Unemployment as chuckle fodder? Seems doubtful.
But mining it for mirth is the aim of a contest that is encouraging members of the jobless ranks to try their hands at comedy.
”The comedy`s based on a topic that lots of people can relate to,” says Carylin Berger, manager of Stand-Up New York, where a search is under way for the Funniest Unemployed Person.
Since November the club has presented weekly lineups of 10 would-be comedians willing to turn their unemployment travail into into a laughing matter.
Pink-slipped attorneys, stockbrokers, CPAs, college professors, retail workers, even a puzzle designer, have taken the stage to vie for the title.
Winners and runners-up for each round, selected by a panel of judges including representatives of outplacement and executive-search firms, earn the chance to compete in subsequent rounds.
The finals are planned for mid-February and the champion will collect prizes including tickets to an off-Broadway play and a session with an outplacement firm to bolster his or her work search.
Meanwhile, the club is thriving on the crowds clamoring to see the aspiring comics. Contestants are not paid-though the ultimate winner will receive a paid club set-but Berger maintains that the experience alone is considerable compensation.
”This gives them a sense of camaraderie … It`s almost like therapy.”