‘Improv, culturally, it’s just a community.’ This local comedian has found affinity in Philly’s scene.
“As soon as you go to your first class, or your first jam, or your first show, people are welcoming you in,” said comedian and licensed clinical social worker Marcely Jean-Pierre.
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If you’re curious about the world of improv, comedian Marcely Jean-Pierre has a recommendation: Just show up. If you’re anything like him, you’ll see how much fun everyone is having and that in itself will hook you.
Jean-Pierre is the host and producer of the Outta Pocket Comedy Show in South Philadelphia and a member of the No Diggity and NYTEshift teams. He also performs as a solo act throughout Philly and New Jersey and is a member of Crossroads Comedy Theater.
“Improv, culturally, it’s just a community,” he said. “As soon as you go to your first class, or your first jam, or your first show, people are welcoming you in.”
It’s no secret that the improv world has historically excluded people of color (just look at SNL’s track record), and Jean-Pierre definitely felt the effects of that in his early improv days.
“Somebody had the idea of getting us all together to do a show … that sort of shifted to us being an actual team. It was the most liberating experience,” he said of his teammates on NYTEshift (formerly American Express before they received a subpoena). They were all on teams at the Philly Improv Theater, where they were the only members of color.
“I realized when I was the sole person of color on my improv team, I was editing myself and I was thinking ‘Are they gonna get this? ... I need to catch up on my Harry Potter, so I can connect with them.’”
He said being on a team of all people of color felt like “speaking the same language.”
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“I think that helped me level up because I was really able to shed the walls and shed … all the layers of protection and all the self editing and self doubt,” he said.
Jean-Pierre says he no longer gets nervous about the shows, and that comes down to the community and connection he has created with his teams.
“When you know that you’re safe with the people that you’re on stage with ... it’s easy to just kind of let that guard down,” he said.
Check out Outta Pocket Comedy Show on July 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Two Locals Brewing Company in West Philly and July 27 at 8 p.m. at Sawubona Creativity Project in South Philly. Follow him on Instagram @mjeanious.