Rob Durham was a castmate of mine in the 2015 production of Listen to Your Mother. The show is a spoken-word stage show celebrating mothers usually performed over the Mother's Day weekend. All I knew about Rob was that he was a high school teacher, He is also a comedian who headlines at the Funnybone regularly. I attended one of his shows recently. The house was packed. Rob did not disappoint. But wait there's more. I had so many questions. Such as what the heck is pickleball? Thank you Rob for taking the time to do this i nterview.
Who/what
inspired you to become a comedian?
I watched a lot of comedy on TV growing up. Louie
Anderson was one of my favorites, but I also like MTV’s Half-hour Comedy Hour.
My family is a funny family. My father has a very dry sense of humor and my
mother was goofy. When she passed away, suddenly I felt the need to be heard by
others and I eventually cracked out of my shyness as adulthood began. When I
got a college job as a doorman at the Columbus Funnybone, I first realized stand-up
was a realistic opportunity.
What was your first open mic experience like?
Do you remember the first joke you told that got a laugh?
There are a couple and I’m pretty ashamed of them as they were either not very PC or they were kinda dirty. It’s embarrassing to think back to what I used to pride myself as an act! Thank goodness I never put a comedy album out back then.
How long does it usually take for you to write a monologue?
My hour set is compiled of jokes I’ve written over the last decade-plus, but this year I’ve added at least a new 15 minutes. When I get a premise, I try to word it into a joke. Then I test it at open mic night, tweak it, memorize the best way to word it, and then eventually it makes it into my set (or gets scrapped). Some jokes take a lot of work, and some are born almost perfect as they are.
You teach creative writing at a local high school.
How long have you been teaching?
I subbed all through my 20s, but I officially have 13 years of full-time high school teaching under my belt. Along with creative writing, I teach multiple sections of tenth-grade language arts which also involves a lot of writing.
What do you enjoy most about teaching?
The creative freedom I’m given to teach my lessons allows me to “perform” in a sense every day. Often times I think I have more fun than the students, especially when we’re reading a play and I get to be a character. I really love watching a high school student evolve from a child into a respectable young adult.
How did your school's golf team do this season?
We placed 2nd in the State Tournament! We were undefeated in our 9-hole matches, we won the conference, and several other tournaments, and had a great 2 days at State. I couldn’t be prouder.
How does your being a comedian help in teaching your classes?
Many of my lessons have jokes built into them. I make a lot of silly puns to keep them groaning. Teaching is definitely performing (in my room anyway), so it’s my job to keep every student engaged in the lesson. I know if I’m bored teaching the lesson, they’re bored learning it. This motivates me to keep things fun. The kids also know I’m pretty good with hecklers, so they’re smart enough not to mouth off very much.
Do your students ever write jokes for you or give you suggestions?
They inspire some of my material with some of their actions. As far as material, there’s been a time or two where I say something and they say, “Put that in your act!” In my creative writing class, our final assignment is stand-up comedy, so I have them each write two original jokes and then we hold an open mic in my classroom. It’s really fun to see take on the challenge of stand-up and I think it gives them more respect for what I do on stage.
You have authored four books. One on doing stand-up, a novel for young adults, another novel for adults, and a guide to taking an all-inclusive vacation. Which book was the most fun/challenging to write?
Writing Around the Block, my YA novel, was the most fun because it started very autobiographical. I also learned how to structure and edit a novel in that process, so it really opened my eyes. I feel like it gave me some closure on some animosity I still held from high school because since that book came out I rarely think about or get emotional about my high school experience anymore. Somebody Else’s Sky was the most challenging because of the number of drafts it took to get it right. Finally, I switched from first to third person and ironed out all of the logistics in the plot and it turned out exactly how I wanted it to.
Is pickleball similar to bocce ball?
Pickleball is more similar to tennis, badminton, or even ping pong. It keeps me busy on the weekends and during the summer. Once I learned to stop taking it too seriously I started improving dramatically. Much like writing, if you have a mentor, you improve much faster and I’ve been fortunate enough to have several pals elevate my game.
Besides the start of the school year, What’s next for you?
I’m hoping to publish a collection of 25 to 30 short stories along with a few of my essays. My novel ideas are there, but taking on a novel takes a huge commitment, so I noticed I have quite a few short stories from years past. I’m almost done tuning them up, so I hope to keep the momentum going once the school year begins. Don’t tell my principal but I’m a much more productive writer at school than at home. I love sharing my short stories with my students too. The stories mostly focus on the interesting times right before or right after a relationship, and some of them are loosely autobiographical.
Check out Rob's Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B008EJF1ZI?ingress=0&visitId=b89744fa-0c96-4180-b734-059e9648c5b8&ref_=ap_rdr
