‘No one laughs out loud alone.’ Paula Poundstone, on comedy digressions and the LOL lie
Paula Poundstone is prone to digression.
It’s a defining mark of her comedy routine, which she’s honed over 20-plus years of doing stand-up, sitting in as a guest on NPR’s “Wait Wait ... Don’t Tell Me” and most recently hosting the podcast “Nobody listens to Paula Poundstone” with Adam Felber.
During a 20-minute phone call in advance of her performance Saturday night at the Tower Theatre, Poundstone’s digressions include Thomas Edison’s hiring practices, the weekend she spent calling every member of Congress to talk about the impeachment proceedings and the time she haggled with a cab company in Des Moines over a 3:45 a.m. trip to the airport.
They were totally booked at that time.
“I digress a lot, which by the way, is my entire act,” Poundstone says.
There is some set material she runs through each night, but a portion of the show is created spontaneously on stage.
“On a good night, and I like to think some are, about a a third is unique,” she says. Most of it comes from her interactions with the crowd. It’s become her favorite part of performing.
Digressions aside, it is the thing Poundstone makes sure to get across in the interview: Her show is about the experience of being and enjoying comedy with other people.
“I want to make sure they are out with other people laughing,” she says.
“When people type in LOL on their phone, they’re lying. No one laughs out loud alone.”
Details: 7 p.m. Saturday. Tower Theatre, 815 E. Olive Ave. $40.50-$50.50. 559-485-9050, towertheatrefresno.com
Other noteworthy events
▪ Blake Shelton. 7 p.m. Friday. Save Mart Center. $39-$99. 559-278-3400, www.ticketmaster.com
▪ Fresno Tattoo Expo. 11 a.m. Saturday, noon Sunday. The Big Fresno Fair, 1121 S. Chance Ave. $20-$30. 661-444-9251, tat-expo.com
▪ “Singing Our Way to Freedom.” 5:30 p.m. Friday. Peters Education Center Auditorium at Fresno State. Free. www.chunkyfilm.com
▪ “Tel Aviv on Fire.” 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Temple Beth Israel, 6622 N. Maroa Ave. $8. 559-285-0013, fresnojewishfilm.org
▪ Mardi Gras parade. 1 p.m. Sunday. Olive Avenue in the Tower District. Free. www.towerdistrict.org
▪ Miranda Lambert. 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27. Save Mart Center. $38.75-$93.75. 559-278-3400, www.ticketmaster.com
This story was originally published February 18, 2020 at 11:56 AM.