Among us mere mortals on Bainbridge Islandlives Dan Rosenberg, a nationally renowned standup comedian/writer/producer, and now starof the 7-time award-winning sitcom, “It’s A Lot,”about a used car salesman, played by Rosenberg,and starring Rick Springfield as his rock star dad.
Dan Rosenberg’s other successes are many.
They include AmazonPrime’s “Dan Rosenberg: Overexposed,” a YouTube comedyspecial, “Finger Quotes,” and the best-selling “The Book onHosting: How Not to Suck as an Emcee.” Over his career,spanning 30-plus years, he’s performed at major comedy clubsand prestigious comedy festivals across the U.S. andCanada.secrets
But 50-something Rosenberg feels as though he’s only just begun.
“My recent wins are just fuel for the fire,” he said. “I’m currently working on a one-man show. At the same time, my agent is working hard to get the sitcom pilot sold. The momentum is definitely there.”
And on the local stage, Rosenberg is working to make the art of stand-up comedy accessible to the rest of us through Side Quest Stage, where he hosts “Standup Comedy Dojo” once a month.
Why call it a dojo, you ask? “Because it’s a place for practice and repetition,” he said. “We bring together up to 10 comedians, ranging from beginners to seasoned vets, for a two-hour workshop. Immediately afterwards, we put on a show to test that fresh material in front of a live audience. My goal is to build a local community of writers and performers who support one another and grow together.”
Rosenberg’s inspiration for Comedy Dojo was participating in several online writers rooms, where comedians meet monthly to workshop new bits. “It always strikes me how helping others ‘punch up’ their material gets my own creative juices flowing,” he said. “It actually makes writing my own sets easier, so I wanted to bring that collaborative energy to a physical space.”
Rosenberg credits much of Side Quest’s success to its managing director, Kate Henderson. “None of this little community would have existed without Kate opening her doors for this,” he said.
Henderson said her vision is that Side Quest becomes a hub for creative and interactive entertainment on Bainbridge Island.
Rosenberg is surprised by how many people have a “hidden itch” to do standup. “It has been exciting to see the community take root and grow,” he said. “If you’ve ever had a fear of public speaking and want a safe, fun way to try standup, we are your home. Thankfully, I’ve never had tomatoes thrown at me.”
Rosenberg’s advice for those interested in becoming a comedian or actor? “Come to one of the dojos, even just to watch. Three times, people came in to be a fly on the wall and they performed two hours later in front of an audience!”
Comics can sign up for the workshops for free on Side Quest’s website. Because of the adult material, participants must be 18 or older and have a genuine desire to try standup.
Learn more at sidequeststage.com
