Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Strait
Hi Chris, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and have lived within a 15 minute drive of LAX for most of my life. I always knew I loved entertainment and the idea of entertaining, but didn’t really have a clue of how that would take shape. I tried music, but while still a fan, I have no talent for it. My father almost joined the band, “The Turtles” in high school. My brother was in bands, and my son plays guitar. So, that talent exists in the family, but it skipped me. However, the three of them are NOT public speakers, so we all have our own abilities I guess. I found my family’s old comedy albums from the 1960’s and listened to them intently: Bob Newhart, The Smothers Brothers, Bill Cosby, etc. I made my 3rd grade teacher give me the last 5 minutes of the class once a week to put on old sketches. Later on, I got more into the risque comedy, as men like George Carlin, Sam Kinison, Richard Pryor, and others began influencing me. If I’m honest with myself, I probably knew I wanted to be a comedian when I was 7, but didn’t get on stage until I was 24. It was not a practical career, and while my parents were supportive, they didn’t really understand.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No road in entertainment is smooth. I was in graduate school to be a therapist when I started doing comedy. Right away, I knew that it was my future, no matter how crazy that future would look. You have no union, no insurance, no leave, etc. Many comedians remain single, and /or childless because of the volatility of the industry. Others take on spouses with more reliable income. Neither was my destiny. Both my wives were rendered either unwilling or unable to have regular employment, so I have had to be resourceful in feeding them, me, and my children. This has led to me taking jobs in behavior therapy, teaching , journalism, venue booking, and real estate. It was not until 2018 that I was able to sustain myself with only comedy
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am most proud of my material… it is available on itunes, spotify, youtube, tubi, fawesome, drybar, etc. I was fortunate enough to work in television for a couple years, and I have helped people create their own material as well, but my act, at any point, stands on it’s own. I am an observational comedian, who tells stories of life. I also try to educate and relate with my shows. Try to imagine your history professor got fired, and had to teach one more class. That’s what an hour with me is like.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
When I was coming up, we found open mics in LA Weekly, or entertainment based magazines. This was in 2000. Now, it is all online. Start at open mics, and graduate to bar shows, booked nights at local comedy clubs, then the road. You gather mentorship and material as your ability grows.. and as your network increases, so will your opportunities for work. It is also a good idea to run your own shows at bars and coffeehouses. This is not only valuable for networking, but you have also created your own stage time resource. You will build your own tribe this way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://youtube.com/cstrait
- Instagram: @chrisstraitcomedy
- Facebook: chrisstraitcomedy
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/cstrait
- Other: tiktok: @chrisstraitcomedy
Image Credits
Michael Schwartz
Dry Bar Comedy
LaughsTVShow
