“Getting Personal with the Stars” Column-Casino Player Magazine/by Michele LaFong

August edition, Paula Poundstone

“Getting Personal with the Stars”  Paula Poundstone-online Version: http://t.co/8f04e5zbZ5
Paula Poundstone has been a recurring favorite guest on my radio show, Las Vegas Backstage Talk for over two years.  I always attend her show at The Orleans whenever she is in town, as her show never seems to get repetitive, as she uses the audience in her hilarious, spontaneous banter, to weave her material very masterfully throughout.

This unique comedian, an adoptive mother of three, is never at a loss for new material which includes her sixteen “shelter cats,” and two large rescued German Shepard Mixes.)

One thing that always struck me is that Paula always makes her entrance on stage with very wet hair.  I had to ask if this was reflective of some kind of ritual or superstition.

No, Paula responded.  ”I shower before going on-stage because I want to give the crowd “The Deluxe…” It is this kind rapid- fire, sarcastic, one liner responses, coupled with the fact that Poundstone’s comedy is mostly autobiographical, that make me think “sitcom” every time I see, or interview her.  Might you consider doing a sitcom if presented with one?  “No…Here’s the thing…My youngest is only 14, and I want to finish ruining his life before moving onto other projects.  I want to finish making bad parenting choices before I take that on…I’m hoping that before he gets into college, there might be some elderly role that I can play, that Betty White isn’t available for…and I would have to step in.  The schedule on those shows can be pretty grueling, and I kind of like the idea of making sure that someday my son will be gainfully employed so…

Q You became a stand-up early on in life-you just got on a Greyhound bus, and you just started going to clubs.  How long was it before you really felt that you “might have something” once you were in the clubs?

A-I don’t know but when I get to that point I will give you a call…when I really think I may have something going on… I really don’t know…I did take the Greyhound bus all over to open mike nights, and seeing what clubs were like in different cities, and I started out in Boston, and ended up a couple of years later in San Fransisco, which had a GREAT comedy scene at that time, and then I moved to Santa Monica, I don’t like to brag, but I live right near a Jack in the Box.

Q-Do you still go out and do guest sets and try out new material?

A-No I don’t have that opportunity to go and do open mikes anymore…I wish I did cause it’s such a great tool…but I have kids.  I have to be home every night so that my son can lie to me about doing his Spanish homework.

Q- Do your kids have any interest in being comics or anything in Show Business, and if so how would you feel about that?

A_ if they were interested, I’d have no problem with it.  I’d think that would be fun if that’s what they wanted to do.  Let me think…well, my oldest daughter would like to sit in a chair…and…you might think… maybe work at a computer, or work at phone banking or something …but no…she just wants to sit in a chair, and it’s been very hard to convince her that there are no jobs that you just sit in a chair and get paid for that.  But I’m her mom and she doesn’t believe me…so… she’s still looking.

Q-At least when you have kids, you can learn how to work technology by asking your kids.  Do you find that is helpful?

A-Um…No…I don’t, I really don’t!

Q- You started comedy in 1979, and haven’t had a slow season since then have you?

A-“I’ve been very lucky to work a lot over the years, which is great.  I’m on the road a lot, a lot a lot!  I have many frequent flyer miles, and many, many small shampoos.  The truth is that very early on I tried going out for a month straight before I had children…and I was miserable.  It was just a horrible experience.  I would never do that again.  What I do now is I go out on the weekends.  Sometimes it’s Thursday thru Saturday.  Now I have a system.  It works out okay.  Occasionally there are weeks where I don’t go out at all…and my children seem to wish that I would.  I think we’ve found the right balance somewhere…the best that we could do anyway.

Q-So your kids bring a lot of material to your show…?

A-I don’t even have to write!…I really just have to take notes.  My oldest daughter…If only she were kidding.  If only there was any irony in the things that she said.

Q How old is she?

A- Twenty one.  We’ve actually been getting up earlier in the morning now so that we can fight longer!  Otherwise…we’re tired by ten…and I’d like to still get in another good solid hour of yelling and screaming.

Q- Does she get your sense of humor?

A-No…not really.  I don’t think so.  She believes that everything that I say is the polar opposite of what she must do.  I mean honestly, I could actually kill her by telling her to breathe!  I tell her all the time “if you don’t get your act together, we’re gonna live together for the rest of our lives…like Laverne & Shirley.

I love my job…just the way it is now. I don’t have to submit what I’m going to do to anybody, and have the “suits” go over it, and decide if they think it’s funny or not.  I get to go on stage and say whatever I like.  In television, it’s terrible!  Oh my God they are a pain!  And it’s the people by the way that don’t even go on stage that want to tell you what’s funny, and what’s not.  They’re all phonies though.  But I do The Craig Ferguson Show regularly, and they are great there, they pretty much give me free reign…But there are a lot of settings…certainly in sitcoms where there’s a script, and there are SO many people that are not performers that are involved in the decision making process…and I hate that.

Paula Poundstone’s latest interview plugging her appearance at The Orleans Showroom, July 5 & 6 at 8pm, can be heard on Las Vegas Backstage Talk Radio Show from 6pm-7pm PST, July 4 & 6 on 1230am in Las Vegas and steaming live on this site.  She is also featured in my Monthly Syndicated Column, “Las Vegas Backstage Talk,” in Casino Player Magazine.