By Creig Ewing
Nationally touring comedian Myq Kaplan will be in Louisville for a pair of shows on Friday, Sept. 18, at Planet of The Tapes.
Myq tours across the country and has multiple specials out, including his new one-hour show “Rini,” which can be found on YouTube.
Myq took the time to answer 5 Questions from Louisville Laughs.
Louisville Laughs: You have multiple comedy specials and albums, appeared on all the Late Night shows, have two podcasts, an illustrated joke book, you’re a musician and actor. What do you do in all your spare time and what accomplishment are you most proud of?
Myq Kaplan: Thank you for asking, and for those kind words!
How much spare time do YOU have?
I am grateful for it all. I’ve gotten to perform at Carnegie Hall. I’ve gotten to meet, work with, and become friends with heroes of mine like Maria Bamford, Emo Philips, Gary Gulman, and more. I’ve made Howard Stern Laugh.
I’ve created hours of comedy that I love, and that others have loved. My most recent special, “Rini,” is something I’m particularly proud of because it’s a collaboration with my girlfriend of the past 10 years, Rini. I’m thrilled that we were able to create something so joyful and meaningful, a creative partnership arising out of our romantic one.
And as far as spare time goes, I have a joke that goes like this: “In my spare time, I’ve been working on a 4D printer that prints more spare time.”
I wrote that joke in my spare time.
LL: Where did the name Myq come from?
Myq: When I was about 14, I was at summer camp when Prince (the artist formerly known as “The Artist Formerly Known As Prince”) changed his name to a symbol. I didn’t know why, but I thought it was weird and cool, and I decided that I would be weird and cool like Prince.
Of course, there are a FEW differences between Prince and me. He’s got a few more albums, but at least my name change doesn’t necessitate the development of a new button for your keyboard (you’re welcome).
Later, I found out that his shift was due to some kind record label dispute, and eventually he switched back, leaving me the lone weird, cool name-changed standard-bearer. I’m out here now doing what Prince is no longer doing!
AND I just thought it would be fun to change all the letters of my name except the first initial, just in case anyone gets me anything monogrammed.
LL: Do psychedelics help with comedy or joke writing?
Myq: Have I had experiences with psychedelics that have been profoundly meaningful and beautiful in ways that have included leading me to create comedy differently? Yes.
Do I recommend it as a writing tool for beginning comedians? No. I recommend starting with a pen or pencil.
LL: What advice would you give comics who are trying to book spots as a feature or headliner?
Myq: Write and perform. Write and perform. Write and perform.
And in addition to writing and performing, do like Pete Holmes has said, and “live a life worth commenting on.”
Work on yourself. Go to therapy. Meditate. Exercise. Drink enough water. Get enough sleep. Eat healthily. Have other artistic interests. Listen to music. Go to museums. Walk. Experience nature. Communicate with the people you love. Invest in meaningful friendships and relationships.
And then send out a lot of emails to clubs asking them to book you.
(Sincerely, the specific answer to this question is going to vary so much based on so many individual circumstances. How long have you been doing comedy? How much time do you have? How much time do you REALLY have? Where do you live? What is the comedy scene like there? Can you move? Do you want to travel? Are you already a famous TikTok star? That sort of thing.)
LL: What is your comedy horror story?
Myq: Good question! I’ve experienced MANY gigs that were horrifying in ways, but because I’m no longer in those situations, I am now able to consider those situations funny.
For example, one time I was filling in for a friend at a show, and I was introduced like this: “Our original comedian couldn’t make it, because one of her parents just died of cancer, so please welcome Myq Kaplan!”
Can you believe that horror story about my friend’s parent dying happened to ME?
Sincerely, one of the beautiful things ABOUT comedy is its capacity to alchemize horrors into art, to be able to laugh at and through them.
Like, my grandmother died a few years ago, and now I share stories about her in my comedy. May her memory be a lucrative comedy blessing, and may all horrors be alchemizable.
Mr. Rogers always said “If it’s mentionable, it’s manageable.”
I’ll tweak that to offer this: “If it’s laughable, it’s livable. And maybe even lovable.”
Check out Myq’s Website and follow him on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.
Get your tickets to the Sept. 18 shows with Myq at Planet of the Tapes HERE.
