Open-mic stage-takers get just five minutes to make the audience laugh. There are no specific rules to be observed and comedians are encouraged to adopt their own personal style, although they are asked not to fiddle with the microphone for fear of it being dropped or the wire tangled.
Professional funny folks Trish Dunn and Dave Neil are the two responsible for bringing the event to Gastonia. Dunn, who specializes in ventriloquism, says that while the event is not intended to be overly crude, it is not something she could recommend as a family event. She says:
“It’s not an early show, so it might not necessarily be PG-13. It might be R (rated).”
“I normally don’t put naughty words in there, but I don’t have to. Sometimes if the mood is right and a naughty word is going to fit better than any other word, I’ll let it rip. Some comedians, it’s part of their persona, to put naughty words in there, and that’s fine.”
The open-mic nights are free to attend and will get underway at 9:00 pm every Monday from now on, meaning that anyone thinking they are capable of causing mirth in the area now has a chance to either prove it, or be greeted by the dreaded tumbleweed.