I sat in the back. It was dark and I was one of ten people in the empty comedy club. Next to me was my friend, Mike. He had accompanied me on my mission. I was shaking as I watched the Open Mic performer struggle. The tall, fat pale comic stumbled over his words as the microphone quaked. Awkward smiles shot across his face as his jokes were not hitting their marks. It was getting quieter. I could hear him sweat. Nervousness took over as I turned to my friend and said,

“I can’t do this man. Let’s go home”.

His face dropped, showing his disappointment… but wait let me start from the beginning.

I had taken an acting class in my first year at Gloucester County College. My teacher was Ms. Gerbar, a short, flabby Jewish woman who reminded me of Woody Allen. Her oversized thick-rimmed glasses sat on…