Interview: Comedian Gabe Dinger
"...Someone being tortured by circumstance..."
Nailed Magazine conducted a series of interviews with comedians for the 2013 Bridgetown Comedy Fest in Portland, Oregon.
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NAILED: You do a lot of work with improv groups like Whiskey Tango, and you are an Improv instructor, as well. How does solo stand-up compare for you to group improv?
GABE DINGER: People ask me this a lot.To me, the main difference(s) between standup and improv is of course one is with a group, and the other is solo. Some standups have a hard time sharing the spotlight. Some improvisors have a hard time looking at, and talking to an audience. As far as a technique, standup is about getting to the punchline, whereas improv the laughs are more a response to scenario. Someone being tortured by circumstance. What I think people don’t look are the similarities of stand-up and improv. Honesty being the most parallel. If you asked the best improvisors and the best standups, what the most important thing is in comedy; they would both say honesty. It is, after all, the best policy.
NAILED: How do audiences for standup differ from audiences for improv, if at all? Do you prefer a one group over the other?
GABE DINGER: I do not prefer one over the other. I like just about any audience. I do think they are different. Improv audiences tend to be more forgiving, if not more kind. It has a theater vibe. There is very little chance of heckling, talking during the show, or being disruptive at all. I don’t think I have ever seen someone kicked out of an improv show. Although the thought of that makes me laugh. People in stand-up shows, I think, feel more connected to the show. The performer is looking out to them, and they are looking back. Also, a standup is actively looking for reaction from the audience. They’re more engaged with them.
NAILED: When was the last time you nailed it?
GABE DINGER: Nailed it? Hmm, let me think… I guess the last time your mom was in town! (BOOM! Just nailed it right there!)
Gabe Dinger started doing stand up comedy in 2005. He won the Portland Amateur Comedy Contest in 2006 showcasing his razor-sharp wit and unmatched timing, and in 2007 won the CBS Radio Laff Off. Gabe’s material is fun and smart in a way that is accessible to a wide audience. Gabe can boast being the first comedian in Oregon State history to perform at Oregon State Maximum Security Prison in Salem. Gabe is a main-stage cast member and instructor at Curious Comedy Theater. Gabe’s experience includes improv and sketch comedy making his stage performances exciting, dynamic, unpredictable, and always funny.
Gabe has performed in a variety of venues including Harvey’s (Portland, OR), Helium (Portland, OR), The Funny Bone (Boise, ID and Reno, NV) and countless one-nighters across the north and midwest. Gabe has also been a part of the Bridgetown Comedy Festival since its inception in 2008. In a nutshell, Gabe is the consummate comedian. You won’t want to miss his exciting thrill ride of a show.
This interview was conducted during Portland’s annual Bridgetown Comedy Fest, which takes place on the weekend of April 18 – 21, 2013. Click here for information on shows that feature Gabe Dinger during the 2013 festival. [Photo Via: Gabe Dinger]