The festival life
Junior Diem Dang gains a professional opportunity be attending the Beyond Wonderland music festival.
During my semester in Los Angeles, I have enjoyed my time as an intern with Mandalay Sports Media and Tollin Productions. My tasks vary day to day, and occasionally interns are given the opportunity to be a production assistant on set for Mandalay’s ongoing projects.
I was given the opportunity to be a production assistant at the Comedy Store, a renowned comedy club located on Santa Monica Boulevard that has been home to some of the most successful comedians. Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Dave Chappelle, Whoopi Goldberg, Michael Keaton, David Letterman, Howie Mandel and many other notable comedians have all performed on the Comedy Store stage. The Comedy Store is a place for tourists and locals to enjoy a night of standup comedy. The store is known for its bright red walls with black and white signatures of the club’s most iconic performers.
As a former performer, I was very excited to see the Comedy Store from behind the scenes. I learned many valuable skills, including wrapping cables, set protocol, how to assist when an interview is being conducted and how to properly handle all the technical equipment. I was responsible for setting up and breaking down the set.
On set, I met and spoke with Tony Hinchcliffe who is a regular at the store and is known for his podcast “KILL TONY.” Listening to Hinchcliffe tell his story about how he came to find the Store and move up through the system gave me an even greater appreciation for the perseverance it takes to establish a career in comedy. Like so many others who come to Los Angeles to follow their dreams, he made it through thanks to his persistence, hard work and determination.
The Comedy Store serves as a rite of passage and is known as a sacred place for up-and-coming comedians. After being a PA on set, I fell in love with the Store, its history and atmosphere. I returned to see a show before leaving Los Angeles and was able to watch Whitney Cummings perform. The Store is a place I will always make time for in the future when returning to Los Angeles.