Noam was born and raised in Israel and has somehow consistently found herself on a stage. She has always been involved with theatre in high school but stopped performing shorty after graduating. Noam started improv classes with sick puppies comedy in 2013 because it was cheaper than therapy. Improv has reawakened Noam’s performance bug ever since she’s also gotten involved in standup. You can follow her on both Twitter and Instagram @NoamAlaska

1) What motivated you to start doing stand-up comedy?

I was doing Improv regularly. I was going to star in Guffpunch and in order for me to be in the movie I needed to do stand-up so I ended up doing it as a New Years resolution.

2) If you could have any superpower what would it be and why?

Teleport and take people with me so I can travel for free.

3) What type of comedians do you enjoy watching (locally and nationally)?

Locally: Obviously Joe Dewayne; I saw him perform at the Buddah and I thought he was funny. His attitude was self-deprecating and it worked. I like Awni Issa; when watching him it almost feels that what is naturally part of him. He just has it in his blood. Leah Jay; I’ve known her since we were twelve; her jokes are all part of her personality. I love how filthy she is. Nationally; I love Robin Williams because his brain works a different way than a normal human. It’s ten times faster. He can go off on a tangent then come back full circle to talk about the thing that he was previously talking about without skipping a beat.

4) What types of foods do you enjoy eating when you have time to cook?

I make a killer hummus. I also love Greek food such as lamb burgers.

5) What do you love most about stand-up comedy?

I love that it’s very liberating. You just go on there; say things that you think are funny to you; you find out that things are funny to other people also. A lot of comedians are kind of weird, because it’s our chance to have a voice and form a community.

6) Who is the person that you would want to hang out with  (Alive or dead) and where would you take him?

Robin Williams; to Tenth Level Tavern so that we could drink beer and he could do comedy for us.

7) What don’t you love about stand-up comedy?

I hate that if you bomb you want to kill yourself. If you bomb it’s so painful. There is nothing fun about bombing. It’s not only that you didn’t do well in something that you love but you did it in front of people.

8) Does Improv have any benefit with stand-up comedy?

Absolutely especially with riffing or crowd work. It helps you to connect with people and think on your feet.

9) What is your advice to New Comics?

Bombing, bad rooms; it’s all a part of the journey.  There’s ups and down to comedy just like anything. You have to keep on doing it.

10) Why should people check out the open mic at Tenth Level Tavern?

Because it’s really fun, it’s very open, a little bit of a difficult room with noise level, audience response. It’s always a fun room there’s always people there to help each other.

Matt is originally from Chicago. He was the host of the Funky Buddha for the last 4 years, he also hosted weekend shows at the Improv and he’s known as one of the best writers in the South Florida Comedy Scene.

1) What motivated you to start doing stand-up comedy?

I never thought that I wanted to do stand-up comedy. I went to the Funky Buddha all arts a couple of times. A friend of mine encouraged me to go so I said “F*ck it” so I wrote a couple of minutes. It went bad, but I started going it and decided to stick with it.

2) What makes you so awesome?

My boyish charm.

3) Who are your favorite comedians to watch (locally and nationally)?

Locally: Mike Atcherson; he’s always coming up with new material and the kid doesn’t really miss often. Usually when he writes a joke it’s a hit. It’s great to see how comfortable he’s starting to get on stage. Tim Hanlon; he’s one of the best joke writers I have ever seen and he’s really funny in his delivery. You can see him do a joke and it’s fun to see how that joke grows and change. Franco; no one loves stand-up comedy more than him. He calls me at 3AM to improve his jokes. He’s always got something in his mind with stand-up comedy. Tom Segura; not only is he a great joke writer, but I can relate to the things that he talks about. He’s self-deprecating and willing to laugh at himself.

4) What types of foods do you enjoy eating when you have time to cook?

Whatever leftovers my brother has in the fridge.

5) What do you love most about stand-up comedy?

Before stand-up comedy I would go to a grocery store and be passive. With stand-up comedy I am always looking to see where the joke is.

6) Who is the person that you would want to hang out with (Alive or dead) and where would you take them?

Mike Ditka; he’s just a man. I would just want to have a beer and cigarette some random hole in the wall bar and talk to him about football.

7) How do you write a joke?

I don’t usually write it down as it comes out robotic for me. I want to keep it conversational. It has to be a true experience. A lot of my jokes are stories that really happened. You find the best way of telling a story with embellishing. I write a note in my phone and I will talk it out loud, rant over the original idea for 2-3 minutes and I will pick the key points to see if this is funny and then I will perform it, record every set and listen back to it to notice the finite things that will work or not work about the joke. The audience is always honest. Why did it work; why didn’t it work. It helps me learn a lot about myself and the theme.

8) What is your advice to being an amazing host?

Hosting is a different skill set than being a comedian. The show isn’t about you. When you are hosting you are doing a job. Make sure it goes on time. Make sure they are listening. You have to let them know the rules. It’s your job to bridge the gap between the audience and the performers. It’s not about you; when you are the host you are the liaison between the audience and the show. Be upbeat, positive and always smile. You have to be likable. When you are the host you have to be the person that someone wants to get a beer with. Always put the show first. When I am hosting the night isn’t about me; it’s about the show. I will always put the show above the audience.

9) Why should people check you out at the Improv?

Because it’s one of the best places to see comedy. There is always good shows. You will see some insanely hilarious headliner.

10) Why are you moving to NYC?

To get funnier; It’s good to go to a big market such as NYC to see how you stack up.. I heard that it’s the boot camp of stand-up comedy. LA is great for movies and as far as stand-up comedy goes I heard the NYC is the Mecca. It’s a city where you can hit 50 mics a week. If you can grind and work your way up through NY you can do anything in comedy.

Brian Coronado aka the “Man in Black” is a South Florida native who’s been writing and performing since he was seven years old. The former collegiate athlete and DJ is one of the founding members of “Degenerate Comedy” and best known for his energetic and subversive style. He is the resident host of the Kreepy Tiki, Kelly Brothers and Inkwell Pub. Guest hosting Coconuts, Catskills, Marina 84, Stache Fort Lauderdale and the Funky Buddha. Comedy has taken him from the depths of South Florida to Immokalee, Daytona, St Pete, Tampa, Orlando, Pensacola, Jacksonville, Covington, Mandeville, Lafayette, New Orleans, Atlanta Amsterdam with far more to come.

1) What motivated you to start doing stand-up comedy?

I’ve always loved and respected comedians but the day I started really pursuing itwas after watching the A&E special “The Tragic Side of Comedy” Pretty morbid but I have an opinion, I have a different outlook, so I kept thinking,why can’t I do this?

2) If you could hang out with anyone alive or dead? Who would it be and why?

It’s a tie…. Bill Hicks – Just so I could update him on America, politics, comedy, technology, etc. Andrew Jackson – Because I know he’d challenge Donald Trump to a duel and kill him

3) Who are your favorite comedians to watch (locally and nationally)?

Obviously our Degenerate crew – Matt Bellak – John Hyne Bill Burr / Moshe Kasher / Natasha Leggero nationally I really like anyone that has an unique opinion or point of view and isn’t afraid to show it. Have something to say, stick by it, and stop going for the cheap laughs

4) What’s up with your “Man in Black” persona?

I wore black ever since I was in the 5^th grade. It’s the only color that made sense to me. That was before I went goth.

5) What is the most important thing that you still have that should be thrown away?

Hockey jerseys from high school and college. I keep them for the memories.

6) How do you handle hecklers?

I just show no fear and show them this is my show/my time and be more quicker than they are since audience members tend to be more drunk anyways.

7) What is your advice to new comics?

You aren’t going to be good at this for a while and you aren’t going to get paid doing this right away. So if that’s your motivation then you should quit right now and start a podcast. If not, write as much as you can, get up at least half the month, and keep pushing until you find your voice.

8) What don’t you love about stand-up comedy?

The paparazzi. I hate those guys….

9) What is it about you that makes you awesome?

My cat.

10) Why should people check out your open mic at the Dive Bar in Ftl the first Tuesday of every month?

Cheap drinks, good room and it can get pretty colorful. The first show of every month is a themed booked show and this month’s is called the “Get off my lawn” show with older comics.

Jon Levine is a standup comedian, emcee, actor, and podcaster from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Jon has performed in a multitude of standup shows across the country as the host, guest, and featured comedian, as well as numerous corporate and private events. Jon has been the emcee at Belushi’s Comedy Club in Fort Meyers, the Comedy Zone Sunny Isles Beach, and the Improv in West Palm Beach. Additionally, Jon is the co-host of the Coming Up Short weekly podcast and Tuesday morning guest on the Wake Up Late with Dougie radio show.

Jon’s comedy is smart, clever and timely. He covers subjects from current events, to dating, technology, society and more.

Personally, Jon is 42, single, and live in Fort Lauderdale with his dog Nickel and cat Mr. Cheese. He’s been a grocery bagger, a movie usher, a waiter, a bartender, a producer, a reporter, a sportscaster, an internet entrepreneur, a director of marketing, and now, a comedian and actor.

1) What motivated you to start doing stand-up comedy?

It has always been there. I had always been a performer whether in front of the camera when I worked tv news and even younger when I did commercials as a kid. I always felt that being a standup comedian was a different skill than just being funny in front of your friends. When I heard there was a class at the Improv I thought I’d take to see if it was different or if I could be as funny on stage.

2) If you could hang out with anyone alive or dead? Who would it be and why?

Thomas Edison, Ben Franklin or Albert Einstein; someone that is very scientifically minded.  I would take them somewhere they can marvel in the technology that has come along since they died. Things that we take for granted that they would be amazed at. I think a place like a modern airport would show off many of those technologies. From the jets to the wireless internet to the full color touch screens and more. I think 30 minutes in an airport would blow their minds.

3) Who are your favorite comedians to watch (locally and nationally)?

Locally: Matt Bellak; he’s a brilliant joke writer and is able to create a joke from a story and communicate it to the audience so that everyone can relate to it without making it long and drawn out. Perry Sak; he’s very dynamic and there is a lot of energy that comes off the stage when he’s on plus he is fun to watch. Bill Burr; he’s brilliant and his stories have a lot of jokes in it and Bert Kriesher is hilarious and John Mulaney.

4) How did you pull off getting into the World Series of Comedy and what did you learn from it?

I sent in the tape last year and I didn’t get selected. I tried again this year and got selected for it. I learned that there was too much ‘intro’ in my first tape and it was too long before I told my first joke. I cut that down in the most recent tape I sent that resulted in me getting selected. I also was sure to put my very best performance in the second tape that was well shot, with great video and audio.  As far as what I learned: you really need to take into account where you are performing when deciding on what jokes to do. I didn’t take that into account at all and I put together a set of what I thought were my best jokes. I realized a few minutes into the performance that those jokes weren’t necessarily were the ones that would work  there. I should’ve taken into better account where I was telling the jokes before I selected what jokes to tell.

5) What types of foods do you enjoy eating when you have time to cook?

I’ll eat a lot of fish especially since there is an abundance of it since we live in South Florida. I enjoy eating healthy, even though I don’t do it all the time, and I am a big vegetable eater.

6) You do commercials and acting; what is your motivation?

My goal is to make a living by performing. I found that the acting and standup go hand-in-hand. When you look at the amount of money that you can make doing standup comedy (which is barely above zero) I felt I had to do other things to supplement. I feel that acting could help me further my goal of being a performer for a living and so far it’s definitely helped.

7) What is your advice to new comics?

Get up on stage as much as you can. Don’t worry about all the nuances and trying to be perfect. Write what you think is funny and get up and perform it. The more you do it the more you will learn what do. Make sure to record everything whether audio or video, listen to it and learn from it.

8) What don’t you love about stand-up comedy?

It’s not as much of a meritocracy as I thought it would be. I always thought it would solely be about talent and that alone would determine if you advanced. Unfortunately, like many other things, it’s not just about talent. Relationships, who you know, how long you’ve been doing it come into play a lot more than I thought they would.

9) What do you love about stand-up comedy?

I love being on stage and entertaining people and I love the feeling of accomplishment when you are able to make people laugh from a joke that you wrote. I also love the social aspect of the comedy scene and that I met a lot of new friends since becoming a comedian. I enjoy being around a lot of other people that are fun to be with.

10) Why should people listen to the “Coming Up Short Podcast”?

It’s good insight into the South Florida comedy scene and I think it’s entertaining from the standpoint of getting to know a different comic each week. You get to learn who they are, why they got into comedy and what do they want out of it.

Jacky B is a Fort Lauderdale-based stand-up comedian who recently moved to NYC. Jacky discusses her life experiences including her crazy family, experience in sex and dating, and overall questionable morals. With her sweet looks and sarcastic style, she easily captivates audiences of all walks of life and shows that she can hold her own in a male dominated industry. She has opened for Myq Kaplan, Forrest Shaw, Matt Fulchiron, performed at the Fort Lauderdale Improv, West Palm Beach Improv, The Filmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater, Creek and the Cave, Comedy Central’s South Beach Comedy Festival and the 2015 Floridas Funniest Competition. Jacky is also known for running two very popular shows in South Florida at Gigi’s Music Cafe in Sunrise and American Rock Bar in Deerfield Beach. You’ll be sure to be laughing while Jacky’s…Just Kidding!

1) What motivated you to start doing stand-up comedy?

I always wanted to do standup. I had my own radio show and I like having my voice be heard.

2) If you could hang out with anyone alive or dead? Who would it be and why?

It would be Martin Luther King Jr., because I feel like he made a difference in the world. I would like to talk to him and learn how he made a difference.

3) Who are your favorite comedians to watch (locally and nationally)?

Local: Mike Atcherson; his creativity, he’s a good joke writer and the I like the type of jokes that he comes up with. Trey Maddox; he’s really funny and Jesse Thompson; I like the character that he has and he is very creative. National comics that I enjoy watching are Tig Notaro, because of her ability to turn pain into hilarity and Tom Segura as I find him to be relatable.

4) Why did you decide to move to NYC?

I always wanted to move here & for comedy.

5) Who would you want to play you in a movie?

Jillian Jacobs from Love, because she messed up a lot & she’s ok with it. Kind of like me.

6) How do you feel about women in comedy?

It’s great. Not enough of us. They put boundaries between sexes. There is a lot of camaraderie & support in the NYC scene. I also believe instead of having just women shows that all sexes should be able to perform together.

7) What is your advice to new comics?

Get on stage, write as much as possible, listen to your peers, don’t be cocky and either go all out or don’t commit at all.

8) What don’t you like about stand-up comedy?

The politics and cliquishness. Everyone is equal and deserves a fair shot. The ego; unless you are a comedian that’s fully making a living you shouldn’t judge other comics. No one is better or worse.

9) What is it about you that makes you awesome?

I messed up everything that I touched in life and I still survived and another thing that makes me really awesome is that outside of comedy I like cats and dogs.

10) Why should people check you out at a show at Gigi’s?

Awesome place, food is great, family owned & supportive community atmosphere where you can enjoy free comedy.

Manny Garavito is a self-made comedian in Miami. Most bookers look the other way before ever deciding to book him, but always look his way to get the best ideas. Has lived off comedy for over three years in a city where comedy isn’t as popular in comparison. Manny started Brickwall Sessions Comedy to practice balancing creativity and business and three years later manifested Miami Comedy; a central hub where comedy is accessible to both the audience and comedians with the process of affiliate marketing. One of the most influential comedians in the city. But no one will tell you that, so you heard it here first.

1) What motivated you to start doing stand-up comedy?

I always enjoyed watching stand-up comedy when I was young. I first started thinking of doing it when I was watching Bill Hicks. I liked him a lot and I started getting into NY comedy through cringehumor they were the people that ran “The Stand Comedy Club” and produced comedy shows all over New York.

2) If you could have any superpower what would it be and why?

To disrobe people by looking at them, because nobody would want to fight you when they are butt naked.

3) What type of comedians do you enjoy watching (locally and nationally)?

Local: John Vargas, he’s standup comedy. He goes up and has it all figured out. He’s consistent. Phatchopz, he just doesn’t care and is great at roasting. Fasil, because he’s super awkward and I enjoy seeing how he handles it on stage. Bill Burr, Eddie Murphy, Sebastian Maniscalco, Kirk Fox, Rich Hall and Todd Rexx.

4) What types of food do you enjoy eating when you have time to cook?

Eating a lot of greens. Mostly spinach, kale and I had really been getting into eating Indian food.

5) What do you love most about stand-up comedy?

As a comedian you are able to transfer ideas and put ideas out there by using the freedom of speech and you get immediate feedback with a laugh for all of your hard work. It’s an incredible art form that is super under rated.

6) Who is the person that you would want to hang out with and where would you take them?

Groucho Marx; he’s a genuinely funny guy. He looks like he knows how to carry a good conversation. He looks like he could attract women that are a lot younger than him. I would go out drinking with him at a fancy wine bar.

7) What don’t you love about stand-up comedy?

The industry where people go up on stage to feed their ego to get laughter rather than give laughter. People go up on stage to see their ego go up just to win.

8) What is your advice to new comics?

Have an undying passion for it, because you are going to be very disappointed if it’s other than that. If you have a goal of being famous than don’t do stand-up comedy. If you have a goal of pursuing the passion for it and enjoy it then you have a chance to be famous.

9) How would you compare doing stand-up comedy in NYC to Miami?

In New York there is more places to go and and more of an opportunity to meet people that can give you opportunities. Although, It’s so saturated, because there are so many comedians. In Miami there are less opportunities to meet people that give you opportunities so you figure it out on your own. The stage time ratio has been on the rise lately too.

10) Why should people check out Miamicomedy.com?

This website will help the scene, because it’s a directory on where people can find shows on their time. Its also a place for comedians to network and find the producers of comedy shows if they decide to put up the info on there.

Since 2011, John Hyne has been making people laugh all over the country. He’s performed with national headliners like Myq Kaplan, Eric Myers, Eddie Brill and Bobby Slayton. John’s unique bland of silliness and light hearted cynicism will leave you laughing and looking at the world in a different way.

1) What motivated you to start doing stand-up comedy?

I always liked stand-up and I had been doing karaoke and other types of performance so I decided to try stand-up and see if I was good at that.

2) If you could have any superpower what would it be and why?

Mind reading; being able to read people’s minds. It would be great to see what other people are thinking and it make it easier to make decisions.

3) What type of comedians do you enjoy watching (locally and nationally)?

Local: Nico Prada- The way he thinks, Brian Coronado- How he can handle any type of audience, Rachel Blavatnik- She’s silly and his all time favorite is Leon Arp- He does it because he’s truly passionate about it. Nationally- Jim Gaffigan, Hannibal Burress and John Mulaney.

4) What types of food do you enjoy eating when you have time to cook?

Seafood, crab and salmon. All types of seafood.

5) What do you love most about stand-up comedy?

You get instant feedback on what you create. You will know right away if people like it or don’t like it.

6) What is one item that you really should throw away, but you probably never will?

My pants from when I was fatter. It reminds me that I had come a long way from there.

7) What don’t you love about stand-up comedy?

I don’t like when people do comedy to get famous instead of just because they like doing comedy.

8) What is your advice to new comics?

Get on stage as much as you can. The only way you can find your voice is to get on stage as much as possible.

9) How would you compare doing stand-up comedy in Orlando to Miami?

It seems like there are more Comedy clubs in Central Florida and there are more bar shows in Miami.

10) Why should people check out the Open mic at Holloways?

Holloways is a room for comedians. It’s a place where we all can go to try new things and help each other with new jokes.

Amy grew up in the suburbs of Chicago with parents who love theatre. Growing up she was privileged enough to get to see many musicals, plays, stand-up and improv performances as well as dance performances. During her high school years, she was dedicated to studying dance. Amy received her BFA in dance with a minor in theatre from the University of Iowa. After graduation, Amy spent 10 years performing in Carnival Cruise Lines’ various production shows while traveling the world. Once she retired as a dancer and moved to dry land she thought to herself, “Now what?” And the answer was, “Give stand-up comedy a try”…of course. So now here she is, in her first year of giving stand-up comedy a try.

1. What motivated you to do stand-up comedy?

I always loved stand-up comedy. When I stopped dancing I didn’t think that I would be able to find something that I love as much as dancing. I wanted to think that I should try out stand-up comedy to find something to be passionate about.

2. So you used to be a dancer?

It was always my dream to be a professional dancer since I was a child. I studied dance growing up and majored in dance in college. Then I had a 10 year career with Carnival. I had fun travelling but I wanted to have a normal life since it was a nomadic lifestyle which made it tough to keep relationships and I wanted to start a new chapter.

3. If you could hang out with anyone alive or dead; who would it be? And where would you take them?

David Sedaris; his quirky, weird, funny and his books make me laugh at loud I have tickets to see him at “An Evening with David Sedaris” and I would like to visit him at his house in England.

4. Who would you want to play you in a movie?

Jennifer Lawrence or Jennifer Anniston; someone name Jennifer. They are great actresses, beautiful and popular. Everything that I want to be.

5. What don’t you like about stand-up comedy?

Having to drive late at night for gigs. I am new to it so I still sit nervously until it’s my turn.

6. How do you feel being a female doing stand-up comedy in a male dominated field?

I think being a female stand up is beneficial because it makes you stand out a bit from the sea of men.

7. What do you love about doing stand-up comedy?

I love the writing part. It’s the most fun/challenging thing.

8. What is your advice to New Comics?

Just get up there and try it the first time and having the guts to do it is a big accomplishment.

9. What type of comedians do you enjoy watching?

Locally: John Hyne, Matt Bellak, Jacky Beren and Pam Bruno. Ellen Degeneres, Brian Regan, Kevin Nealln and Jim Gaffigan.

10. Why should people check you out at the Coral Gables Comedy Festival this Thursday?

It will be a fun show as there will a lot of local stand-up comedians that are funnier than me and a portion of the proceeds go to a good cause in University of Miami’s communication program.

Fasil is awkward, after growing up in a foreign country (New Jersey). He moved to Miami, North Cuba to pursue his dream of being a comedian. This comedian’s self-deprecating style will keep you laughing out loud while you smile and say to your friend, “He is funny!”He is likable, his topics are relatable as he is poking fun at relationships, being awkward or talking about daily activities. Fasil has a clean style of comedy that is witty, to the point and will have you wondering what will he say next.

1. What motivated you to do stand-up comedy?

I had always been a huge fan of comedy and I enjoyed watching comedy movies since I was a kid. Jim Carrey was my favorite actor to watch and I thought it was the greatest thing in the world to get paid to make others laugh. In college I took Accounting to head towards the safe route, but after college I worked it and I didn’t enjoy it at all. When I moved down to Miami I wanted to make more friends so I tried out Improv plus my friend Teresa encouraged me to try a Toastmasters Humorous speech contest as she thought that I was funny so I did and I advanced into the semi-finals. As I was working a second job as a server, I noticed that using CBD to help sleep, the funnier I was, the higher my tips got, so I thought why not make comedy my 2^nd job plus women love funny guys.

2. What type of comedians do you enjoy watching?

My favorite local comic to watch is Darius Culpepper; I enjoy watching clean comedy, It is also encouraging to witness his work ethic and see the obstacles that he overcame to be paid regular at the Improv and a Florida’s Funniest Comedian Finalist. I also enjoy watching Michael Sowa (His humor makes you think and he has no idea how great he is going to be), Dan Long (I am a huge of his sarcasm/cerebral style of comedy) and John Gregory (He’s the best joke writer in South Florida hands down). My favorite national comics to watch are Orny Adams (His sarcasm is great), Jerry Seinfeld (He’s really intelligent and every time that I watch him perform I feel as if I am learning something new), Mitch Hedberg and Steven Wright (I am a huge fan of one liner comics).

3. If you could hang out with anyone alive or dead; who would it be?

My grandfather. Everyone in my family says nothing but great things about him and they say that he is a lot like me plus I had never seen him before so it would be nice to meet him. I would take him to my mom’s house for dinner as she is an amazing cook and I am sure that she would be pleasantly surprised to see him.

4. Who would you want to play you in a movie?

Vince Vaughn; his wit, sarcasm and tallness would fit in perfectly with a movie about me.

5. What don’t you like about stand-up comedy?

Having to wait a lot at mics, comics that bad mouth others, negativity and the drama that goes on when you deal with these comics that want to save the world and give unsolicited advice to other comics which is often unnecessary/incorrect.

6. What types of food do you enjoy cooking when you have time to eat?

I played basketball and was involved in track in high school so I am a huge pasta guy. I also like to eat healthy.

7. What was the toughest thing that you faced and how were you able to overcome it?

When I first moved down to Miami I incurred a lot of debt and I even ended up maxing out on my credit card. I overcame it by getting a 2^nd job, limiting my expenses, wrote down my goal on a piece of paper and obsessed over paying off all of my credit card debt in a year. I was able to eliminate it in 11 months.

8. What is your advice to New Comics?

There are comics that genuinely want to help you out and there are comics that are negative and want to bring you down. Avoid the negative people like the flu. If they are making fun of another comic in front of you chances are they are also making fun of you behind your back. Hang out with positive people that will uplift you, give you constructive feedback when you ask for it and those that genuinely want you to succeed. Also never give up. If there is something that you want bad enough you just have to work harder at it to get. There is so much talent in South Florida that in order for you to be noticed you have to be original.

9. What is it about you that makes you so awesome?

I don’t back down even when I played basketball I guarded guys that were bigger than me and was able to hold my own with them; you can put the toughest/obstacle or situation in front of me.  I will stay focused and find a way to overcome it.

10. Why should people check me out at the next big show that I will be performing at in the Flamingo Bar Theater on March 30th?

Manny Garavito; the person that runs Miami Comedy has a lot of experience producing high quality comedy shows. He also does a great job attracting professional comics that perform in New York City (One of the best cities to do stand-up comedy at) and drawing an audience that appreciates the art of comedy. It’s the chance for you to see me do stand-up in one of the best stages in Miami as the Flamingo Theater Bar is ideally situated in the heart of Brickell and it is a must see event on a Wednesday night!

Darius is a fusion of hilarity and humility. He stared public speaking at his grandparents church at a young age. And, once he saw how words could touch people, he began his comedy career. From hosting at the world famous Improv comedy club to competing in top comedy contest. His clever, smooth style makes him a crowd favorite where ever he goes.

1. What motivated you to do stand-up comedy?

As a kid I used to go up in church, give a speech and throw in some humor. I saw the way it made people feel and that is what motivated me to want to do stand-up comedian.

2. What type of comedians do you enjoy watching?

Local: Tim Hanlon, his humor is so much of him and what he thinks is funny, Ridiculous, because he is who he is and he doesn’t care what others. Fasil, because he has a unique style and continues to add new facets to his arsenal of jokes (I didn’t pay him to say this), Artisse, because of his conversational style of humor and Matt Bellak, because his humor is so honest and it comes from a sincere place and he can go to the most darkest of places and still make others laugh. Dave Chappelle because he can make you laugh at anything, Jerrod Carmichael he can take something that is dark and make you laugh about it, Katt Williams he brings a very energetic persona to the stage while saying things that are thought provoking as well.

3. If you could hang out with anyone alive or dead; who would it be? And where would you take them?

Jesus, because I love him and I feel him that he has the best set of superpowers in history. When I go to restaurants I usually order water because it’s free and with Jesus I will be able to have my water turn in to wine for free. I would take him to church.

4. Who would you want to play you in a movie?

Kanye West, because we have the same shaped head and are both passionate about what we are doing. We just express it in different ways.

5. What don’t you like about stand-up comedy?

I don’t like when comics discourage newer comics. I feel that comedy is already something that has road blocks and other comics shouldn’t discourage newer comics because It’s a brotherhood where people should encourage each other. Everyone should be at least sit on a comedians table because it takes a lot of guts to get on stage.

6. What types of food do you enjoy cooking when you have time to eat?

Scrambled eggs, because I am pretty good with making them by keeping it simple as I like bland food plus it’s a good source of protein and Ramen noodles. I hope to get famous one day so that I can hire a cook to cook me scrambled eggs.

7. What was the toughest thing that you faced and how were you able to overcome it?

At one point I was living pillar to post and even living in my car. I feel like as long as you have persistence and you have faith. First and foremost in the faith of god has helped me and my faith in the gift of comedy that god has given me. Thanks to god not only am I no longer living in my car but I was also able to advance as a Finalist of Florida’s funniest and get consistent work at the Improv. Thanks to god I am in the right direction on my way to being where I want to be.

8. What is your advice to New Comics?

Stay focused and believe in yourself. There are obstacles that will get in your way and things that will try to destroy your confidence. As long as you think that you are funny that is all that matters, because if you believe in yourself and you work hard good things are bound to happen.

9. What is it about you that makes you so awesome?

God.

10. Why should people check you out at the Palm Beach Improv this weekend?

Because the show is comedy presented in such a different way that resonates with a wide variety of people. It will be different than any other comedy presentation that you had ever seen.