"That was a pretty rough show!" Amanda Cohen on Timing in Comedy

We want to keep things light and fun here at the podcast We Are Old, Get Over It! It's not all serious, sobering topics - as important as those things are. But you gotta have some fun too, and who better to join in than some great comedians?Amanda Cohen made an appearance on the podcast back over the holidays, and now we have the full conversation for you, all in one place. Amanda has been a stand-up comic for 20 years, not in a row. Her first performance was at her high school cabaret at 17, and she's placed in the top 16 of the World Series of Comedy twice.Amanda talks about her journey in stand-up comedy, the challenges she's faced as a female comic, what it's really like to interact with the audience, and the fusion of burlesque and comedy in her career.We discover the writing process, some of the unique and sticky situations she's found herself in, and the importance of understanding audience dynamics. No two audiences are the same, which logically means that a joke that doesn't work one night could knock 'em out the next.We learn about some pre-show rituals, and why it's important to understand comedy history and assumptions if you really want to grow and thrive.And then Amanda shares her experiences with her father's decline due to Lewy body dementia, reflecting on the impact of family, caregiving, and the influence of comedy in her life.We look at the challenges of balancing personal and professional life while navigating the complexities of aging and memory loss.Through it all, Amanda's humor shines through as she recounts her father's artistic legacy and their shared love for comedy, providing a poignant look at the intersection of family and creativity.Check out some of Amanda's comedy sets:Amanda's Stand-Up Special from the Comedy Cube, courtesy Funny Media Group:https://youtu.be/LzTqvTQy5sg?si=hSeP4nmGp2kgzdYZAmanda's Set at the Copa Santa Barbara:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4WR-ly5RBwAmanda's Set at Don't Tell Comedy in Pittsburgh:https://youtu.be/qT0XavdfvuU?si=1Kuxhc5yzsKr4kOL---Reach out to the show by visiting our website,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠weareoldpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and send me your thoughts and suggestions at [email protected].