be yourself

Irs.N. Nv• Laughs

Comic Dennis Ross overcomes pain to find

humor in the mundane.

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7/27

2001

I wrote a bunch of stuff about driving.
"I talk about relationships and
things in the news — everything from
drinkers to a guy who claims to talk to
C omedian Dennis Ross keeps a
dead people. It's whatever sort of hits
secret his audiences would
me. I don't have a mindset for the
never guess.
whole show."
In the spotlight, poking
Ross, who grew up in New Jersey
fun at himself and turning everyday .
and
continues to make his home
frustrations into humorous shtick, he
there,
defines himself as a former
makes it hard to imagine that he's bat-
"class comic," not "class
tling Crohn's disease, a digestive
clown." That means he insti-
ailment that can be very painful. Dennis Ross:
gated others to act up instead
wasn't that
"Sometimes nothing seems to
of acting up himself.
outgoing, but I
be bothering me, and sometimes
The entertainer attended
could out-write
it's very tough working," says
College in New Jersey
Union
the competition."
Ross, 44, who's returning to
with
the
intent of becoming
Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle
a
journalist,
but that goal
Aug. 2-4. "I really want to do
changed
after
he
wrote
a successful
well for audiences, so it's like flicking a
humor column for the school newspa-
switch in my head. I do whatever is nec-
per and tried his talents at a comedy
essary to get through it."
club open-mike night. The repeated
Whatever is necessary brought him
invitations for more performances
to a nine-year span of not having one
lured
him further into the standup
weekend off.
field.
With comedy clubs and colleges
"I wasn't that outgoing, but I could
around the country as his destinations,
out-write
the competition," says Ross,
Ross has opened for other comedians,
who writes and revises his act daily. "I
such as Howie Mandell, Ray Romano
try to take things that everybody's
and Chris Rock, as well as numerous
talking about and find a totally differ-
musical groups, including the Drifters,
ent approach to them or just go in dif-
Marvelettes and Duprees.
ferent ways."
"I've played 31 states and St. Croix in
As Ross launched his club career, he
the Virgin Islands besides being a side-
buttressed
his earnings with a range of
kick on radio shows," says Ross, who
day
jobs,
from
being a voting fraud
also has performed in Flint and Ann
investigator to doing sales work. After
Arbor. "The last time I was in Michigan,

SUZANNE CHESSLER
Special to the Jewish News

a service of

Jewish Home & Aging Services

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