Laurie Kilmartin: transformed by laughs New York-based writer-performer says she's shy off stage

Laurie Kilmartin was never class clown. She isn't the type ofperson who is always cracking jokes or thrives on being the center ofattention. However, get the California native in front of an audienceand she becomes a comedy dynamo, fearlessly riffing on everythingfrom political topics and racial issues to interpersonalrelationships and sexual politics.

"There's a big difference in how I am in real life and how I am onstage," Kilmartin said recently. "Offstage I keep to myself. I'm likeserial-killer shy. I stay in my hotel room all day and watch TV or goon the Internet."

Given her personality, comedy seems like an odd career choice.Kilmartin attributes it to seeing Dana Carvey perform around the BayArea in the mid-'80s before he joined the cast of Saturday NightLive.

"I really connected with his style and I didn't connect with a lotof comics," she said. "I wasn't inspired by Joan Rivers and all thatstuff but Dana was great because he did characters and there was alightness to him. I thought it was something I could do. I'm nothinglike him now but he totally inspired me."

Kilmartin was 22 when she started hitting open mike nights aroundthe Bay Area in 1987. "I was just floating around lost," she said. "Iwas a competitive swimmer but I quit, started eating professionallyand gained 60 pounds. I dropped out of college, and I was pretty lostso I tried comedy and I had so much fun. I really loved it, and I washooked."

Within two years, Kilmartin was working full-time and touringnationally. In the last few years she has written for Tough CrowdWith Colin Quinn, guest starred on Shorties Watching Shorties andperformed on Premium Blend (all on Comedy Central), however, likemost comics, most of Kilmartin's time is spent performing in comedyclubs. She enjoys it, but admits life on the road is grueling.

"Performing is completely fun," Kilmartin said. "That is my treat,and my paycheck is for being alone in a strange city for a whole weekand being away from the people I love."

That isn't a concern this week because Kilmartin's boyfriend ChrisMata, who is also a comic, will be the featured act for herheadlining run at Jokers Comedy Cafe.

"That's one week where I'm not in complete misery," she said. "Weget to work together sometimes and I try to push for it, but if theyalready have a feature I can't do it."

Kilmartin, a lifelong Californian, moved to New York City in 1998.Today, she and Mata live in West Harlem.

"I grew up in a classic tract-home suburb, and New York City isjust the opposite in every single way," Kilmartin said. "It sort ofcracked my head open and I started writing a lot more. It's soenthralling to be there because it's exciting and alive. I was justgoing to live in New York for a year and then move to L.A. but Icompletely fell in love with it. I'll probably move one day because Idon't want to be 80 years old in Harlem, but I love it right now."

In late 2002, Kilmartin took a two-year break from touring to workon Tough Crowd. In addition to writing for the program, which wascanceled in late 2004 after two seasons, she was a guest nine times.

"It was a fun show, man," Kilmartin said. "I'm so bummed theycanceled it, I can't believe it."

With Tough Crowd behind her, Kilmartin is sending out writingpackets in the hopes of landing work on a sitcom or comedy-relatedprogram. However, in the meantime, she has returned her focus to roadwork and will be making frequent trips outside of New York this year.For information on future dates in the area, visit www.kilmartin.com.

Contact free-lance arts and music writer Don Thrasher atdonaldthrasher8@aol.com.

How to go

- WHO: Laurie Kilmartin with Chris Mata and Big John.

- WHERE: Jokers Comedy Cafe, 8900 Kingsridge Drive, Miami Twp.

- WHEN: 8 and 10:30 tonight, 7, 9:15 and 11:15 p.m. Saturday and 8p.m. Sunday.

- COST: $15-$34 tonight and Saturday, $7-$27 Sunday.

- MORE INFO: Call 433-LAFF (5233) or go online towww.jokerscafe.com.