Acclaimed comedian Mark Normand will be headlining the Big Spring Standup Show on Friday. Courtesy: Liz Valoon
A famous comedian is turning an average Ohio State lecture hall into his own personal stage this weekend to perform stand-up.
The Buckeye Standup Comedy Club’s fourth annual Big Spring Standup Show is taking place Friday with Mark Normand as this year’s headlining act.
Four of the club’s members will also be performing, delivering roughly five-minute sets each that will lead into Normand’s stand-up set.
In addition to having his own one-hour Comedy Central special, Normand has appeared on a number of late-night talk shows, including “Conan,” “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Normand has also worked alongside comedian, Amy Schumer and has won multiple awards for his work.
Normand said he has always enjoyed comedy, but insecurity and low self-esteem at a young age made it hard to believe he could ever become a comedian. It wasn’t until struggling throughout high school and feeling desperation that Normand decided to actually try stand-up comedy.
“I did it once or twice on open mics in Louisiana where I’m from, and it just started getting better,” Normand said. “I knew the career was a crazy choice, but I had nothing else going, so why the hell not?”
Normand describes his sense of humor as observational and snarky and that he likes “saying what everybody’s thinking.”
Although Normand has done stand-up for years now, he said he still struggles with his confidence on how he’ll perform and tries not to think about the show before it starts.
“I’ve got an evil brain,” Normand said. “If I think too much, my brain will tell me I suck, tell me to quit, tell me I’m gonna bomb.”
Despite his long list of comedic accomplishments, Normand said the biggest moment in his career was transitioning from working hard at open mics and doing odd jobs, to being able to quit his job to become a full-time comedian.
Ian Gray, a fourth-year in public policy analysis and the club’s primary leader, said he looks forward to Normand’s performance, and hearing what being a professional touring comedic is like in the Q&A with him after the show.
“I’m really excited to see what he chooses to do and what his persona is off stage, since everyone has a persona,” Gray said.
Gray added that he likes Normand’s comedy because it’s modern and polished, making it clear that he’s done a lot of shows before.
“I think he’ll be someone who will really be able to tailor his comedy to a college audience,” Gray said.
The Big Spring Standup Show will start at 7:30 p.m. on Friday at Independence Hall in Room 100. Admission is free with a BuckID. Donations are suggested for those without a BuckID.
