Dylan Mandlsohn’s standup career started in a high school auditorium.
“When I was 17 years old, I did a show in high school, and it was the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life,” he said.
Mandlsohn has been doing standup comedy for 11 years. He’s performed at the Just for Laughs international comedy festival and the Boston comedy festival, has starred in his own Comedy Now special and continues to tour Canada and America.
Mandlsohn was always a class clown. Comedy, for the 28-year-old, wasn’t just about getting laughs, it was about acceptance.
“Being funny was a great way to become accepted in high school. As long as I was the funny guy, I was accepted. No one really asked who I was, what my story was, it was, ‘Hey, Dylan, do the impression of Arnold Schwarzenegger,’” he said.
“It was just easier to make people laugh, it keeps them at arm’s length… it was just a way to make friends and not show all the sides. If I was sad, I could mask that.”
When Mandlsohn was 18, he participated in a Yuk Yuk comedy club’s new talent night.
“They liked me, they invited me back, and then it snowballed into working for Yuk Yuk’s.”
While the comedian attended the University of Windsor for drama, most of his university years were spent on the road, going from comedy club to comedy club.
“I was a straight C student. I was writing essays on hotel scratch pads,” he said.
At 22, Mandlsohn decided to take some time off from comedy.
“I felt I was addicted to the laughs. I was addicted to the compliments that came with the show, and I could easily be shattered if someone didn’t like my show,” he said.
“I thought, ‘I’m not going to become the person or comedian I want to become if I’m so dependent on being validated by people.”
Now, comedy is Mandlsohn’s full-time job, although he occasionally substitute teaches on the side and would like to get into television and movies. He owns two houses, one in Toronto and another in Los Angeles, and continues to tour North America.
In the past 11 years, his comedy style, which is a combination of observations, impersonations and funny faces, has matured.
“My routines have changed… before, there were a lot of impressions, it was character driven. Now, I have a stronger point of view on stage… now there’s a point to the mimickery,” he said.
“My jokes come from a lot of observations and a lot of things that frustrate me. Frustration is such a great emotion to create off of.”
Mandlsohn’s routine includes material about his time at teacher’s college, his experiences with women and his religion.
“It’s a small percentage [of my routine] but definitely a significant one… It affects me. There’s aspects of how I’ve grown up as a Jewish person, things that I’ve really enjoyed and things that have frustrated me,” he said.
While performing in American towns, Mandlsohn, who grew up in Toronto, was forced to step out of his comfort zone.
“I remember doing different audiences, coming into the States and doing a run in Florida. The audiences down there are Republican and religious. I’m everything the opposite. I’m more liberal minded… If I can make those people laugh, [my jokes] must be funny,” he said.
When he can’t identify with an audience, Mandlesohn tries to get the audience to identify with him.
“I have to get them to understand who I am… when I’m on stage, they can still see where I’m coming from even if they’re like, ‘I never had that experience before.’” he said.
“I’m a Jew. Some people have never met a Jewish person before, but I still make them laugh.”
Mandlsohn is currently involved in the Groundlings Improvisational Troupe in Los Angeles.
“[Improv] is a different animal. Stand-up is one person behind a mike that… expects a laugh every 15 seconds. Improv is a scene. There can be no laughs until the very end,” he said.
While Mandlsohn can be described as a seasoned professional, the comedian still gets nervous before his shows.
“It’s a different type of nervous, like a roller-coaster ride, when you hear the click. You’re already committed, you think, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m doing this,’” he said.
But still, he continues to perform.
“I really, really want to be on that ride. My wanting to be on that ride is bigger that the fear I have.”
Mandlsohn’s next shows in Canada are at Yuk Yuk’s in Kitchener, Ont., on Feb.13 and 14.
His myspace page is at www.myspace.com/comediandylan.
