After taking a stand-up comedy workshop through Lewiston Adult Ed., Hartill won first place at the amateur stand-up comedy competition at The Strand Theatre in Rockland in June. She also performed in the Portland Comedy Showcase at Bull Feeney’s and at The Thread Theater in Lewiston last month.
She’s made it into Round 2 at the Couch Summer Comedy Classic competition in Portland, performing next July 17.
She may be unstoppable. Like Axe Body Spray.
Name: Dawn Hartill
Age: 43
Hometown: I was born and raised in Niagara Falls, N.Y., but I have called Lewiston my hometown for the past 19 years.
What inspired you to take the class this spring? I am a mom of three teenage boys; add in my husband, and that means I live with four males. I have to find stuff to do outside the house . . . you know, mostly to lower my exposure to testosterone. A stand-up comedy workshop sounded fun and I was right! I am so glad I gave it a try.
It’s a wild crowd. You’re about to go on stage. Any nerves? I don’t usually get nervous, but I’ve had butterflies a few times. The show I did at The Strand Theatre was my biggest audience yet, so I was a little nervous for that one. I just told myself, “I’m a mom. I’ve handled tantrums, carpools and three boys going through puberty. I got this!” It worked!
Imagining everyone in the audience naked: Yeah or nay? NAY. Very much NAY. I mean, this is Maine: Nobody wants to see anyone naked after our long winters. Maybe at the end of the summer. Check back with me.
Your relationship with Axe Body Spray sounds tenuous . . . How did it earn a spot in your act? Again, as the mom of three teenage boys, I write material about what I know. Axe is a staple at our house. I figure that I can’t be the only parent out there being asphyxiated on a daily basis by that stuff, so I wrote some jokes about it. It worked. Sometimes after I perform, people come up to me and say, “I feel that same way about Axe! I’m so glad to know I’m not alone.” It’s a public service really.
What makes YOU laugh? I love to laugh. I’m one of those people that tries to find humor in every situation. I have a drawing on my desk of a daisy by the artist Mary Engelbreit. Underneath the flower, in tiny little letters, it says, “Lighten the hell up.” It is a good reminder not to take myself too seriously.
How’d you decide to get involved in the Great Falls Balloon Festival? The balloon festival was one of the first events I attended when I moved to Maine in August 1997. I have volunteered at the festival for several years working in the souvenir booth. I love meeting all the people that attend the festival and seeing the gorgeous balloons. This year, there was a vacancy on the board of directors, so I accepted a position as the marketing and media director. It has been a pleasure to work with the wonderful people that plan the festival and I am really looking forward to this year’s specialty balloons, Darth Vader and Yoda. Marketing plug: “The Force Takes Flight,” August 19-21, 2016!
Thing you’re most looking forward to this summer, festival aside, of course? Summer is my favorite time of the year. I’m looking forward to taking some days off from work and spending time at the ocean with my guys. Secondly, I’m looking forward to continuing to do as much stand-up comedy as my schedule will allow. I’m having a blast and I am going to ride the comedy wave as long as I can.
Advice to someone sitting on the sidelines, maybe thinking about getting involved, maybe thinking about taking a class outside their comfort zone: I saw a motivational poster once that said, “Don’t wait until you’re not scared to do the thing you want to do. DO IT SCARED.” I have had so many exciting experiences because I did things that were outside my comfort zone. Go for it!
kskelton@sunjournal.com
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