Writing Jokes with Amanda Rosenberg (Killing My Lobster)
Jokes all have a kernel of truth to them — a truth, no matter how dark, crude, or shameful, that we can all relate to.
[@AmandaRosenberg on Twitter]
What’s your name and where did you grow up?
My name is Amanda Rosenberg and I grew up in London, England.
What’s interesting or uninteresting about the place in which you grew up?
We have free healthcare and ‘pudding’ is an umbrella term for dessert.
When and why did you first start writing comedy?
As is the law in the UK, I grew up watching a lot of Monty Python. So, from a young age, I was writing Python-esque sketches, which turned out to be truly awful — surreal — but awful. Also, I have a gross compulsion to make people laugh/like me.
How did Grown Ass Woman come together? What is your creation process for the series?
They say ‘write what you know’ and I only know how to be a woman in her late-twenties who’s still trying to get her shit together. I met Alli Zamani (who also writes and stars in Grown Ass Woman’s ‘Apartment’ series) through a sketch group we were part of. When I pitched her the idea, she related to a lot of the themes — not having enough energy to go out, feeling the pressure of not being as successful as you’d thought you’d be at this age, etc.
We film in a very fast, disorganised way because I’m impatient and have delusions of Robert Rodriguez-esque grandeur. Typically, once we’ve written the script, we’ll shoot on Saturday and start editing straightaway which means we can post the following week. This is all made possible by our director, Marcus Stenbeck.
Can you talk about writing for Killing My Lobster? What do you enjoy most about sketch comedy?
Killing My Lobster is a sketch comedy…I wanna say ‘troupe’ but then I really don’t wanna say ‘troupe’…who I write for. They are based in San Francisco and put on a live sketch show every month. Putting on a show every month means you have to be smart, fast, and fearless with your writing which can be both grueling and exhilarating at the same time. That said, KML is the best, and I am fortunate to be able to work with the funniest writers and actors IN THE WORLD.
What do I enjoy most about sketch comedy? The pace and the distillation — there’s no room for filler in a sketch. For me, the best sketches are those that heighten everyday situations in an unpredictable and absurd way, which is probably why Monty Python’s ‘Four Yorkshiremen’ is one of my favorite sketches of all time.
How did you end up getting cast as Jason Statham in a play? What is the play going to be about?
I think it’s because I’m British but I defer to Allison Page, the writer of the play:
JASONS is a play about every famous Jason retelling the story of Jason & The Argonauts in order to show that Jasons are still relevant, because the world is now run by Kaedens and Madysons with a Y in the middle. It was written for the San Francisco Olympians Festival which is a new works festival based on Greek mythology.
Amanda is so obviously Jason Statham I can’t even understand why anyone would ask that question. She’s clearly an action star and, though I haven’t seen this first hand, I would assume she looks pretty kickass with a shaved head. The Olympians Festival pulls in around 150 auditioners each year, and this is the first time I’ve pulled someone in who didn’t come to auditions. When a Statham speaks to you, you must answer the call and pull some strings. Also, she’s just really funny.
(JASONS, November 12th, EXIT Theatre, San Francisco.)
Is it more difficult to be a female comedy writer? Why or why not?
Yes, because of questions like this.
What do you like or dislike about the comedy scene in San Francisco?
I like the sense of community. The comedy scene in San Francisco is (relatively) not as sprawling as LA or New York. It feels more inclusive.
What’s the dumbest superhero name you can think of?
Manman.
Who is the funniest person you know?
My brother, who is neither a comedian, nor is he involved in comedy in any way. The thing that makes me laugh the most is watching him laugh at something I don’t find funny at all. Then when he explains why he finds it funny, it just makes me laugh even more.
Why are jokes funny?
Jokes all have a kernel of truth to them — a truth, no matter how dark, crude, or shameful, that we can all relate to. When we laugh at a joke it’s an expression of relief, like “thank fuck someone else said what I was thinking”.
Amanda is a comedy writer based in San Francisco that is writing wrongs. If you’re in town, check our JASONS on November 12th at The EXIT Theatre
For more on humor, follow @jokewriting on Twitter
Interview by Zuri Irvin (@withzuri)
