Laughter fills the room when comedian Heather Shaw is on stage, but that laughter is accompanied by a hint of shock. Shaw often says what the audience is secretly thinking but would never admit.
Originally from Rochester, New York, Shaw began doing stand-up in her twenties and made her debut on social media later on. The comedy star is performing in Mahomet, Illinois, on Nov. 21.
Shaw’s bravery as a comedian led her to fame — and currently, a tour. However, it took her some time to get there. In the beginning, she was scared.
“It was a dream of mine, and if I absolutely sucked at it, or if I didn’t feel like it was for me, then I would have been devastated,” Shaw said.
At age 25, she built up just enough courage to try it out. Her first show was at an open mic night hosted by comedian Preacher Lawson in Orlando, Florida. There were only a few comics in the audience, and no one laughed during her set.
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“It was just trying, just getting up on stage and doing it,” Shaw said. “I just got myself through it without s—-ing myself.”
According to Shaw, she “probably bombed” her first show, but she didn’t give up.
“I love this so much, and I never stopped doing it since I started that open mic in Orlando,” Shaw said.
Shaw believes people enjoy her stand-up routines because they involve news repackaged to be humorous, “almost like a monologue in a late-night show.”
She also makes fun of celebrities, which she thinks others are afraid to do publicly. Shaw said that all of her performances, while lighthearted, tend to be a little dark in tone.
Through biographical, autobiographical and fictional stories, she makes fun of all kinds of people. She believes no single group in her audience feels overly offended because everyone has a turn to be the subject of the joke. Shaw described her shows in general as “really just goofy and gay and kind of unhinged.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, Shaw tried out social media. On a whim, she decided to convince TikTok that she was Jim Carrey’s long-lost daughter, since people had always told her she looked like him. In these videos, she mimicked his iconic facial expressions and accompanied them with captions like, “I miss Daddy.”
After convincing a few more people than intended, she had to explain that it was a joke. To keep the bit going after her fans knew the truth, she posted Carrey impressions and reenactments of his movie scenes.
Although she said her TikTok career stemmed from boredom, Shaw is looking forward to the future. She is filming her first comedy special in January, which she said she is thrilled about. Shaw has yet to decide on the location, but she is hoping it will be released by March.
Shaw’s upcoming performance will be at Yellow and Co., which she said will be a fun time.
“I’m really excited,” Shaw said. “It’s going to be an experience.”
