Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Scheuerman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I think I knew what I wanted to do with my life before I was old enough to understand that I had already made the decision. My goal every day as a child was to make people laugh and change the mood of every room I entered. I started acting as a child, performing in over 40 theater productions by the time I was 18. I was in love. Being born and raised in Los Angeles, my parents were adamant that I have a well-rounded childhood; instilling in me the idea that art comes from life, and that living a full life breeds a better artist. My childhood was framed around my love of performing, but was interlaced with normal kid stuff that kept me grounded – half of my time was spent in the theater, in front of a camera, or in acting class; and the other half was spent playing with friends, surfing, and just being a kid.
I knew that comedy was always my calling as a performer; I just didn’t know how it would manifest itself. I started studying improv and character development with the Groundlings at age 17. I earned my degree in Theater and Performance Studies at UC Berkeley, which, to this day, is one of the things I’m most proud of. Not just because it’s the number one public school in the country (humble brag), but because as a child I was never one of the smartest kids in the class (I was probably on the slower side). However, I always felt that I the most determined. For me, college wasn’t just about a textbook education. In fact, I still have trouble determining East from West, and fractions…forget about it! To me, graduating from college ignited the courage of discovery, exposure, and openness that my parents had instilled in me, and which has allowed me to express myself as an artist.
After college, I thought Hollywood would be waiting for me with open arms. News flash – they weren’t! I had moved back to L.A. with a new understanding of who I was, but with no teacher or boss to tell me what to do. It was a terrifying time. Artists produce art. Actors need a stage or a platform to produce that art. I was constantly auditioning for commercials, pilots, movie roles – wherever my agent told me to be, I was there. But, having casting agents be my only true audience became emotionally taxing and extremely unfulfilling.
That’s when I discovered standup. I had never experienced stage fright in my life, I suppose because I basically grew up on a stage. But, the first time I took the stage as a comedian, a panic struck my body that was so painful I thought I was going to pass out. Before I left that stage, I knew I was hooked! From that moment, comedy became like an addiction, like an itch I couldn’t scratch. As most comics will tell you, comedy takes over and becomes your life. It’s not something you can casually lend yourself to. With standup, I had found a home and a platform for my art. Nearly ten years later, I can say that it is not an easy path. With high-highs and low-lows, standup really is just as hard as it looks, and deceiving with how easily certain people make it look. But as with any career, if you love what you do and have a passion and determination, you work hard at it. You keep pushing and striving, and you surprise yourself.
I was lucky early in my career, to have some headlining comics take me on the road and give me opportunities. I did my first live TV spot on Gotham Comedy Live, and, shortly after, was featured on NBC’s Last Call with Carson Daly. I’ve been very fortunate to travel as a comic, not just around the country, but around the world. Last year I performed for the troops in South Korea, and this year I’ll be doing another tour through the Middle East! Making people laugh has become my career, and there is nothing else I would rather do.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
This career is a marathon not a sprint with a lot of peaks and valleys on the journey. The biggest obstacle I have had is getting out of my own way. We are our own toughest critic and that makes it difficult because you also have to be your own biggest fan. When times get hard or you hit rough patches, it’s hard to be your own ally and to not get down on yourself but you have to keep showing up. My advice to anyone who wants a career down this path is to SHOW UP every day. Do something towards your goal every day. As a female comedian in a male-dominated business, it can at times be hard because you will always be labeled a “female comedian”, but the truth is, comedy is hard period. It’s hard to be an Indian comic, it’s hard to be a Philliopino comic, it’s even had to be a white male comic! (As crazy as that sounds) Every comic has their own battles but at the end of the day, the truth is, funny is funny and that is what will prevail! I have always found comfort in that. My advice to female comics starting would be to just focus on the writing and getting on stage, drown out the noise from others because thats all it is, noise. Focus on seeing yourself a just a comic, not a “female comic” or a “black comic” or a “gay comic.” Just a comic, because it starts with how you see yourself, you have to show people who you are and how you want to be defined.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I perform regularly at all the major clubs around Los Angeles, The Hollywood Improv, The Comedy Store and The Laugh Factory. I’ve toured and opened nationally as a feature for bigger comics such as Tiffany Haddish, Bobby Lee and Bryan Callen. I had my first tv standup appearance on Gotham Comedy Live and the NBC’s Last Call with Carson Daly. I’ve performed for the troops overseas in South Korea and will be heading to the Middle East this summer. I have my web series called Hey Don’t Do That on YouTube and am currently working on developing my own project around my standup. What sets me apart as a performer, I feel is my character work, my comedy is very character driven as well as my reliability, I feel like I am kind of every woman. Whether you’re from Nebraska or Hawaii, I think there’s something in my comedy that every woman can watch and feel that they relate to or that they see a bit of themselves in.
What do you feel are the biggest barriers today to female leadership, in your industry or generally?
I feel like one of the biggest barriers females face in comedy is the idea that “Women aren’t funny” as sad as it is, we tend to hear this a lot. I think the idea is very skewed. Comedy is subjective. What one person thinks is funny another might find it to be trash. We also have to consider the ratios we are dealing with, the ratio of men to women doing comedy is vastly different. On a lineup of eight male comics on a show, you might find two to be funny. Well, realistically on that lineup, there would probably be one female comic book, so if you don’t like her comedy you’re just going to write it off and say WOMAN AREN’T FUNNY! Lineups are changing and more women are getting spots but its still a stereotype that is unjustly stated that we have to work against.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.CourtneyScheuerman.com
- Instagram: @Courtneyscheuerman
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CourtScheuerman/
Image Credit:
Audrey Matos – True Moxie Photography, Michael Dunker
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