Comedian, actor and multi award winning writer/director JD Shapiro will be premiering his new and second ever comedy hour ‘If It Ain’t Woke... Don’t Fix It: Stories from The Hood to Hollywood’ at Just The Tonic Caves.
The show tells his incredible life story, from growing up poor in small communities in New Jersey & NYC’s Hell’s Kitchen to how he made it to Hollywood with no money and no connections.
In New Jersey, jD lived in a run down, one-bathroom house with his three sisters and Mum, whom despite the hardships, he credits with showing him the capacity for strength that women possess. In Hell’s Kitchen jD lived with his Dad in a tiny, one-bedroom apartment jD affectionately calls ”a shit-hole”.
At the time he lived in Hell’s Kitchen, it was considered one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in NYC and he spent his time stepping over junkies and the occasional dead body.
He finally made it in Hollywood. After writing Robin Hood: Men In Tights which he sold to Mel Brooks & Twentieth Century Fox, jD was heavily involved in production and after fighting with Brooks, was responsible for finally convincing him to hire a then unknown Dave Chappelle.
jD also worked with and got to know a lot of other celebrities which feature in the show including cinema greats like Sir Sean Connery, Robin Williams, George Lucas, Marlon Brando, Stan Lee, Kevin Bacon, Betty White and Mila Kunia and musical glitterati David Bowie, George Harrison, Bono and Michael Jackson.
JD Shapiro’s ‘If It Ain’t Woke... Don’t Fix It: Stories from The Hood to Hollywood’ is at Just The Tonic @ The Caves – Attic at 5.20pm from 3rd – 27th August. For tickets go to www.edfringe.com
Read more Edinburgh interviews here.
*Note: JD Shapiro wrote his answers in capitals, so we've kept it that way. Gotta respect the writers.
What is the last thing you do before you go onstage (apart from check your flies and/or check your knickers aren't sticking out of your skirt and check for spinach between your teeth)
WHEN I FIRST STARTED DOING STAND UP I’D PACE, SMOKE (AND I DON’T SMOKE) GOT INTO A FOETAL POSITION, SOMETIMES THROW UP AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO “ESCAPE”. AFTER ABOUT 9 MONTHS SOMETHING CHANGED. WHICH I CAN EXPLAIN WHAT IF YOU’RE INTERESTED. THEN I DID WHAT I DO NOW.
AS I HEAD TO THE VENUE I LISTEN TO MUSIC TO PUMP MYSELF UP AND I VISUALISE THE THE AUDIENCE AND ME HAVING A GREAT TIME.
ONCE THERE, IN THE GREEN ROOM (OR BEHIND THE CURTAIN) I BOX, DO PUSH UPS AND THEN ACT OUT DOING A “PICK 6”, THIS IS AN AMERICAN TERM ABOUT AMERICA FOOTBALL WHEN A DEFENSIVE PLAYER INTERCEPTS THE BALL AND GETS A TOUCHDOWN. THIS IS A VERY RARE AND A VRY EXCITING MOMENT (FROM PEE-WEE FOOTBALL- 9 YEARS OLD, THROUGH MY FIRST THREE YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL AND A MY SECOND YEAR OF UNIVERSITY I PLAYED AMERICAN FOOTBALL, MOSTLY DEFENSE AND GOT SEVERAL “PICK 6’s). SO THIS PUMPS ME UP AND GIVES ME THE CONFIDENCE TO GO FOR IT - KNOWING AT TIME “IT” WON’T WORK.
THEN RIGHT BEFORE I HIT THE STAGE I ADJUST MY PACKAGE SO IT’S NOT WOBBLING ALL OVER THE PLACE WHEN I PERFORM
SIDE NOTE:
NOW THAT I’VE SPENT A DECADE ON AND OFF IN THE EU (AND THE PAST YEAR A FEW MONTHS IN UK - MOSTLY SCOTLAND) I CAN’T IMAGINE WHY AMERICAN FOOTBALL IS CALLED “FOOTBALL.” WE ONLY KICK THE BALL A FEW TIMES A GAME. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED:
HAND BALL
TACKLE BALL
HIT THE MAN WITH THE BALL
KILL THE MAN WITH THE BALL
BRAIN DAMAGE BALL
What irritates you?
MAN-MADE RELIGION (AND ALL RELIGION IS MAN-MAD) AND MARKETING/ADVERTISING ON THE TOP OF MY LIST. THEN HYPOCRISY SINCE MOST “RELIGIOUS” PEOPLE ARE ANYTHING BUT THUS WE COME BACK TO HYPOCRISY. AND WITH MARKETING/ADVERTISING- GETTING PEOPLE TO BUY SHIT THEY NOT ONLY DON’T NEED BUT DON’T WANT THUS HURTING THEIR INCOME AND KILLING OUT PLANET DUE TO ALL THIS CRAP BEING MADE AND THROWN OUT. THEN PROGRESSIVE WOKISM WHICH ARE PEOPLE WHO ONLY SEE THINGS IN BLACK & WHITE, DON’T SEE THE NUANCES IN THINGS AND IF I AGREE WITH 95% OF THEIR VIEWS I GET CANCELLED BECAUSE I DON’T AGREE WITH 100%- EVEN WHEN I AM USING FACTS- WHICH AGAIN COMES BACK TO HYPOCRISY SINCE THEY, LIKE THE FAR RIGHT, ONLY USE THE FACTS THAT ARE CONVENIENT TO THEIR AGENDA. ALTHOUGH NO ONE IS THE SUM-TOTAL OF LABELS PEOPLE GIVE THEM, I AM A CONTRADICTION, A BIT OF AN ANARCHIST AND CERTAINLY A PROGRESSIVE AND DUE TO WOKE AND WOKISM IN THE USA TRUMP GOT ELECTED, AND THIS CANCER IS SPREADING ALL OVER THE WORLD.
What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done?
I AM NOT ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT DURING MY SHOW I DO TALK ABOUT THE TIME I “RAN” WITH THE HELL’S KITCHEN IRISH GANG CALLED “THE WESTIES.” TO THIS DAY STILL ONE OF THE MOST RUTHLESS GANGS EVER IN THE USA. I WAS NOT PART OF THE GANG SINCE I WAS VERY YOUNG WHEN I HAD MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THEM AND NOT OF IRISH BLOOD (ALTHOUGH I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED I DO EITHER HAVE IRISH, SCOTTISH OR WALES BLOOD IN ME - MY GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER WAS A DRIFTER AND IT’S IN MY DNA) MY FIRST ENCOUNTER THE WESTIE WAS GOING TO KILL ME, THEN DECIDED TO BEFRIEND ME AND TAKE ME TO THEIR MAIN BAR, BUY ME DRINKS AND GIVE ME A KNIFE. I DIDN’T KNOW IT AT THE TIME BUT HE WAS ONE OF THE GUYS WHO STARTED THE CLUB. I WAS ELEVEN YEARS OLD. SO DURING MY SHOW I WILL TALK ABOUT THINGS NEVER SPOKEN OF, NOT EVEN TO MY FAMILY OR FRIENDS, BUT A FEW HAD AN IDEA WHAT WAS GOING AND WERE NOT SURPRISED AT SOME OF THE THINGS I TOLD THEM AND VERY SHOCKED AT OTHER THINGS.
THINGS I DID SOME MIGHT CONSIDER DANGEROUS:
JUMP OFF THE ROOF OF MY MOM’S HOUSE ONTO A MATTRESS WEARING A CAP THINKING I COULD POSSIBLY FLY A FEW FEET AND LAND SAFELY. I BROKE MY WRIST. SADLY, I WAS 27 YEARS OLD WHEN I TRIED THIS. OK, OK, I WAS AROUND 6 OR 7. MAYBE 8. POSSIBLY 13.
JUMPING MY FRIENDS MOTOR-DIRT BIKES OFF HILLS AND CLIFFS
STEALING CARS TO GO JOY RIDING WITH MY FRIENDS AT 130 MILES AN HOUR ON EMPTY HIGHWAYS
RACING FRIENDS IN STOLEN CARS (MANY TIMES STOLEN FROM OUR PARENTS FOR THIS ONE) ON ROADS THAT HAD ONE LANE EACH WAY AND DRIVING ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD IN AREAS THAT THERE WERE BLIND SPOTS LUCKILY NOT KILLING ANYONE, ANYTHING, OR MYSELF.
WATCHING “BATTLEFIELD EARTH” AT THE PREMIERE (I ACTUALLY LEFT FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES, SMOKED (AGAIN, I DON’T SMOKE) AND THUS I’VE NEVER SEEN THE MOVIE IN FULL.
What is the most stupid thing you have ever done?
YOU GOT ABOUT A YEAR TO READ THE LIST?
I SUFFER FROM MANIC DEPRESSION, I GET ANXIETY WHEN I LEAVE THE HOUSE AND I DON’T LIKE BEING IN CROWDS. THUS THE REASON I BECAME A STAND UP. I’M ALSO SERVILELY DYSLEXIC, THUS THE REASON I BECAME A WRITER (AND DIRECTOR). THIS LEADS TO THE “STUPID” THINGS OF MANY TIMES BEING OFFERED THE LOW HANGING FRUIT- TOSSING IT AWAY AND CLIMBING MOUNT EVEREST BEYOND TO ACHIEVE MY GOAL WHETHER IT WAS WRITING A SCRIPT, DIRECTING A MOVIE, BEING THE CREATIVE CONSULTANT ON MOVIES AND MOST THINGS IN LIFE.
HOWEVER, NOW THAT I EMBRACE MY MANY DEMONS AND USE THEM INSTEAD OF THEM USING ME I NO LONGER LOOK AT ANYTHING I DID AS STUPID. IT WAS PART OF MY JOURNEY- ONE UP UNTIL A FEW YEARS AGO I NEVER LIVED BECAUSE I WAS ALSO FOCUSSED ON THE DESTINATION. NOW I FOCUS ON THE NOW. LIVING IN THE MOMENT. WITH A PLAN FOR THE FUTURE BUT TRUSTING MY GUT TO GO “RIGHT” WHEN EVERYONE ELSE SAYS “GO LEFT” AND SO WHAT I ONCE CONSIDERED STUPID WELL, HAD I NOT BEEN WHO WHAT MY LIFE WOULD BE LIKE NOW AND IN THE PAST FEW YEARS INSTEAD OF SUFFERING MOST DAYS I AM NOW ENJOYING MY LIFE MOST DAYS, I DON’T ALWAYS WIN THE BATTLE WTH MY DEMONS, BUT I DO WIN THE WAR.
HOWEVER, OTHERS CAN SAY IT WAS STUPID TO KEEP MY NAME ON THE MOVIE “BATTLEFIELD EARTH”. THIS IS A STORY I TALK ABOUT.
AND OF COURSE THE STUPIDEST THING I DID WAS BUY AN ALBUMN WITH SINGING BY DAVID HASSELHOFF
What has surprised you the most during your career in comedy?
WHAT I WROTE ABOVE; LEARNING TO LIVE IN THE MOMENT.
MITZI SHORE MAKING ME A MADE MAN (PAID REGULAR) AT THE COMEDY STORE ON THE SUNSET STRIP (AND THE SAN DIEGO STORE) AFTER I’VE BEEN DOING COMEDY FOR ONLY AROUND A YEAR AND A HALF.
THE INTELLIGENCE OF MANY AUDIENCE MEMBERS AND THE STUPIDITY OF MANY AUDIENCE MEMBERS.
THE PUSH BACK I GET FROM BOTH THE FAR RIGHT AND WOKE LEFT WHEN I TALK ABOUT FACTS. SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN OR HISTORICAL FACTS.
BEING EMBRACED FOR MY COMEDY FOR (NAME DROPPING TO TAKE PLACE) MANY A-LISTERS, INCLUDING ROBIN WILLIAMS WHO WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO TALKED ME INTO DOING STAND UP.
THEY JOY I FEEL WHEN I’M HAVING FUN ON STAGE. EVEN WHEN THE AUDIENCE MIGHT NOT BE, ALTHOUGH I DO MOST DEFINITELY PREFER WHEN THEY DO BUT IF THEY DON’T I DON’T PANDER TO THEM AND I PLOUGH ON. DON’T GET ME WRONG, I WILL ADJUST MY SETS - BUT NOT TO PANDER. ONLY WHEN I REALIZE I AM TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS CULTURALLY UNIQUE TO THE USA AND/OR SPAIN AND THUS I’D HAVE TO EXPLAIN AND IF YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN A JOKE, BIT AND/OR ROUTINE THAN IT DOESN’T WORK WELL AND IS NOT ONLY NOT FUNNY BUT NOT INTERESTING TO THE AUDIENCE WHICH THEN MEANS IT’S NOT INTERESTING TO ME TO TALKK ABOUT.
Interview continues here
