MANSFIELD — Lee Hardin finds a lot of humor in jobs he worked before becoming a stand-up comedian.
“All of these random jobs led me to talking about them on stage,” the 38-year-old comic said Tuesday.
“I was a lifeguard at one point. Substitute teacher. An Easter Bunny. Papa John’s delivery driver.
“Lots of things that I do not use my college degree for, but I got the job experience later for the stage,” said Hardin, who brings his family-friendly show to the Mansfield Playhouse on Friday, May 3, at 7 p.m.
The Nashville, Tenn., performer will be joined by comic Kari Jones from Mattoon, Ill. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online or at the box office.
That varied work experience has served him well over the past decade, working in many different venues to make people laugh.
What sparked the urge to do comedy for a living?
“I just was a life-long fan of stand-up. It was on TV. I was watching it,” Hardin said. “I was obsessed with how they were telling their jokes and always obsessed with trying to make strangers laugh. I was always trying to be the funny guy in my friends’ group.
“Once you got that skill set, once you see, ‘Oh, I can make someone laugh by being silly. I am going to keep trying to do that.’ It becomes an obsession.”
Comics like Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan and Jeff Foxworthy were among the influencers that helped lead him into getting serious about being funny.
“I talked to some some close friends that I trust and asked their thoughts about it. ‘I want to do this. But I want to be prepared. Do you think this would be something you can see me doing?’ They were all kind of like, ‘Yeah, you should totally pursue this.’
He took a comedy class at a Zanies Comedy Night Club in Nashville to learn more about the different types of comedy and joke-telling styles.
“It was cool to see how all of that was dissected,” Hardin said.
He spent a couple of years at every local venue he could find, trying out new material to see what worked, what didn’t and trying to understand why.
“There is confidence when you’re writing these jokes and you try them out in front of strangers and you get a chuckle. When you get that first chuckle from a thought that came from your head, you’re going, ‘All right, this is definitely doable,'” Hardin said.
He then started booking jobs around the country, landing spots on NBC and The Mike Huckabee Show.
In the past eight years, Hardin shared the stage with comics like Henry Cho and Nate Bargatze and landed his own special on DryBar Comedy.
“You never stop learning. You’re always trying new ways to work on your bits, make a story funnier. I think if you’re obsessed enough with anything, you’ll find a way to get better at it,” Hardin said.
The road is where a stand-up comic makes his bones and Hardin has literally worked from coast to coast.
“I just started getting gigs and driving everywhere to see if my jokes worked in another state,” he said.
“Last year was when things picked up. I started reaching out to community theaters across the country,” he said. “They started saying yes, and I was pitching these shows as clean and family friendly.
“This is probably the best way I have gotten to do comedy, going to these small community theaters. The theater experience is just a little different. It’s more fun. It’s more engaging. (Audiences) are focused on what’s going on. There aren’t distractions and it just has a special vibe to it that I like.”
Hardin said he is proud to do a clean show for people of all ages, which is part of the reason his recent touring efforts have included community theaters like the Mansfield Playhouse.
“I do stand-up comedy that is meant for everyone to enjoy. A lot of people want to go see a standup comedy show, but they won’t step foot into a comedy club because the comics might be foul and inappropriate.
“My act is clean. I don’t swear. My intent is to make the show fun for as many people as possible.”
