Arts & Entertainment

SERIOUS ABOUT COMEDY I ON THE COVER

Ben Konstantin
finds life
after layoff in
a comedy career.

Photo by Ang le Ba an

1

Bill Carroll
Special to the Jewish News

T

he economic downturn cost him
his job as senior art director at a
premier advertising agency, but
Ben Konstantin of Oak Park is getting the
last laugh.
Today, Konstantin, 44, is a full-time
comedian riding a wave of popularity
among comedy audiences nationwide.
Appearing at comedy clubs and festivals
locally and around the country, he is earn-
ing a decent living in his second career.
Local audiences will get a chance to
check on Konstantin's progress when he
stars in Ha!liday Laugh-A-Palooza, a mini
comedy festival featuring a mix of local
and national comedians, at the Palace of
Auburn Hills on Saturday, Dec. 19.
Performing along with Konstantin will
be nationally known comics Dan Grueter,
Bill Squire, Dwayne Gill (also a Michigan
State Police sergeant) and master of cer-
emonies Joel Fragomeni.
"I'll perform about 35 minutes in the

Laugh-A-Palooza, with about seven to
eight minutes on the Jewish perspective of
things:' says the tall, slender Konstantin,
sipping coffee after his daily workout at the
Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan
Detroit. "I do mostly observational humor
about people sweating the small stuff in
life, getting annoyed and angry about daily
happenings.
"For example, when I was working in
an office, I got an e-mail feeler for a new
job opening and I answered it. Turns out,
the feeler came from my own company
— and they rejected me!"

Early Years
Growing up, Konstantin didn't show an
inclination for standup comedy.
He was shy in public, although he was
a practical joker among his close friends
and, as a camp counselor — at Camp
Sequoia in Rock Hill, N.Y., and Camp
Tanuga in Kalkaska, Mich. — often enter-
tained his bunk kids.
A graduate of Oak Park High School,
he attended Michigan State University

sort of quiet outside of the
and transferred to Wayne State Ben Konstantin: "My
family. But he was a very
University in Detroit, where he comedy emerged in
my cartoons and other
talented illustrator who did
earned a degree in fine arts/
humorous drawings in
outstanding portraits;' they
painting. Exhibiting a strong
my early years."
concurred.
talent as an illustrator and
"People who didn't know
desiring to build a portfolio for
Ben well when he was
future employment, Konstantin
growing up are often surprised to find out
went on to study at Detroit's Center for
what he's doing now:' says his sister, Lynne
Creative Studies, specializing in commer-
Konstantin of West Bloomfield. "He came
cial graphics and illustrations and earn-
off as reserved, and he wore glasses, so
ing a second bachelor's degree in graphic
everyone thought he was very studious.
communications/commercial art.
"But he always had it in him — he just
"I guess my comedy emerged in my
cartoons and other humorous drawings in took a while to get to the point of being
comfortable, then really letting go, on
my early years:' he recalls. "I would draw
stage. I think that's part of what he loves
comic strips and sell them to friends. I
about doing it now, that many people
would amuse them by basing the comic
expect one thing of him, and surprise!
strip characters on my classmates and
And, she adds, "he always was drawing
other people I knew. I still draw a lot in my
really funny caricatures and comic books
spare time now"
His parents, Bill and Miriam Konstantin — even in elementary school. He still
does them for my kids."
of Oak Park, agree they didn't foresee his
Konstantin hit a roadblock as a stu-
future as a comedian, other than a few
dent when he developed attention deficit
youthful appearances at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek of Oakland County, where
Last Laugh on page 46
the family belongs. "Otherwise, he was

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