non, now 25, along with her. More of-
ten, she would book one-nighters, dri-
ve to Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky and
Wisconsin to perform her act, and dri-
ve back the same night, while Shan-
non stayed with . Kay's parents.
"It was very hard, but I loved it.
Why do a job that you hate?" asks Kay,
who moved with Shannon 10 years
ago to Los Angeles to broaden her act-
ing opportunities.
"I used to do a lot more Jewish hu-
mor, at temple shows and communi-
ty organizations, where you had to be
really dean. But when you're working
across middle America in a comedy
club, you have to do what
everybody wants. It's not
like I don't talk about it, be-
0140.1010
Snap your fingers
cause I do. Whatever
and "testify," says
schticklach comes out, the
Southfield native
•
Jews will know what it is."
Gilda Hauser during
These days, Kay's more
a comedy improv
So, nu, what's a Jewish comic to do before becoming
sketch. Hauser and
selective about her stand-
professionally funny?
the Totally
up appearances so that she
Cellist
Unrehearsed
can focus more on film and
Morey
Amsterdam
Theater Group,
television work. She just fin-
which she co-
Writer
ished taping a pilot for a
Gertrude Berg
founded four years
new and different "$25,000
ago, perform every
Singer
Pyramid," where she'll be
Elayne Boosler
Tuesday night at
the only comic of the six reg-
Mark Ridley's
Saxophonist
Sid Caesar
ulars on the show. And, she
Comedy Castle in
Royal Oak.
Salesman
just wrapped Swimsuit The
Myron Cohen
Movie in which she was "the
Commercial Artist
old saggy, baggy has-been
Norm Crosby
model."
Trumpet Player
In addition, Kay's fea-
Marty Feldman
tured in two new CD-ROM
Stockbroker
packages. In "Windows '95
Gilda Hauser
for the Technically Chal-
Singer
Madeline Kahn
lenged," Kay plays Dr. Joy
Law Office Administrator
Stick.
Sheila Kay
"It was going to be Dr.
Teacher
schtick, but other than
Joy
Sam Levenson
Jewish people, who would
Rabbinics
have gotten it?" she quips
Jackie Mason
in her mile-a-minute dia-
_Artist
logue. The other CD-ROM
Zero Mostel
City Management is an interactive stand-up
Mort Sahl
comedy game that features
—
41N1110 ' 16*Naimit
Kay and other comics in
the crop coining out again," says Ri- "Don't Quit Your Day Job."
"When I was a kid, my
Next up is a TV sitcom pilot, writ-
dley, who M.C.ed his shows at the ten especially for her by Mark Lonow,
hero as a comic was
Comedy Castle for 14 years.
Richard Pryor because
"There were too many people and co-owner of The Improv in Los Ange-
he was so much better
too many clubs out there," he adds, les.
than anyone that I ever
"There were very few women comics
saw," says Ben
saying that of the 400 comedy clubs
nationwide, about 200 are still in op- back then working the city. And now,
Konstantin, an art
eration. 'When there were a lot of women have become a real force in the
director by day and a
comic by night. "I like
clubs available, everyone was work- industry thanks to Rosanne, Ellen De-
Jerry Seinfeld and
ing. But now, with clubs charging $12 Generes, Brett Butler and Elayne
Jackie Mason, maybe
to $20 per ticket, you better be good Boosler," says Kay. "A lot of stand-
subconsciously
- whether you're black, white, Jew- up comedians are naturals for sitcoms
because they're
ish, it doesn't matter ... And, there's a because they act. I think we are much
Jewish. But I liked
loyalty factor involved. [The comics] more respected in comedy than we
Robin Harris, and he
recognize that [the Comedy Castle] is ever were before."
was black. Maybe
So, who's getting the last laugh
there's a connection — s a quality act."
the minority voice."
"Mark was wonderful to me and now? ❑
helped me when I started out," says
U "What other job can you go to and
Kay. "Comedy was really badly af-
laugh?" asks Mark Ridley, the King
fected over the years, when so much
of the Comedy Castle for 18 years
comedy was exposed on cable. A lot of
who's featured on the JN Entertain-
comedy clubs went under because the
ment cover.
market was inundated. But Mark's al-
For a related story on stand-up
ways hung in there and totally sup-
comics, see today's Attractions story
ported the comics and the comedy
on Cantor/Comic Kenny Ellis' up-
coming Maple-Drake JCC perfor-
community."
As a single mother out on the road,
mance Dec. 14.
Kay would take-her daughter Shan-

about, girls," Kay confirms, and bonds
with the female contingency of
tonight's audience.
"In those days, [the comics who per-
formed at the Delta Lady] were a sup-
port group for each other. We'd
critique each other's work, with the
aspiration that we'd work up to the
Comedy Castle," recalls Kay, who
grew up in Oak Park. "That was the
thing to do. That was my stage, and
that's where everybody worked."
For more than 18 years, Mark Rid-
ley has been the King of the Castle,
the first comedy club to open in Michi-
gan. Operating for two weeks under

C •

the name of Mark Ridley's Room of
Comedy and Magic until he "realized
that it took too much space on the
marquee," Ridley's initial showcase
was in the Northwood Inn on 11 1/2
and Woodward. After five years, he
moved to the Meeting Place on Or-
chard Lake Road; Birmingham native
Mike Binder was his first headliner.
Along with Binder, Ridley has jump-
started many local-Detroiters' careers,
including Kay, Tim Allen, Dave Couli-
er, Joe Nipote and Bill Thomas.
"The only trend that we're seeing is
that the schlock clubs are closing
down, and you're seeing the cream of

Before Comedy