by Spencer Meade. @comeadey (Twitter), @spennyislennie (Instagram).
NEW YORK, NY - Good news! Don Shephard, a New York actor whose last role was as Rolf in a community theater production The Sound of Music three years ago, announced this afternoon that he’s made the exciting and completely necessary decision to spend the next few weeks trying stand-up comedy, the actor confirmed.
“Stand-up is something I’ve always wanted to try ever since I saw how easy it was on Mrs. Maisel,” said the rising comedy star while barking for stage time in Times Square. “I live on stage so I’ll probably make it even faster than her. Plus, I have a really unique perspective, because I have wealthy parents.”
Jenna Love, our hero’s roommate and mother who gave him an inflated sense of self, is optimistic about her son’s new venture.
“We all knew, from his first open mic, that he was doing something special,” noted Miss Love. “He spent the first two minutes complaining about airline food and the rest rehashing SNL skits from the 90s. He also ran the light by 14 minutes. I’ve never been more proud.”
Comedy club owner Vinnie DeFeo shared her praise for the young George Carlin.
“This kid comes up to me before a mic, offers to do 30 minutes, and asks how much I’ll pay. It’s powerful stuff,” noted DeFeo. “Later that night, he pissed his pants while he was bombing at crowd work for three minutes. I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are very excited to have this young actor, who always leaves after his set, make the smooth, beloved transition into stand-up.”
At press time, Shephard isn’t letting the positive response stall his work ethic. He has lots of material about how he can’t get a date that he wants to flesh out, but he’s most excited for his first heckler, and has several “Yo Momma” jokes from his favorite joke book at the ready. Though he’s well on his way to becoming a virtuoso, Shephard mentioned that if stand-up doesn’t work out, his backup option is enrolling in improv classes and email blasting everyone on his contact list so they can watch him bomb at the class show.