RALEIGH, N.C. — When Gary Gulman takes the stage at Raleigh’s Goodnights Comedy Club this week, he’ll do so with a full head of steam.
Gulman, a veteran stand-up comedian whose Netflix specials "In This Economy" and "It’s About Time" are two of the best the streaming service offers, said in an email interview Wednesday that doing hour and 15-minute sets five times a week has him in fine form. Any Gulman show is a treat, but when a comedian of Gulman’s ability says he’s hitting on all cylinders, take notice and get your tickets.
I know I’ll be at Goodnights to see Gulman for the third time this weekend, and I enjoyed getting to do my third interview with him as well.
Gulman, who got his start in the Boston comedy scene, and I discussed his current material, his favorite pre-comedy job, the recent death of Boston comedy legend and human rights activist Barry Crimmins and more.
Tony Castleberry: I noticed you tweeted a few times in January and February that you’re at the top of your game and as someone who has always thought you were great, these tweets have me super excited about your shows at Goodnights. It’s now March though. Are you still at the top of your game?
Gary Gulman: Absolutely! I've been doing 75-minute-plus sets five or more times a week for months so I've put in a lot of time editing and shaping my material and the response has been tremendous. Top of my game.
TC: Have you ever told a joke on stage that you may not have thought was great, but other comedians told you it was funny and that it would work?
GG: Sure. I often seek out the opinion of my peers to get feedback on a new idea that I'm ambivalent about, and in some cases, their encouragement has led to my persisting with the idea until it became a solid joke that I look forward to telling.
TC: Which of your pre-comedy jobs did you enjoy the most, if you enjoyed any of them?
GG: Being a substitute teacher at my old high school in Peabody, Massachusetts, was my last day job and my favorite. I got to work with teachers that had taught me, which was so fun and I just adored the students. They were thoughtful and friendly and made me laugh all the time. They were also a great audience that I often tried out my material in front of. Some days I would promise them a stand-up routine at the end of class if they got their work done. Teaching is hard but obviously infinitely important and I greatly admire people who devote their lives to it.
TC: Like you, I was saddened to hear about Barry Crimmins’ death and count myself lucky to have interviewed him once. In my mind, every comedian from the Boston area owes him a debt of gratitude. Would you agree?
GG: I would go even further and say that every comedian worldwide owes him a debt of gratitude. He influenced both directly and indirectly countless great minds over the years. He did courageous and important work both on and off stage. He was a kind, generous, brilliant man who will be sorely missed.
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