Today we’d like to introduce you to Marty Wurst.
Marty, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was born in New Jersey, but I grew up in Hawaii on the island of Maui. I caught the comedy bug early on and started writing like crazy. When I was 18, I wrote a one-act play, which was a straight rip-off of Clerks. I graduated high school in 1998 and took a summer workshop with the New York Film Academy program when it used to be at UCLA. It was a six weeks boot camp for filmmakers, where you rotate positions in your crew and make four 16mm short films. This was just a couple years before everything started going to digital, so I’m really happy I got to cut physical film on the old editing bays.
I finally moved to Los Angeles and went to Los Angeles Community College and took a bunch of film and editing classes. I also went to the Stella Adler Acting Conservatory and made dozens of comedy short films with the friends I made.
Comedy has always been a huge part of my life, but I didn’t pursue standup until six years ago when I turned 33. A late start, but I already had a ton of experience writing sketch comedy, screenplays and humorous essays. I just had to learn how to be myself on stage, without coming off as an obnoxious weirdo…I didn’t know that would be so hard!
Can you give our readers some background on your work and the reviews you do?
I write reviews for open mics on Instagram. I started in 2015 and there’s over 400 hundred reviews now. Basically, I go to open mics that feature stand-up comedy and I report back to everyone about my experience: the sign-up process, the audience, how many minutes you get, is there a drink minimum, is the host cool, etc. All my reviews basically end with “Good parking.” I’m not a great reporter, so it’s really brief but honest. I’m a comedian too, so I’m also trying to perform with everybody else. The goal is to let comedians know whether they should seek out these open mics, like is it worth the drive? I’ll drive a hundred miles to review some random mic, so they don’t have to. Every once in a while, the open mic is fantastic and I really want to get the word out. Some places have a real audience (not just other comedians) and that’s extremely valuable to us. Or maybe the mic offers a lot of stage time or it’s just a cool experience. I want to encourage people to spread out and venture away from their comfort zones, there are great mics out there that need our support.
Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists, entertainers and other creative professionals? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
I’m a comedian, so calling myself an artist would leave me open to a lifetime of mockery. Comedians have it made man, I can’t speak for other artists. As long as people enjoy going out and supporting live comedy, we’re good.
The city allows open mics to exist, which is already a miracle. Open mics happen in coffee shops, pizzerias, art galleries, wine bars, libraries, cheese shops, cookie shops, on boats, in the back of a white box truck, in laundromats, backyards, garages, parks, hotels, theaters, breweries, offices and so many public spaces where it’s sprung on unsuspecting citizens- that’s insane to me. There’s even an open mic at the Church of Scientology!
I would know…I reviewed it.
(eyes start glowing)
FADE TO BLACK
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
If you’re thinking about starting stand-up comedy there’s a ton of information on my website at martywurst.com or look up the reviews on Instagram (open_mic_reviews).
I work at The Rec Room comedy club in Huntington Beach so you can follow me online and check out one of my shows. I promise you’ll have a good time…that’s the Wurst guarantee.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected], [email protected]
- Instagram: open_mic_reviews
Image Credit:
Daniel Farias, Claire Atkinson, Adnielk.
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
