Von Decarlo is a Queen of Comedy
What people may not know about Von Decarlo is that she's been in and around the comedy scene since the early millennium. Whether it's been writing, acting, or stand up- one thing is for certain, Von hasn't stopped working, and for the past few years she's made up her mind to specifically focus on perfecting her craft and first love: Stand Up Comedy. I got a chance to catch up with her and watch her perform at The Village Lantern during a show she co-hosts called School Days, a unique comedy/trivia show that features some of the best comics in town every last Thursday of the month.
Her performance was energetic and doused with bits of political humor, witty analogies, and hysterical references to her personal life.
"I'm very comfortable with the crowd. The audience doesn't make me nervous." She said to me before getting on stage. Shortly thereafter, she proved her point as she amicably interacted with and teased the audience members throughout her set. Fully engaged, they responded with bursts of laughter and claps. Crowd work is no easy feat, but it seems to be something that she is rapidly mastering. Von's stage presence was strong and confident. She gives her all and allows honesty to guide the flow of her material. Though, admittedly, that wasn't always the case. She opened up about how she had to learn to control the audience and not compromise her material for cheap laughs. "Comedy is in the ear of the beholder just like beauty is in the eye…" she said. Over the years, with the guidance of a veteran mentor, she's learned to not let the audience control her but to instead find her audience and to not be afraid of the silence if it's there. With no moments of silence throughout her performance, it appears that Von is getting it right. No gimmicks required, just self-awareness and accountability. Which is something she prides herself on, being accountable for her humor and always striving to get to the next level of funny.
"Comedy is in the ear of the beholder
just like beauty is in the eye…"
- Von Decarlo
Humble, refreshingly bubbly, and determined is how I would describe Von Decarlo. I walked away from our conversation and her performance feeling inspired. It is no wonder her nickname is 'Coach Von', a name affectionately given to her by her twitter followers. "I see what people see, but I don't see myself that way" she said, suggesting that there is more to her than what meets the eye, and from the short time I spent with her, I certainly agree. I look forward to following Von's career and if you haven't seen her perform yet, I suggest you find out where the next show is and get to it ASAP! You can keep up with her via Instagram or Twitter @VonDecarlo or check out her podcast: The Coach Von Podcast.
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