Introduction

Some of the Philadelphia alternative comedy community knows me; most of it doesn’t. But allow me to share a story that may benefit the would-be improv/sketch comedians/actors who are experiencing the journey.

I’m LeMar McLean. I graduated from Haverford College in 2004 and was a member of The Throng, the school’s only long form improv group. In the summer of 2004, I moved back home to Brooklyn, New York and have been performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre since then. Today, I play “Marz, the Black Planet,” a comedy wrestler in the UCBW Cagematch show. I haven’t done improv since October of 2008 at Throng homecoming show.

Whether I miss improvising isn’t as important as the story I share with you about how the last 7 years, New York, the “industry,” and Philadelphia have made me into the kind of creative person I am today. If this sounds just like another excuse for a blogger to talk about himself, I assure you that my hope to share a worthwhile story is sincere. As with any performative act, I’m aware that sharing this story will wind up being just as (if not more) meaningful to me as it is to anyone reading it. But that’s never stopped any of us bozos from trying to make people laugh, only to be the only one laughing, has it?

In deference to the rhythm of blog reading, I’ll break the story out into chapters (I suppose it’s also an underhanded ploy to get people to revisit the Philadelphia Joke Initiative blog space. Credit for full disclosure? Eh? Hm?). So! Here goes, Readers. And thank you for reading.

Until,

LeMar

March 29, 2010