followed by enough playing and riffing until something good comes out. Rubin says that she will "turn off the analytical side of [her] brain," something that doesn't always come naturally, but when it does, "it's like hitting a gold mine sometimes, and then it gushes out, and then I have to keep up with it. … It feels like a supernatural thing." The inkling of an idea to write about a roommate's unwelcome pet blossomed into a full song by Thursday's performance where personal anecdotes hit home with audiences. Following Stand Up NYC, Rubin is open to branching out thematically. "I want to make sure that I am not a one note, no pun intended, comedian," she said. Kaplan, a former lyricist for the Varsity Show, also incorporates music into his act. Sporting a guitar with a strap flaunting the Chicago flag, during his set, he played a song on costume regrets from past Halloweens. Now a writer's assistant at Saturday Night Live, Kaplan has found a home in Internet comedy, embracing the increasingly popular short-form comedy formats of Twitter and TikTok. With over 41,000 followers and millions of likes on TikTok, Kaplan found a niche in writing and performing quick observational humor about anything from high school parties to theater kid culture. As early as his first year of college, Kaplan began performing at open mics around the city, but said that some of the best comedy shows he saw in college were in Columbia's East Campus dorms. After graduating and working during the pandemic, watching opportunities for improv and performing live dwindle, he considers stand-up to be the natural next step for students interested in live performances. On Thursday night, Kaplan combined the many styles and formats he acquired into a 10-minute set. Self-described as a "child of divorce," the comedian knew the benefit of taking shots at oneself, delivering observational jokes, as well as some about his family and personal style. Kaplan's observations about the benefits of starting comedy at Columbia were correct: At "Gaslight Gatekeep Ghoulboss," Rubin and Kaplan performed alongside other professional comics but were never at a loss for laughs, proving once again that comedy is a meritocracy. Both comedians acknowledge that getting into stand-up is daunting, but no one would be doing it if they didn't take an initial leap of faith. "Unless you're the virtuoso prodigy at stand-up, it l starts out rough," Kaplan said, advising those interested to embrace the challenges of stand-up if they really enjoy doing it. "Don't wait to throw yourself into a talented, fully-formed writer. Just put your stuff out, do it, because people like youth in the industry." Staff writer Bella Pechaty can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow Spectator on Twitter @ColumbiaSpec. 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