Meet Becca Beberaggi

Today we’d like to introduce you to Becca Beberaggi.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Becca. So, let’s start at the beginning, and we can move on from there.
I am a Latinx writer and comedian/performer from New York City. I got into the arts at an early age after dealing with a bunch of medical illnesses.

In high school, I went into acting and ended up pursuing stand up comedy after graduating from the conservatory I studied at between 19 and 21. I began my interest in comedy because I got discouraged about all of the racism and lack of diversity in the industry and was trying to find a place for myself. I couldn’t get parts that represented me or the Latinx community.

I was typecast and put in a box of fiery Latina or pregnant teen or prostitute. I was constantly fetishized and made to feel like the only thing I had to offer a story was a one-dimensional splash of diversity. I actually officially started comedy after dating a comedian from NJ who would tell me his jokes and I would smile but hate every word of them in my head writing a better version.

So, I decided to try it myself and bombed, but then I tried it again and again and again every time bombing but eventually I started getting better which is how practice works (hopefully). I have found that comedy and comedy writing has given me a platform to tell the stories I want to tell. I am currently bi-coastal and travel to LA a few times a year to perform stand up and pursue other writing endeavors.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been a smooth road at all.

Deciding to pursue a career in the arts can ultimately become very disheartening because of how nobody wants to pay artists anymore acting like what we do for fun and like to believe that exposure will pay our rent. Lies!

I have found more success with writing than performing to be honest. I find that I am able to get my point and lens across better when it’s through words. Unfortunately, this industry is very physical, and as a woman when you walk into a room, the obstacles you face are sexism, harassment, and discrimination if you are a minority. I also weighed myself recently and I was like, “Oh no.”

We like to tell ourselves we’ve made strides in this industry with the introduction of inclusion rider and more but maybe that has worked for rich and famous but the understanding and fairness toward poor writers and performers of color is almost non existent unless you surround yourself with the right people and work with other people of color as well as create your own network and stick with them.

I’ve done stand up shows where I’m the only woman on the line-up and every other comic is a cis white dude who seem to have exchanged notes and decided to perform the same exact set. I can sometimes feel their eyes on me and I feel the need to prove I can be apart of the team, it’s hard because women are truly so much funnier than men.

It’s hard not to want to give up but I don’t because I have no other marketable skills and the bottom line is I love writing with all my heart.

We’d love to hear more about what you do.
I try to stay as busy as possible. I have a humor blog on Medium called “Lady-Saurus Comedy,” which features women and women of color writers. It’s for fun and I edit it when I have time. I also produce and host various comedy shows. I hope to do more in LA in the coming year as I make my transition to be based there!

I also produced, created, acted in, and directed my web series called “B-Sides” which was an official selection for The Official Latino Short Film festival and was also nominated for Best Comedy. It didn’t win but what an honor to be nominated though, haha! But in all seriousness, it was such a great experience because it was one of the first times that I got my work in front of my peers and artists of color and they validated my mission as an artist saying things like, “I saw myself.”

Up next I have a dark comedy short film called, “2 Ushers Walk Into A Play,” about 2 Latinx women who get swept up in a whirlwind of jealousy and murder on closing night of your next off-off-broadway play. It’s traveling around the festival circuit right now, so we’ll see what happens with that!

Since my background is in theatre, I have also written two solo shows and have performed them at my artistic home The Off-Broadway Tank Theatre in New York City. Upcoming in June I will be performing a new one called, “Party Animal” which tells the story of how I discovered my mental illness which ultimately made me back at parties my whole life. The show will be directed by the hilarious Latinx comedian and writer Michael Newman. I hope to bring this show to LA once I’m based there as well!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.beccathetinyhuman.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beccabeberaggi/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeccaTheTinyHuman/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/beberagg?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Image Credit:
Zach Simao, Giancarlo Osaben

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