Standup Comedy Interview with Comedianne Monica Piper
This is a good one folks, Monica Piper is not only a terrific Standup Comic; but she won an Emmy for writing and Producing the “Rugrats” cartoon series. She wrote for shows like “Roseanne” and “Mad About You” with Paul Riser (another laughs alum), and was just off Broadway for over 200 shows with her One-Woman Show ” Not That Jewish”. Monica shares great stories, jokes, and laughs all through the interview…Enjoy!
Hosted by: R. Scott Edwards
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Podcast Transcript:
Scott Edwards:
Hey everybody, happy new year. This is your host Scott Edwards. And before we get into this week’s show, just wanted to mention there’s some old shows you may want to catch. First off back on August 7 of 2020, the guy that started it all our first headliner, George Wallace was interviewed. It has no show number, but if you go to that date, you’ll catch a great show. And then Larry Wilson comment magician extraordinare. On show seven. We have Mark Schiff on show 14 Steve Bruner, one of the cleanest and funniest guys out there and show 26 Don’t miss out on Willie Tyler and Lester show 48 And from Germany, Lois Bromfield, on show 50 And from New York, very funny gentleman who now teaches comedy writing Ross Bennett on show 56. So I just wanted to mention, you have the opportunity to go back and catch some great interviews. Now let’s get on with this week’s show. Here we go.
Announcer:
This is another episode of stand up comedy, your host and emcee. Celebrating 40 plus years on the fringe of show business stories, interviews and comedy sets from the famous and not so famous. Here’s your host and emcee Scott and words,
Scott Edwards:
ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another fantastic episode of Stand Up Comedy hosted emcee. And we have a real treat for you. You know, there’s not a lot of great, terrific female comics out there. But I was able to wrangle one down that used to work for me a lot back in the day. Ladies and gentlemen, she’s an Emmy Award winning Golden Globe nominated comedy writer. She’s a stand up comic motivational speaker, and she was a writer for shows like Roseanne Mad About You Veronica’s closet. And you may have heard this. She was the head writer and producer of the number one children’s animated series. Rugrats. That’s right, one of our favorites, ladies and gentlemen. It’s Monica Piper. Monica, we haven’t had a chance to
Monica Piper:
have a lot of people in your house.
Scott Edwards:
Well, we try to keep it exciting. And we’re excited to have you on the phone today that you have had such a busy busy life. It has taken me several months to tie you down for this interview. So we sure appreciate it. Monica, you have had a really interesting and involved career the last 20 years. But I’d like to give the audience a basis going back. Maybe 3040 years, I don’t know. 30 years. How did you end up in comedy?
Monica Piper:
Well, I was a high school English teacher. Before the Canadian
Scott Edwards:
Yeah. Oh, that. Yeah.
Monica Piper:
I had to leave teaching though. I, I couldn’t handle the money and prestige. But no, I was No, I really, I did love those kids. But I felt like I was doing five sets a day with hecklers. And I thought, well, if I’m doing it here and getting laughs Maybe I could actually do it as a career. So I did. I was a actually I was singing waitress at a restaurant in the valley in LA and, and I would sit on the piano and sing the blues. And then I started talking in the middle of it, like a little talking blues. And I started writing jokes. And and I would do them while I was singing and then then I said, Wow, I think I have a decent five minutes. So I auditioned at the Comedy Store. 1980 And she made me irregular. Mitzi. Sure, because I only had five minutes. That weekend, I had to do 20 So I was like, Oh, my God. But I don’t know I somehow did it. And that’s where I met these. Great funny ladies, you know, Diane Nichols. Carrie. Now. Sue Kolinsky, who’s now one of my best friends. Nancy Parker. Just so lowest problem felt so many funny. Oh, women. You were working the belly room then right? I was working the belly room where they put the where they put the girls.
Scott Edwards:
So let’s explain to the audience that the communist our famous, traditional stand up comedy club, one of the first in the country run by Mitzi shore after she left New York where Sammy Shore was In her were running a coupe, a few clubs, and she had the main room, which everybody has heard about every comic that’s anybody has been on the mainstage. But they had upstairs annex called the belly room. And it was kind of famous because so many terrific female comics came out of there. And everybody you mentioned, has worked for me. In fact, when you
Monica Piper:
see Bernie Hart as well, yeah, yeah, no, they have everyone loves going to your club.
Scott Edwards:
Yeah. And when you see soon next teller, I said, Hi, and she should get on this podcast as well. Susan, she
Monica Piper:
does a great podcast herself. Oh, cool. Mason. It’s called the culture podcast. And they have a lot of great guests.
Scott Edwards:
Ladies and gentlemen, there’s a plug Susan Kolinsky. Check out her podcast.
Monica Piper:
To Colette she doesn’t like being called Susan.
Scott Edwards:
Anyway until we’re close.
Monica Piper:
I will definitely tell her. I mean, we all had, we all have great memories of your club. Let me just see if we covered how I got into. I never really thought seriously about comedy for a living until I started doing improv at the holy city zoo in San Francisco. And we go on after all the comics. So and Robin Williams was in the improv group I was in. So I mean, I was there watching Robin, Dana Carvey, just so many greats and Paula Poundstone, just so many of the greats. And that’s when I thought, well, maybe I could do there.
Scott Edwards:
What, what a great place to cut your teeth. I mean, the holy city zoo. We’ve explained it to our audience in the past are really small, maybe 24 seed club, that where Robin Williams kind of made it famous, but many, many, many terrific comics came out of there. And having that exposure. Now you were saying you were writing material? You don’t remember
Monica Piper:
Kramer came out of there. And I think I worked with him at your club.
Scott Edwards:
Oh, yeah. Jeremy was a regular kind of a strange guy. But always funny. Very San Francisco.
Monica Piper:
Spread hilarious. Yeah. And I think the week I worked with him, we also worked with Bob Saget.
Scott Edwards:
Yeah, that would have been a great show. The producer must have been brilliant. So do you remember any of that early material? Do you? Was there a first joke or bit that really struck you and stuck with you those first couple years in the 80s?
Monica Piper:
Oh, God. So many. I remember one that I did. Because I had somewhat recently gotten divorced. And I remember this. I used to say, I was married once. We’re still good friends. And it’s just our values. were confused. I don’t really like to dwell on it. But I happened to have the wedding announce from here with me. And then I would read you know, perhaps this will share some insight as to what went wrong. And then I read you know, Mr. Mrs. Peter Baron, Jr. was to announce the wedding of their son, Peter Behrens, a third. A tall, extremely handsome, athletic, brilliant graduate of Harvard Law School, soon to open a private practice in San Francisco to a tiny Jewish woman who smokes. Oh, named furnish time request.
Scott Edwards:
That’s the wedding announcement. Kind of set the standard for the wedding. The marriage right.
Monica Piper:
Oh, yeah. And it’s interesting, because all those stories and you know, my marriage, these are all included in the play that I wrote and, and, and get off Broadway for 200 performances. Yeah,
Scott Edwards:
not that Jewish. Jewish. Yeah, it really.
Monica Piper:
Yeah. Anyway. So that was one of my first joke. My I think my first joke was I apparent Oh, my neighbor just got a new dog. Apparently his name is Get off the fucking couch. I remember which I think lacks imagination, because that’s her husband’s name, too. That was in my first five minutes at the Comedy Store.
Scott Edwards:
I remember that bit. Now. That was one of the things that you know, I’m getting older. I don’t have quite the memory. How did you come to work for me at laughs? Did you showcase a song?
Monica Piper:
No. I was trying to think about that. And I don’t know, I think maybe one of the headliners that you had recommended me to you.
Scott Edwards:
I was definitely guided by some terrific talent. You mentioned Bob Saget Dave Lea Shandling would recommend people to bring up and I love bringing female comics up because, sadly, there weren’t as many I mean, there’s probably one female comic for every 20 Male comics,
Monica Piper:
or more, right? Well, it’s different now. And we actually, we actually kind of laugh at the the thought that because of female comic was considered such a novelty. That the only you know, you’d always have two men and a female comic on a show. You’d never would have two females and a guy. You The only time you’d have two or three females was it was hey, this is this week, we got something really new and interesting. Female comedy show,
Scott Edwards:
you know. Yeah. And I was one of the guys that did that I used to love cherry snow and in lowest Bromfield. Laurie Kilmartin yourself had, there was a whole slew that I enjoyed working with Paula was one of my regulars when she first came out from Boston. So you know, I enjoy women. And working with women comics was always an extra treat. But But back then, there weren’t as many. Yeah, it was a bit of a novelty. Now, speaking of novelties, that’s a great segue into the one question that has to be answered. Ladies and gentlemen, Monica Piper, who has been successful as a television writer, producer, and comedian and motivational speaker, started off her comedy career with her real name, Maylee Davis. So, tell me and I booked you, as may Lee Davis for several years, and then all of a sudden it was Monica Piper. And we went with it, because it’s your right, you’re the artist, but briefly share with the audience. What happened to Maylee Davis.
Monica Piper:
actually talked about this in my play, too. I was born mainly Davis, and had a great future. And then there’s a projection on the screen of an actual place called mainly Chinese restaurant, and sushi. So because people always thought maybe it was like, Chinese country, Western singer, or something. You know, people ask me all the time, Are you Chinese? Are you Chinese? And now it’s so funny. Now I think about it. And I really, I liked my I liked mainly business, you know, I actually think it’s kind of a cute name. But at the time, I just felt that I needed to change it.
Scott Edwards:
And a lot of celebrities in Hollywood change their names, and it’s really not that big a deal. But because I’d worked with you for so many years is mainly when you change to Monica and Monica Piper’s a beautiful name as well. If I didn’t understand why now, now that you’ve explained it, it makes perfect sense.
Monica Piper:
That people would say Maylee Miss Brown, literally was our marquee. Special guests, Mary Lee Davis. It just I don’t know. And, and how I changed that is really interesting and true. Because I was literally on walking. I was on Santa Monica Pier. And I said, I want to change my name. I want to change my neck. And I looked up and I saw Monica pier, and I just added a pee and made it Monica Piper. But it really was based on Santa Monica Pier. Oh, that’s
Scott Edwards:
interesting.
Monica Piper:
Well, it’s not fascinating. Yeah, but you know, played a very dull life.
Scott Edwards:
Well, I was just gonna say though, that you know what you’re going you spent your whole life growing up as Maley and in and where I was gonna ask Where would you come up with Monica Piper, which is a great sounding Hollywood name. And coming from the Santa Monica Pier is a great story. Because
Monica Piper:
a true story that’s also in the play and we have a photo of Santa Monica Pier. And then it suddenly becomes Santa Monica Piper
Scott Edwards:
will great use and great story. Thanks for sharing. I’ve actually wondered all these decades. What happened to me Lee Davis? Did it. Did it upset your folks at all? Did they understand?
Monica Piper:
Yeah, my father understood. Yeah. Yeah, my mom had already passed. That time I did that. Anyway. Yeah,
Scott Edwards:
that’s still interesting. And I appreciate you sharing that story. Now, before we go into how you spent the last 20 years when you worked at laughs You mentioned working with Sagat and doing some others. Were there any good stories or comics that you worked with that made an impression?
Monica Piper:
Larry Miller, who I love, who worked a couple of times up there, I think with Larry Miller, and he was hilarious. He would walk around the comedy with your audience understands about the comedy condo.
Scott Edwards:
They’ve heard it mentioned a few times by comics. Yes.
Monica Piper:
Yeah. It’s a comedy condo where? Yeah, we’re all the comics in there. And Larry Miller got very comfortable. He walked around in his boxer shorts. And, and if you know Larry Miller at all, you know, he’s adorable, but maybe it’s not the nicest sight I’d like.
Scott Edwards:
He’s not an Adonis, right. He’s like, a normal, middle aged guy. And they’ve heard the name Larry Miller many times because I’ve worked with the best and I still put Larry Miller near the top one. Oh my God, these guys.
Monica Piper:
Yeah, one of the funniest guys ever. And, of
Scott Edwards:
course, I haven’t seen him. There’s boxers.
Monica Piper:
Yeah, well, there’s still time. I can send him a message. But anyway, we were walking to the club. And, and, you know, they I’m sure they all know the club was in Old Town in Sacramento. But there were those not cobblestone. What, what was the what were the streets? There were streets.
Scott Edwards:
They were actually cobblestone streets and wooden sidewalks. Yeah, wouldn’t be
Monica Piper:
sidewalks. It was the wooden sidewalks. And there was flat in between the wood. And I wore high heels practice. And I was clumping a lot in my high heels and my heel got stuck. Flat. And we literally couldn’t get again, Larry Miller had to. I got He lifted me out of the my shoe. And then and then he had to try to get my shoe out of this slat without breaking it. And I think he was more nervous about breaking my shoe than he was about any good he ever had to do this. Like, I remember that. Oh, and I remember working with Saget, who of course killed every night. He was hilarious. And one and there was one night when Robin Williams was doing a big show in Sacramento. Whatever your big venue is there. He was doing that. And then he came over
Scott Edwards:
to the club. Yeah, you were there that night.
Monica Piper:
I was there that night. That was a man. It was amazing. But now, here’s my question. Because I remember that it was like mixed emotions for Bob Saget. Yeah, I mean, he was the headliner. And then Robin came up. And I think it tell me if I’m right, would this have happened? I think Robin dropped in and just didn’t have a whole lot of time. No, Robin came back to the condo give me
Scott Edwards:
Well, what happened was Robin had a concert at the Sacramento Convention Center theater and done really well. But as he always does, he loves stand up that after a show. He did this twice at my club. He came by he came by the room, and he goes, Hey, can I get on stage? Well, nobody says no to Robin Williams. And even though Bob Saget is a great friend and a tremendous successful comic at the time, Robin was then and still is the god of stand up comedy. And I said, Hey, Bob, I’m going to cut your set short and bring on Robin. And Bob of course said, yeah, it I mean, I’m the producer. It’s my show. Robin went on in did like, guys seem like an hour material for the audience. And then after the show, we all hung out for a little bit, but I heard you guys had gone back to the condo after the show. Bob never told me that his feelings were hurt, but it was definitely just business. You know, you just Robin wants to go on. You want to share that with the audience?
Monica Piper:
Yeah. Yeah. It’s really always interesting, because, you know, no one has more fragile egos than Canadians, you know. And so I think it was kind of weird for Bob, because he had to cut it short. And he was killing he always killed. Yeah, but
Scott Edwards:
no tremendous talent, good friend. And it was just one of those situations. And like I said, it did happen twice at my club, but twice in 21 years. It wasn’t like it was definitely an anomaly. And Bob hopefully sucked it up. moved on. I think he did. But yeah, no, it’s it. You’re right, though. It’s challenging to the other acts. Because Robin did this all over the country. He loved drama, and he loved stand up so much. And it’s hard to deny an audience an opportunity to see a super star like Robin for free. Basically, Ryan in the audience just went nuts. Well, I didn’t know you were there that night. But there was a great story. And I know that you worked with Robin at the holy city zoo. But still by that point, he was such a huge name. That just having him around, energized everybody. Now, we’ve talked about your years at laughs But you’ve had such a successful career. Outside of that. You started working. Wait,
Monica Piper:
I just want to tell you something that just thought up. Sure. Well, we talk about my successful career. You were asking how I got into comedy. And I actually remembered the first time I ever did a joke, and people laughed. But I wasn’t a comedian. I was in 10th grade. And Mr. Cooper, my math teacher, passed out papers and announced today we’re having a little pop quizzes. That’s what he called them quizzes. He said today we’re having a little pop quiz, he and I looked at it. I said, wow, it says here quizzes. I’d hate to see your testes. And everybody laugh, except Mr. Cooper. Yes. He actually wrote the joke out on a discipline report. He wrote the joke out of that discipline report and sent it to the principal, who called my parents that night. Oh, geez. It was hilarious. And my father God, you know, my father, the funniest man on the planet and greatest guy. He he’s on the phone listening to this. And he goes, she sat back. Well, I will certainly have a word with her. Thank you. turns to me and says you’re funny.
Scott Edwards:
Well, that’s great support, by a few times by comics is that there’s that first adrenaline rush of hearing the acceptance in in applause or laughter from a group of people a drug? It’s drug. It’s a drug. Yeah. And it hooks you. And that’s an interesting story. 10th grade I bet. The classmates really enjoyed that.
Monica Piper:
Yeah, they did. They thought it was funny. But, uh, you know, I grew up in a home where you do, sir? Well, not so much my father because my father was hilarious. And he was in showbusiness himself. But when he was young, but my mother was like, you go to college, you know, you’ll have a career to fall back on. And then you can do your creative stuff. So So I went to college and and became a high schooling teacher.
Scott Edwards:
I think we’re all happy that you found your muse, and were able to transfer over I was about to say that in 1991 You started working with a very turned out to be one of the most popular cartoons Rugrats.
Monica Piper:
Yeah, Hit 91 Oh my god. It was raining
Scott Edwards:
several years and
Monica Piper:
I went back and forth. I I was I got an overall writing deal at Klasky cheapo, which is the company that produced Rugrats created it you know that’s where all the artists were and the writers at but I got an overall deal so it wasn’t just regret it was Rugrats it was the Wild Thornberrys it was
Scott Edwards:
we wrote for a Mad About You and 90 to
Monica Piper:
know that. No, I wrote for Matt about you in 9098 97.
Scott Edwards:
Oh, ID in the hands that wrong then you Well, let’s let’s bring the audience back a little bit. Your actual first one of your early TV experiences you were actually on Star Search, right?
Monica Piper:
Oh, god, yes. I was on Star Search. And I lost the Sinbad. But
Scott Edwards:
well, that’s not too bad person to lose to he’s had some success.
Monica Piper:
Right. But you know, he was on his, you know how they Star Search that everyone had these runs? Like the winner would win six times in a row and one that was going they didn’t. They didn’t want to ruin that. But anyway, but a lot of a lot of great comics. When Star Search, you know,
Scott Edwards:
oh, yeah, no, I’ve heard. I’ve heard dozens. And this was early in your career was only I think 1985 ish. Yeah, I mean, and I’m sure you did a lot of the other TV shows evening at the Improv and stuff like that. got, like, get off. But you really took off as a writer in the 90s. And that led to some producing. I mean, there’s a whole list of shows you worked on. Is that because you fell in with one studio?
Monica Piper:
No, actually. I was working at Rugrats and the Wild Thornberrys I was going back and forth. Between those two series. I was writing for them. But meantime, I wrote a spec script for Matt about you. Because I really love the show. And I I knew those voices. I just knew Paul’s voice so well. Alright, so I wrote a spec script, gave it to my agent. And my agent sent it to Matt about you. And the rule of thumb is you never send a spec script of that show to that show. In other words, you know, if you want a job at Mad About You, you don’t send them a Mad About You spec scripts. You send them anything else, because they’re highly judgmental about their own show about people that attempt to write their own show. But anyway, they loved they liked it. They called me in for an interview. And I got the job. So I left animation to go right on Mad About You. And then the well I had already written on Roseanne. And that came about I was on the road I had just had my son had just had recently been born. He was six months old. And and I got a call from Roseanne. Hey, Monica, I heard about the baby. That sounds cool. And I went well, thank you. No, it’s really anyway, I really didn’t care about big. So she said we we need a strong female writer on the show. You want to be a writer on the show and thinking to myself, Oh my God, it’s the number one show in the country. I can get off the road. I can make good money you know sitcom money is so good. You know I can make good money I can give my son a stable life. So I you know, yeah, where do I sign? And what she didn’t say was following you know that cute baby barriers. While you’re never ever ever gonna see my gamma? Four in the morning?
Scott Edwards:
Yeah, lowest brownfield told me about. She was just Roseanne writing was kind of a slave chamber. They worked and worked and worked.
Monica Piper:
Yeah, you You were there to four in the morning. And that was crazy. Most people it didn’t. On the days you were there before the morning. You didn’t have to come in until noon. But I had a baby at home. And so suddenly I have a daytime nanny and the nighttime Danny. And I was so guilty, I felt I was so torn. You know, here I am. I’m the number one show in the country. But I’m not seeing my child. And all the other writers that had kids had wives, their husbands, you know, but I was the single mother. And so it was. And I said to my agent, I said, I am so torn, because nothing is greater than when you pitch a joke. And everyone laughs and you get it into script. It’s, you know, it’s a high like, like getting a laugh at a club. There’s a high. So I love it was very exhilarating being in a in a writers room on a very hit show. But on the other hand, I you know, I wasn’t seeing my kids. And I said to my agent, I think I have to leave. And I’m, I can’t do this to my child. And he said you never hit it. You can’t quit. You can get fired. That’s no big deal.
Scott Edwards:
But it’s all about reputation.
Monica Piper:
I stuck out the season. And then I threw my kid with a suitcase and we went back on the road. I took them with me on the road. Wow. I don’t think I work for you. And I had
Scott Edwards:
that was later in your career. We also ended up doing some producing you produce some shows for all grown up and dad is. Is it hard to transition from writer producer?
Monica Piper:
Well, no, because I here’s how it works. i After Mad About You, I went to Veronica’s closet. But when when that was over, they called me from Klasky tube, the regret people called me and asked me if I would come back and develop and run this new show called all grown up, which was regret. Nine years later. It was really a fun show. They were in middle school and they weren’t babies. It was fun.
Scott Edwards:
What a great honor to that they would remember, you know how well you did in the early years of the rug rats to bring you back. Right on really,
Monica Piper:
it felt wonderful. Because, you know, my my son, by that time was like 8789. And he was really into sports and, and I was a real sports lover. And I said, Okay, if I keep writing on sitcoms, I’ll never get to go to his games or anything. So animation was great, because I could literally leave at five o’clock if I want to. And I was running the show. So
Scott Edwards:
to be the boss, right? You could.
Monica Piper:
So that’s when they made me also a producer. So I was I developed all grown up with two other with Kate Blair and Eric Casimiro. And now I don’t know if you know this, but Rugrats was rebooted. And now it’s brand new. It’s CGI. It’s really fabulous to look at and it’s back. It’s on paramount. Plus, wow. And they called me this year to see if I would write an episode.
Scott Edwards:
Oh, going in. Oh, fun. Oh, I
Monica Piper:
did I wrote an episode for this brand new season. And so that’s cool.
Scott Edwards:
No, no, that’s really a great thing to share. Because you, you took your comedy background and all your experience as a comedian. You converted it into being a writer. And that took you to sitcoms and animation shows. And then that led to producing. I mean, Monica, you’ve had an amazing career. But that wasn’t enough. Then you went on. We won an Emmy. We won an Emmy. Yeah, you won an Emmy and you’re nominated the Golden Gloves. I mean, you were rocketing your career and everything you put together. But I think what’s amazing is then you were able to convert all that and put together your one woman show not that Jewish.
Monica Piper:
Well, my one woman show me. I started in 2008 I got a phone call. from my friend, Rhonda venac, who had just formed this company called the Jewish Women’s theatre, not a company, a theatre company, you know, Jewish women theater. And she said, she asked me if I’d be interested in writing and performing some original stories. But Rhonda, I’m not that Jewish by wine. I wind and she said, Yes, you are just create from the heart. So I started writing a lot of stories for them, kind of Jewish themed stories. In 2013, one of the, one of the board members and patrons commissioned me to write my one woman show.
Scott Edwards:
Wow, that’s for the audience. That means you got paid to Korea, I
Monica Piper:
got to write my show. Play. And, and I wrote it and it took a year of writing and notes and rewriting and but I basically took a lot of those stories that I had written for Jewish women theater. And, and those became the basis for my one woman show. Funny because the first thing I said to her is, look, I’m not that Jewish. And that became the title of my show. So but that’s yeah,
Scott Edwards:
genius. Because that opens up so many areas of conversation that about the Jewish community when you title it, not that Jewish. I mean, that’s a great way to open the door to so many concepts. I think that’s brilliant. And the show did really well at the theater there in LA but you took it to Off Broadway, right.
Monica Piper:
Yeah, we did ran for 200 performances. Off Broadway. It was. It was something you know, I had to move back to New York for a year and but it was great. It was absolutely great experience. And now I do a show for for Jewish organizations called for Miss for Clemson for Blanchette. It’s just a combination. I just did one Sunday for temple and Santa Clarita was great. was their first live show back after the pandemic. And it was great. It was so great to be alive. Yeah, it was fun. Oh,
Scott Edwards:
well, good for you. I mean, you’ve had like I alluded to earlier, an amazing career. And one of the things I love about doing this podcast and talking to old friends like you is that what we were doing in the 80s was really new and fresh. And we were all kind of stumbling through figuring out what path in work comedy was going to work for us. And some of us had great success. Like you in taking that really difficult career. I mean, it’s hard for men to be on a road comic, but it’s doubly hard for women to be a road comic. And why
Monica Piper:
wait, why? I just think it doubly hard for women to be on the road. I think that because
Scott Edwards:
of sexism and the way that sub club owners, I won’t say who treated women. I mean, look at Mitzi as much as she supported comedy. She still put the women in the belly room back in the attic, you know? Right? You know, I mean, Mitzi Shore was it was a great promoter of comedy and in created so many stars, in even she, you know, had all the women start off in the belly room, which was really
Monica Piper:
true the women got, you know, when it got tricky when I was on the road, and before I was a headliner, I was the middle act. And they were usually two bedrooms in the condo, and the headliner got one and opener and the feature got the other one. But because I was a woman, you know, and that’s another thing. Let me tell you what a cool guy, Larry Miller was, he gave up his he gave up the bedroom, his own bedroom, because and gave it to me. I didn’t ask him for it. But
Scott Edwards:
no, Larry, gentlemen in every way.
Monica Piper:
Yeah. Oh, I have a funny. Condo story. It wasn’t at your club. It was at some club I think in two song or Tempe or someplace Arizona. I was dating comics for a while. I will not say who it was. He was my boyfriend for about six months. And then we broke up. And we found ourselves booked at the same club on the same show staying at the same condo. And the opening act. Do you know Leigh Allen, did you know Leah Allen? No, I don’t think so. But great guy. So I met him. We’re now really good friends. But this is like, late 80s, maybe late 80s. So early 90s. So I’m on the road. And I meet Lee and we hit it off immediately. Just laughing. And having just having so much fun and writing material and everything. And my former boyfriend was on the bill. He was getting more and more solid. as the week went behind. He was just moody and sort of angry. And we said, hey, we’re going to movies. Come on. You want to go? No, you have fun. Stay here. He was just so finally I just said to him, Look, you’ve got to get over it. I’m not sleeping with me. He said, I know. It’s worth your writing with him.
Scott Edwards:
Is such a comedians point of view.
Monica Piper:
I mean, it was so funny. Because yeah, I know you’re sleeping with him. You’re writing with
Scott Edwards:
all the salt. Know, oh, that’s a great story. It’s it is challenging in I think, for women on the road. And I really am impressed in in excited about where you were able to take that because you were a very successful comic, and still are. But to be able to convert and grow as an artist and lead that to writing and producing and doing your one man, one woman excuse me, one woman show is still out there hitting the stage boards in entertaining audiences. Monica, you’ve had an amazing career. And I’m just so thankful that you were willing to share this story with my audience.
Monica Piper:
God, I have so many fun memories of being at that club. You ran a really great club, and all the comics love working for you. And you treated us so well. And we always had a great time. And I always worked with really great people up there. And it was fun being up there too. I mean, Old Town was fun. And you know, wasn’t that big of a schlep and you know, so it’s my pleasure to do this. Oh, well, I’m still doing stand up. You know, I’m back to doing stand up. And it’ll always be my first love. You know, I do motivational speaking and I do my play and I do all that stuff. But stand up will always be my you know, that’s my first love.
Scott Edwards:
That’s the core the nugget that everything grew from, I think that’s amazing. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I know you want to hear a little bit as great stand up comedy. I happen to have some tape battle days of Monica. Or may Lee Davis, who knows. But I’m going to share a little bit of that. But I did want to say one last time. Thank you, Monica for being on the show. Ladies and gentlemen. We want to say thank you. Yes, yes, Monica Piper successful comedian who has really developed in something extra special if you get a chance. And you’re on LA or New York and you see not that Jewish on a billboard. Go see her. She’s performing it temples all over the country.And clubs I’m just joking. So ladies and gentlemen, sit back and enjoy some great stands. Oh my god, what are you gonna play? Don’t worry. It’ll be good. Ladies and gentlemen. Thanks, Monica. Here’s a little comedy from Monica Piper. Again, Monica. Thanks so much.
Monica Piper:
Thanks, God. I love everything about I love my breasts. I wish I can just have to wouldn’t it be great to have a bunch of different sizes for all the things you needed to do? Little tiny ones for jogging. Giant ones for estimates from mechanics Yes. I love being a woman. I could list all the advantages but all I’ll narrow it down to just one. Man, you know when you’re with us and wondering if you’ll get lucky. We already know. Not only am I little, but I’m shrinking. Seriously, it’s wonderful. Aging is there. I’m shrinking as we speak. I’ve always been five feet and a quarter inch. That’s my number. We have that number, don’t we at a certain point in our lives. We lock in that number. Leanne, what’s your number? How tall are you? five foot seven? Yeah, that’s my number five feet and a quarter inch. So I go for my checkup. I’m on the scale with the thing on my head. And she goes, Okay, 411. What? I cannot be 411 What would it help if we called it 59 inches? No. Nobody would not. And I’m scared because I don’t know if there’s a time limit to this. Or if it’s just gonna keep happening until I must spec. A little speck with a microphone. So it’s official. I’m officially under five feet tall. Isn’t a freaky? And let me tell you the world is a very different looking place from down here. This seriously all week? I’ve been saying a lot of people’s crutches. pot bellies aren’t just annoying. They’re actually in my way. Pretty soon they won’t let me on a ride at Six Flags unless my son takes me. I love a good hotel. I take full advantage. I have to tell you. It’s like Hello. This is Monika Piper, I’d like 12 more towels. That’s right. 12 why I’m having a natural childbirth followed by a pool party. What are you the FBI? Have to give you what you want? Right? How much fun you can have in a five star hotel. Hello, room service. This is Monica paper. I’d like a cheeseburger and pony.
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