Interview: Comedian Brian Regan gets serious about comedy

By: Stephanie Madden

Posted: 9/28/07

09/28/07 - Comedian Brian Regan's down-to-earth comedy has been making audiences laugh for years. Now he's back in the game with a new 1-hour special on Comedy Central and about to head out on his tour "Comedy Central Presents Brian Regan Live."

His tour will be coming to the Providence Performing Arts Center Oct. 7, and following are a few reasons you should make sure to come out and see him:

Regan is a sensible, intelligent man who takes his comedy career seriously- but not too seriously. When asked where he gets most of his material from, he replied, "Kmart, I just head to the comedy aisle with one of those big baskets and fill up."

But if Kmart is fresh out of humor Regan looks to the oddities from his life and waits for something to "pop-out." Some ways Regan practices his newer jokes is by saying them "out loud looking in a mirror, hopefully not in a public bathroom."

He also tapes the newer jokes he tells in front of audiences and watches for reactions. "It fascinates me how much writing occurs on stage, a joke really evolves on stage. It's a way of getting the fat out of a joke."

When asked if he ever becomes anxious before shows he said, "It depends whether the audience consists of fans, or people who feel they have to endure me for an hour. If it's my fans I feel like a million bucks, but if it's with people who have to 'endure what this man has to say' I feel like 35 cents."

Regan also makes sure his shoes are tied before he goes on stage: "I don't want the audience to think, 'This guy doesn't know how to tie his shoes, what does he know about comedy?'" Sometimes he becomes so paranoid about his shoes that he, "forget[s] to wear a shirt."

If you have seen Regan perform before you already know that he tends to make strange noises to go along with some of his jokes. He explained that he doesn't plan these noises and that his anecdotes aren't like barroom jokes; they're more like "tiny plays that last less than a minute."

Regan also said that he doesn't have, "a good command of the English language," which explains some of his outbursts onstage. Another piece of material he uses often in his jokes is self-deprecation.

When asked if making fun of himself ever bothers him, he replied, "I try to make it clear to the audience it's about acting dumb, not being dumb." Regan explained that he feels a connection with the audience when he performs these jokes because he is sure a lot of people feel the same way sometimes which is why the audience laughs.

Regan also discussed his philosophy about comedy: "As an entertainer it's dangerous to cross the line when you do things that they [fans] like instead of what you like. I like to think comedy is an art form, and I'm not an artist if I just do the material people want me to."

Regan also mentioned the relationship he feels with his audience. "It's like electricity, you need a receiver for the current, and the audience gives me the current."

What amazed me most about Regan is his attitude toward comedy. He performs comedy because he enjoys it, not just to make money or become famous-a trait that's hard to come by in our society.

And unlike many other comedians Regan likes to keep his material fresh and new. He is not afraid to try new jokes; in fact, he thrives on them. Maybe that is why Regan continues to stick out in the comedy world instead of fading away like other comedians.