Dwayne Perkins

Filed as News on August 10, 2010 4:48 pm
by James Johnson
With The Social Network, a movie about Facebook debuting soon, it was only a matter of time before other enterprising studios jumped on the band wagon, the first is Comedy Central who have announced a new pilot for a TV talk show based around the world of social networks.

The show, which will star comedian Dwayne Perkins, will be called Dwaynebook, who performed in his own half-hour special on Comedy Central back in 2003.

According to Perkin’s manager Matt Schuler, the show will be along the lines of The Soup and Tosh.o. and Perkins already has ideas for sketches that will involve regular characters to the show, those characters like The Soup will be fictional staff for the show.

Perkins’s manager Matt Schuler (he’s also sharing executive production duties) compares the show to green-screen talk shows like The Soup and Tosh.0.Only the pilot has been ordered at this time and a pilot of which there are dozens available to each network at the start of a new season, doesn’t necessarily mean it will ever see the light of day, but if enough social networking fans begin Tweeting and “Liking” the idea, it’s only a matter of time before it debuts with at least one full season. - The Blog Herald

My hero is not someone you would see on the news doing great and big things. He’s not going out pulling people out of burning buildings or even getting cats out of trees for old ladies (well I wouldn’t think so). He’s just doing his thing day in and day out, and all the while he is making people laugh, and as everyone knows laughter is the best form of medicine. My hero is Dwayne Perkins. He’s a up and rising comedian from the Brooklyn. He’s been performing around the country since 1996 and is just now really starting to get a bigger audience. He hasn’t gotten the seemingly over night success in today’s world like many other comedians like Cedric the Entertainer or Steve Harvey. But when you think about it their careers have been them working for years and finally getting that big shot that launched their career. So if you are going off of past comedians, then you could very well say that Dwayne is right on track.
Dwayne with Bill Cosby (dwayneperkins.com/with_cosby.html )
Dwayne had been working as a comedian for about 4 years until he got some more national publicity. He had about a minute clip of him during one of his highlight acts on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend. While this isn’t a lot of coverage about him it still gave people that didn’t live in the big cities of New York and L.A a chance to see him and his comedy. Then for a while he got on some shows like Late Friday and Comic Remix that got him more air time. But what really set him off was him competing in the Star Search show. He got all the way to the semi-finals. This was his greatest break yet. From there he got his own half hour special on Comedy Central. With all his hard work he’s put into being a comedian has started to pay off. And now he’s even started up an acting career, and has been seen in commercials and movies.
Dwayne with Keenan Wayans (http://www.dwayneperkins.com/with_wayans.html )
Now you may ask, well why any of this matters. Well what matters is that for one thing comedy isn’t an easy job to get into. You don’t have a minimum yearly earnings and there might not be someone that is there giving you work and telling you what to do. You, in a way, are on your own to make it big or fail. And that determination to go after your goals for almost 5 years without any national recognition is a very hard thing to do. Now I’m not saying that he was in it for the money, but every once and a while it’s nice to know what your doing is getting to people and making a difference in their lives.
Also putting yourself out there for the whole world to see and judge is something that is easier said than done. There are many people that are in the eye of the nation. The president, other politicians, actors, singers, TV hosts even all of those people are hoping that the nation will like them. And even though their main jobs are different their goal is the same, to please the nation. And comedians take the job and run with it. You can’t make people laugh if you don’t have a friendly personality. And then you have to be able to relate to people so that the jokes don’t just fly over the audience’s heads. So you really have to know your audience to make them laugh with you. So that in itself is a hard thing. On top of that you have to make this story that makes people laugh. All the while you can’t repeat old jokes or situation without losing the respect and attention of the audience. So when you think about it the job of a comedian is very complex.
Dwayne with Cedirc the Entertainer (http://www.dwayneperkins.com/with_cedric.html)
Dwayne Perkins is a hero. He is able to be funny, smart, organized, logical, brave, persistent, courageous, and much much more every day he steps onto the stage. Many people only wish they could be one of those things in their lifetime, and others wish for more. But nobody would dare to ask for all of that. Yet I see someone that have been given all of this and doesn’t let a drop go to waste. Now, how could you dare to say someone with all that isn’t a hero? Well I can’t. That’s why Dwayne Perkins is my hero.



- Written by Phillip from Fredericksburg

PJ Walsh led off in tonight's Comedian category, telling jokes about his experiences as a dentist in the Navy. Carol Leifer gave PJ 2 stars, explaining, "I didn't think it was particularly original or fresh. I was kind of disappointed with it." "You stole a couple of my jokes," quipped Lil' Romeo, giving PJ 4 stars. "I thought you were goofy," said Naomi Judd, who gave PJ 3 stars. Ben Stein gave PJ 3 stars, telling him, "Hilariously wonderful affect and movements, but the jokes just weren't that funny. But a very likeable guy. You'll go far."

Second up in the Comedian category tonight was Dwayne Perkins, who joked about dating. "You've got a really easygoing, likeable presence. I really like that. Really funny jokes," Carol Leifer told Dwayne, giving him 4 stars. Saying simply, "This guy is funny. He looked funny," Master P gave Dwayne 5 stars. Naomi Judd provided a sharp contrast by giving Dwayne 2 stars and commenting, "I love the gap between his teeth." Ben Stein strenuously disagreed, giving Dwayne 4 stars and insisting, "He is hilariously funny. His understanding of the relations between men and women is brilliant."

Dwayne was favored 15-12 stars in the judges' scoring, but the home audience tied him with PJ. When the home scoring was combined with that of the judges, however, Dwayne Perkins won the category with 29 stars and returns for tomorrow night's Semi-Finals.
- Star Search

in the Union Ballroom

When: Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2005, 8 p.m.

Where: The Kansas Union, 1301 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence

Cost: $5 - $10

Age limit: All ages

Categories: Comedy

Description: SUA is bringing to you a double header featuring stand-up comedians Maryellen Hooper and Dwayne Perkins. Maryellen Hooper has been called "the perfect date comic" and was named the "Best Female Stand-Up", the highest honor at the 12th Annual American Comedy Awards (www.maryellenhooper.com). Dwayne Perkins, an up-and-coming African-American comedian, has been described as one who uses his "unique blend of street savvy, sheer wit and intellect to charm audiences." Tickets for this event are $5 w/ KUID, $10 for public and FREE with an activity card.

- Lawrence.com

Though technically raised in New York City, Dwayne Perkins considers himself a Boston comic. New York is where he first took to the stage, but Boston is where Dwayne spent his formative comedic years. After a childhood of consuming a diet of George Carlin and Bill Cosby, Dwayne decided the microphone was something he wanted in his own hand, and started using the spotlight as a way of representing his own thoughts and ideas.

Relocated to Los Angeles in the late 1990s, Dwayne was picked in 2008 as “One of Five Comics to Watch” by Rolling Stone Magazine. He has appeared on Star Search, Comedy Central and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

His live stand up album entitled “Dwayne Perkins to the Rescue” was recently released by the Rooftop Comedy productions.

Rooftop: There are two ways to record a live CD; several shows edited together, or one straight shot. Which is this, and why did you choose this path?

DP: We edited together two shows, but it feels like one straight shot. We did that just because we had the luxury to do so. Most of the jokes come from one set, because that way people feel like they’re there, and it doesn’t feel all cut up, but we recorded two just so you have that backup set. We only put in one or two jokes from the second show, and they were both recorded on the same night.

Rooftop: What number CD is this for you, and do you ever listen back to bits you improved after recording and say, “Dammit, I could have done that better.”

DP: I don’t listen back too much to my old stuff, but you know, this is my second CD, and I already feel like I’ve changed some of the jokes on it. That’s why I believe it’s important for people to come see a comic live, because an act always progresses, its always morphing and evolving. With my first CD, I think I was more concise, probably I was terrified because I just wanted to get to the jokes, you know, but now I’m more comfortable, and the set feels like more a like a conversation, more conversational. Comedy is all about timing, and I feel the timing on this CD is a lot better than my first one.

Rooftop: How long did it take you to come up with the material for this recording; did you envision, “Ok, I want to record a CD” and wrote to achieve that goal, or did you realize, “Hey, I have a bunch of material, I should record it?”

DP: It was actually Rooftop coming to me and saying, “Hey, would you like to do a CD?” A lot of my friends have been recording DVDs, so I thought that was the way to go, but when Rooftop came to me they made me re-think it. Now I think CDs are the way to go, because I think some people will sit down and watch comedy, but I comedy is really good for driving, when people just want to get from one place to another, anyone can pop a CD in and listen to comedy.

Rooftop: How long have you been performing, and how long did it take you to find your voice?

DP: I would stay I’m still trying to find my voice, but the voice I’m currently using, it probably took me five, five or six years to develop. I’ve been performing for going on fifteen years now, and I’d say it’s really interesting because my “joke style” came pretty fast, meaning I’m still today writing jokes in the same vein as when I started out. I’d say at the seven-year mark I found my rhythm and persona.

Rooftop: Your bio says you’re looking to delve further into acting and writing; are you looking for new challenges, or are you simply being inspired more by new artistic directions these days?

DP: Probably both. You know, I’m definitely looking for more challenges. What I find is that comedy, without even knowing it, when you’re doing comedy it’s training you. You know, you’re training as an actor, and your also training to be a writer and director, because you’re doing it all on stage, live. I find that when I watch movies, or read things, I just feel that I could do as good a job or better than what’s passing right now for “acceptable.”

I also love telling stories; above all I’m a storyteller. So as a comedian I tell them verbally. I could tell them in written them, or as an actor I could be a tool for the story, where someone is telling their story through me. Either way, I just want to be a part of the process. And I think, you know, so many people tell stories, but I don’t think they care about the people they’re talking to. I think there’s a lot of room to be funny, to be even irreverent, but to have heart. To not dumb it down too much, but not to be overly complicated for the sake of being complicated. I think my comedy is like that. Well-read people like my comedy, and people who don’t read like my comedy, and I think I want to sort of expand that into other forms of entertainment.

Rooftop: You keep a regularly updated blog; is that simply for the thoughts in your head, or is it a first run for joke ideas?

DP: You know, it’s really just the thoughts running through my head. I call it “Amusing Musings.” Things happen to me, and I think they would make a good blog. If I write ten, actually if I write twenty blogs, maybe one will make it into my act as some sort of joke.

Basically, I live in one city, but I travel to other cities, but I want to be able to touch people in all cities in some ways, on some levels. So they can watch clips, they can watch comedy and hear me in interviews, but I think reading my blog is the most personal way I can reach out to them.

And it’s a hoot to write, and it’s good practice for me, as a writer, to tell my story in the most colorful, concise manner. David Sedaris is actually my inspiration for writing; he writes really, really funny books.

Rooftop: Does your material come from personal experiences, or do you look for the absurd in daily life, what’s called “Observational Humor?”

DP: It’s a little bit of both. I would say I’m a storyteller, but I don’t tell that many stories, and I don’t think I would be called absolutely observational. I think at the end of the day, we all become observational, because if you want to keep writing jokes, at some point you’ve told your story, so you have to sort of talk about what [else] you think and see.

With George Carlin being my main inspiration, I think my jokes are more or less my opinions, but I don’t really have super strong opinions. “My opinions about the self” is the way I would describe my comedy. Like, I’m not going to buck the system. I don’t really care if things aren’t fair. I mean, I care, but until people stop trying to date out of their league, or until men stop drinking and beating up their wives and things like that. I think the revolution is the revolution of the self. But I’m not preachy about it on stage.

I just try to make people feel like, when I tell my jokes, one, be positive, it’s gonna be all right. But two, within that positivity, take accountability. Not only for your own actions, but for your own happiness. Which is why I always try to be happy. I’ll be honest when I’m having a bad day, but I don’t like it when comics sort of revel in having a bad day, because no bad day ends up in a comedy club. A bad day ends up in a hospital, or in a morgue.

It’s hard because I’m just trying to be positive and happy, happy-go-lucky, but still be compelling, and not overly vanilla. It’s tough, sometimes I tell stories, sometimes I give opinions, but I try to be positive throughout.

Rooftop: You just made me laugh, because I’m thinking about Doug Stanhope and his latest CD, “From Across The Street.” At one point, Doug spews forth a particularly hilarious diatribe of self-examination and negative thought, then laughs and tells the audience, “You go to a comedy show to feel good and laugh, yet you leave mine feeling worse than when you came in.”

DP: [Laughs] Wow, that’s really funny.

Rooftop: Back to you, you were chosen by Rolling Stone as one of five comics to watch; how much advance notice did you get you were chosen, or was it a surprise, and how did that make you feel?

DP: It made me feel great! I think with those things, getting picked like that, it’s so subjective. What I liked is, Rolling Stone talked to people who are part of the comedy scene, and those people suggested me. I mean, there are so many people worthy of something like that, you feel a little silly getting it, but you know you’re doing something right, for your number to be called. Not that you’re the only one worthy, but you’re doing something right. Sometimes people see in you things that you don’t see in yourself, so you don’t want to fight that. You want to agree with it, say “I’m going to make that true,” even if it happens retroactively to their belief in you.

Dwayne can be found on the web at www.dwayneperkins.com. “Dwayne Perkins to the Rescue” is available on iTunes. - Rooftop Comedy Blog

Dwayne Perkins may have found his muse … in Mark Twain.
What’s so funny about a comic taking pointers from a great American author? Well, while the Brooklyn-born comic isn’t about to pen a sequel to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Dwayne’s joke-slinging has taken a well-pointed lesson in penning ideas.

“I found out that Mark Twain did comedy!” he says. “Not like we do now, but he toured and was humorous, and that made me want to embrace writing.”

Which came to fuel the joketeller’s best ideas—a recent culmination of material and sets that nabbed Dwayne a weekly spot on The Jay Leno Show, a recent half-hour Comedy Central Presents special and prime gigs on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, NBC’s Last Comic Standing, TLC’s Faking It and Late Night with Conan O’Brien. Last year, the comic also got a big nod as one of Rolling Stone‘s “Five Comics to Watch.”

Dwayne has also been giving funny-hungry fans something to salivate over between stand-up gigs and TV spots—hilarious, insightful “Amusing Musings” on his own comedy blog. This week Wednesday through Saturday (December 9 – 12), Dwayne is back on the Skyline Comedy Cafe stage after many raves from local fans in summer 2008.

“It’s a funny thing,” he says. “It’s a small town with a big-town vibe. Now I live in L.A. but I do remember in Appleton being at place, oddly, like I could live there for some reason. I felt comfortable, that’s what it was.”

Before his big return, Dwayne rapped about being real, mentors and his weekly gig on the new Jay Leno Show:

So, you just got back from a trip overseas, we here? What else have you been up to lately?

Yeah, I just got back from South Africa and London doing shows. Um…I’m contracted on The Jay Leno Show every week and that’s going well. I’m doing bunch of shows…just trying to conquer everything! I’m still writing, still up on my blog which people love. And everyone has a blog, so it’s tough but mine is actually funny (laughs).

Obviously you write material, jokes…are you a big writer besides?

I am a big writer, more and more. I was always a “writer,” because I write jokes but I found out that Mark Twain did comedy! Not like we do now, but he toured and was humorous and that made me want to embrace writing. Most of the time I write about things that happen—the human condition—but I also write screenplays. So, it was even unknown to me but now I realize that writing is one of my chief things. My comedy is fueled by writing.

Seeing you on stage, you really have this very friendly-feeling approach to your comedy. How did you develop what works for you on stage?

That’s a great question. I think it’s trial and error. It’s kind of like, one, you want to be yourself. That’s the main thing. So I feel like I’m being myself, but it’s not as easy as you think; it’s a complicated thing. I can be funny in different ways. It all kind of dictates who you are in some respects. For me, I don’t want anything from the crowd, just for them to enjoy themselves and laugh and feel good about it, feel better than when they came in. It’s weird, I’m really myself up there.

You mentioned the Jay Leno Show…How did that project come about?

I met Jay a while back at The Comedy & Magic Club; we hit it off. I think Jay enjoys my comedy, so when the new show came about Jay’s people called me and said, “do you have any ideas?” I pitched a bunch of ideas, and we may do some of the other stuff. Right now I’ve got this ”Great White Moments in Black History” (segment). So…we have black history and I’m black, and we’re so connected—especially black and white people—in history, so I wanted to shed a funny light on some white people who may have helped us. “Hey Ricky Lake, your show helped us realize we need to let go of the ‘You go, girl!’ phrase. Thanks. You showed us the way; we do need to let that one go.” (laughs) So I have a bunch of them, and people seem to like them. I haven’t done (man on street). It’s one of those things that, the show’s so new but hopefully I’ll be working with Jay on some other stuff. Jay’s great, it’s great to learn from him. He’s sort of the Ultimate Comic, the epitome of a stand-up comic. He’s bullet proof. That’s what we call him.

I’ve noticed a lot of comedians exploring different platforms for their comedy. Is it tough to go from stand-up to TV spots, even commercials, or does having that background help?

I think nowadays it’s like you’re just expected to do more. And for me, transferring to different genres and different formats, it works for me. You get to know yourself. I’ve done commercials for Verizon, Sprint, GE; what happens is after a while you realize you’re an entertainer; you have to be able to go through different things. What I love about Jay Leno is—we’re spoiled, we have these clubs where people come out to. When Jay started there weren’t any clubs, he just went and did comedy and people didn’t know what was going on. But TV, colleges, churches, wherever you can get a bunch of people together to listen, it’s one of the things I love.

Nice. Is there anything we should keep our eyes open for, aside from the big Jay Leno segment, coming up for you?

You’ve always got stuff kind of brewing in the fire and don’t know when exactly it’s going to cook. I’ll probably be doing comedy on TV shortly, either doing stand-up on The Jay Leno Show or another show, so look out for that on DwaynePerkins.com. And I like putting a blog up, because between the stand-up people can read these hilarious things. I feel it’s my way of staying in touch. If can’t see your face. - Skyline Comedy; Behind the Mic

Television:
TBS’s The Very Funny Show
Correspondent NBC’s The Jay Leno Show
Verizon Wireless commercial
NBC’s Last Comic Standing 2007
Comedy Central Presents- Dwayne Perkins
NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien
CBS’s The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
Comedy Central’s Premium Blend
TLC’s Faking It
Star Search
Commercial – Sprint

Comedy Festivals / Tours:
Montreal Just For Laughs Festival (3 times)
Chicago Comedy Festival

Awards:
Rolling Stones website: Top 5 comedians to watch

- Sophie K. Entertainment