'The One-Handed Comic'
'The One-Handed Comic'
HARK!
I hear … fear.
Usually, people talk about “the smell of fear.” But there’s also “the sound of fear”: and that is …. Silence.
The fear of humiliation puts a gag on would-be comedians, actors, singers, writers and all sorts of creative types who overly worry “what if I’m not good enough? What if they’ll make fun of me?”
Don’t tell Mike Bolland about overcoming fear. He climbed that NO-NO-NO-NO mountain of fearful cautions thrown up by a psyche aimed at preventing any opportunity for shame.
Born with one hand, he has been fighting the fear of people laughing at him his whole life.
But it didn’t stop him from wanting to be a performer, as a kid. As he tells on his website, he was born in New Jersey, then moved to Arizona/HARK Valley at age 8: “I was selected to play the part of Danny in the movie ‘The Trial of Billy Jack.’ I thought ‘I love this Arizona! You get to be in movies…’ But in reality, they just needed some kid with one hand. When I heard they needed a kid with one hand I raised my (only) hand and lucked into the part.”
Few other opportunities for acting roles came up, so he focused on bowling -- and became good enough to make the pro tour for several years. There wasn’t much money in it, so he retired and focused on a stable career, getting married and starting a family.
Then, the big gut check:
“In 2016 I found out that I had cancer. Not the type of news you like to hear. But if (and when) I was going to beat it, there were two things I wanted to do in my life after recovery – come out of ‘retirement’ and hit a couple of Pro Bowling events, and try stand up comedy. About a year after my cancer surgery and radiation, I started to feel like myself again. So I hit the lanes and bowled a bit. But once I hit the stage and tried comedy, I realized I had more passion for giving that my time then going back on tour.”
After showing his talents at open-mic nights, Bolland started landing paying gigs. He made his debut as a headliner May 1 at JP’s Comedy Club, and has dates July 28 at Kimmyz and July 30 and Aug. 13 at Tosos.
He took the time for a HARK Valley Q&A:
Q: What do you recommend to someone who wants to do an open mic - but is too freaking scared!?
A: It’s easier to say than do, but step one is to do it! Here’s the deal – we are all nervous. And I don’t just mean the first time on stage. There are always going to be butterflies and fears. I talk about nerves with a lot of comedians, and the consensus is that if you are not nervous, something’s wrong. Nerves are not only natural, they are a good thing.
Q: What are a few places around the valley that have generally welcoming audiences for comedy rookies?
A: I really haven’t found a place that is not welcoming. The comedy community within the Phoenix area is very supportive. That goes for both audiences and other comics. Since there are great places on both the East side and West side, I would recommend doing a Google search for “Open Mics Phoenix” and see what’s close to you. You can’t go wrong.
Q: Is it better to try out jokes in front of friends and family, or in front of a camera?
A: I’ll take this one in two parts. First, trying jokes: There are no shortcuts – you have to try them on stage and keep in mind the audience is never wrong. You may not get the reaction you want, but if you believe in the joke you have to continue to change it up a bit until you get the reaction you are looking for. Second, practicing: I always like to take a video of my set and ‘dissect’ it. It gives me a different perspective than just getting in front of a mirror. I can compare where I think I will get a laugh to the video of my delivery and try to gauge whether that will be accomplished. But again, no substitute for a live audience. Take videos of your live set when you can as well. Friends/family can be too nice.
Q: How can a starting-out comic prepare for hecklers?
A: That’s the hardest part because there really is no preparing for it. But I would suggest just moving along in your set and ignore the heckler. The audience didn’t pay to see a heckler and they will have an understanding what you are going through. If you keep moving forward, the club will take care of the heckler. Easier said than done, however.
Q: What’s the worst heckle you’ve ever heard?
A: I’ve had my share of drunk people shout out things and try to be part of the show. But my biggest challenge with an audience at times is to have them understand they can laugh at me as a one handed person. Sometimes early in my comedy journey an audience would give a collective “ahhhh…” in a ‘I feel bad for this guy’ kind of way. That was my fault because of the way I delivered the material (remember, that audience is never wrong). But I have since learned how to deliver better and what to do to get them back to laughing. After all, I’m a one handed guy poking fun at a one handed guy!
Q: What would you rather have: A crowd that mostly laughs except for one annoying heckler, or a crowd that is crickets for laughs but no one is rude?
A: I would rather have a crowd that mostly laughs and I would block out the heckler.
Q: When was your first open mic?
A: I took classes so my first time on stage was the showcase of students after the eight week classes. (We met once a week). That was in August of 2018.
Q: Your first paying gig?
A: I was lucky enough to get hired based on my student showcase set, so the very next month: September of 2018.
Q: Who are some of his favorite local comics:
A: Here is a list of truly great local comics: