When asked what excursions people miss the most during the Covid-19 pandemic, the answers tend to fall between going to concerts, traveling, or being able to eat in a restaurant with no restrictions. For me, I look forward to being able to watch stand-up comedians in person again.

Sure, Netflix and YouTube boast a wide variety of stand-up videos to keep you laughing for days, and Comedy Central routinely posts clips of their “Best Of’s”. But there is something about watching live comedy in person that offers a certain sort of magic: you’ve been invited into the performer’s bubble and now you see the world through their perspective. Suddenly, things that you didn’t consider comical are now absolutely hilarious and you think, I wish I could see the world from this person’s eyes. Top that off with the intimate setting of a theater, and you see what I have been missing.

Finding New Ways to Thrive

Mike Maloney is a stand-up comic from Chicago. Prior to the pandemic, he was performing once a week and doing open mics. Now he has turned his focus to writing and podcasting, but not other ways of performing. “Many comics I know still perform on Zoom shows or have expanded to YouTube or TikTok. While I applaud them for branching out and adjusting to the restrictions the pandemic has put on us, those avenues don’t interest me. I have witnessed a few Zoom shows and they just don’t have that same authenticity that you get at a bar or nightclub.”

Stand-up comedy is yet another example of performance art on hold in the time of Covid. And while vaccines roll out around the United States and certain places begin to open with limited capacity, we still are a while away from sitting in a bar and laughing during an open-mic. Big-name comics like Kevin Hart, Iliza Shlesinger, and Pete Davidson won’t have to worry about making ends meet without shows, but up-and-coming comedians are trying to keep up with the transition from “live in the theater” to “live over Zoom”.

“With live comedy, sometimes people walk in off the street and the audience changes by the minute. It’s a thrilling environment that keeps you on your toes. Getting to physically see and meet the people who you make laugh is huge”, Maloney wrote to me. “Zoom comedy shows don’t have a lot of spectators who aren’t comics, and comics are known to not be the best audience members because they are usually thinking about their own material.”

Stand-Up Comedians Standing Up Against Challenges

The pandemic hasn’t made the comedy scene completely barren though. Thanks to platforms like Instagram and TikTok, a number of people have found success through performing online during a time when stages and clubs are shut down to the public. Newcomer Sarah Cooper shot to stardom through TikTok and landed a Netflix comedy special, while actress and writer Maria DeCotis gained a widespread following for her spot-on impressions of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Saturday Night Live notably did the last few episodes over their previous season over Zoom, with cast members calling in from their homes and even inviting special guests to appear via screen-share.

When bars and clubs shut down around Jonathan Osei, it seemed like his emerging comedy career might be on hold as well. Instead, he followed other stars and took social media: “I thought it would be important to give TikTok and Instagram a try with my comedy during the pandemic. I will say that it has been difficult to generate content without everyday exposure to the public. Limited social interaction was a setback in some ways but in others a blessing. To the best of my ability I continue to chase my dreams no matter the hurdles which may arise.”

Through TikTok, Osei has won fans through his impersonations of Eddie Murphy and Michael Jackson, but he does admit that he misses the live comedy life. “The thing I miss most about doing live comedy is the ability to captivate the many eyes in the room and to feel the collective energy. That way I can reach my true goal of generating happiness for the many in the room, including myself.”

He credits his loved ones for motivating him, because, “They reinforce me when I need building up and they also regularly remind me, by action, that it is important to diversify my view.”

Big Names Making Big Moves

Some stand-up comedians have even taken to alternate stages to perform new routines: Jim Gaffigan, who frequently tours and does specials for Amazon Prime and Netflix, did a one-of-a-kind set at a drive-in theater last year and has now launched the Drive-Thru Comic Tour around the United States. New York comedian Sam Morril released an entire show titled Up on the Roof on YouTube in November, which was shot on various rooftops across Manhattan. At the beginning of the stand-up, Morril comments that “comedy clubs are closed, but I still want to do comedy. I think we just gotta get people through. Get a mic, an amp, that’s all we need.”

Willie Macc is a rising actor and stand-up comedian from Saint Louis. Like Osei, he took to social media and began to start over when venues shut down. “At one point I was posting a stand-up clip every day and even started editing and filming new clips at MACC’S COMEDY SPOT, a fake comedy club that I built at my place in my apartment.”

Macc did tour slightly in the fall when some states re-opened, but he has performed largely over Zoom since the pandemic started. “I obviously didn’t prefer it over a stage but I embraced it as the new way of life fairly quickly. It was cool because I was able to travel the country without leaving my house! I had to write my jokes differently, I had to make it more engaging because it’s not the stage, there is no two-drink minimum, so people aren’t drinking. A lot of people are at home, so there are many distractions and you had to write and be ready for that.”

Even without the frequent travel and touring, Macc has still been busy. He flips houses on the side with his brother in Saint Louis and they have even landed their own HGTV show that will begin filming this spring. The pilot was filmed last fall and the show is set to air in 2022. He also has a young son, who “keeps me busy and on my toes.” In an online interview, he candidly shared that “I do have my darker days where I’m losing my mind and it can be depressing. You miss people, you miss interacting, and the walls in your place – no matter how big they are – you want to be out.” His honesty was humanizing: the people who make us laugh are struggling during this time too, yet they have chosen alternate methods to keep bringing humor out of this sad situation.

Live Comedy Lives On

As with most entertainment options these days, the return of in-person audiences to venues remains on hold. Live comedy, however, is still very much here and thriving in new formats. And despite the circumstances, the stand-up comedians that I spoke with all remained positive about the future: Macc and Osei continue to maintain an active presence on TikTok and Instagram. Maloney is busy writing new material, and while he misses performing, he’s not willing to put the safety of anyone at risk. “I’m just trying to get ready so when it is time to return to comedy, I’m ready with new material that still feels polished and prepared so I can come back and make an impact.”

Regardless of what type of performance venue you choose to follow as the pandemic wears on, Osei offered me this sage advice from his family: “Never grow complacent in my current positioning, and that I am always more than capable of accomplishing a multitude of my dreams. I encourage everyone reading to believe in themselves.”

Know of stand-up comedians that are making waves during the pandemic? Tell us about them in the comments.