We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Terrence Lambert. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Terrence below.
Terrence, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
The biggest Risk I have taken was producing my own monthly Black and Queer comedy variety show In New York City. This idea came about because I was taking an Advanced Improv class taught by Philip Markle at the Brooklyn comedy collective last spring. At the end of the class, Philip told each student to pitch their own show to produce at the theater. He suggested that I do a one person show, but I said no because I felt like I wasn’t ready to produce an hour long solo comedy show. So I pitched a variety show that would feature sketch comedy, stand-up, characters, etc., and all of the acts would be black and or queer artists. The show did not start off as a monthly idea. It started off as just a one off show, but the first show was such a hit. They asked me to bring it back. So now it runs every second Sunday of the month at 7 PM at the Brooklyn comedy collective. I pitched the show because after being in comedy for a little bit, I began to notice how there aren’t really many shows, if any, that cater to black and or queer artists, specifically who are in comedy or do characters or do Improv. Because what typically happens is a lot of the classes you take whether it be Improv characters sketch stand-up you do a class show and you don’t really do much else after the class show unless someone asks you to be put on their show. And no shade, but comedy is run by a lot of white people who aren’t thinking about putting Black people on. So what do you do? You produce your own stuff catered to those who look like you. And as a creative mind, we’re always writing down new ideas for characters, new ideas for sketches, and new jokes. We are constantly pushing our pen, but aren’t given a platform to put our work on its feet. And comedy and sketch and characters is a performance art and the only way you’re going to grow and get better is by doing and putting stuff out there. And a lot of us of the black and or queer experience do not have regular shows that cater to us. And the thing with comedy, you only know what’s working If you put it out in front of an audience, that’s the point of a show. Some jokes I tell at one show are a big hit at one show and I can tell the exact same joke at another show and get crickets. That’s the point of the work, but we have to put our work out there and that’s part of the risk too because to pursue being creative in this economy is the biggest risk anybody can take.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
Yes, I am. Terrence Lambert my pronouns are he/they and I am an actor, singer, writer creator producer you’ve heard it all before. I am the founder and producer of a show called rainbow riot a monthly Black and or queer comedy show in New York City. I got into performing when I was five years old and I saw my older brother Kenny perform as Audrey II in his high school musical production of little shop of horrors. From that moment, I got the performance creative itch and kept scratching the itch if you will but thankfully, the itch never went away. I never went to accredited, performing arts, college or conservatory for me. A lot of my performance art training was just by growing up in choir in church and in school and I was lucky enough to go to a public school that understood the importance of funding the arts where I was able to take voice lessons and able to be in very rigorous and intense. Theatre and arts curriculums because arts was very important in the school district in which I grew up in. I’m not kidding the choir and Theatre kids were more popular than the jocks in my high school and I’m from Indianapolis and you know who else is from Indianapolis, Ryan Murphy. And Ryan Murphy based his hit show glee off of my high school show choir. Arts was very serious for me growing up. So that’s why I really got my discipline and groundedness(if that is a word) in my art and creativity. What sets me apart from others is the fact that my show is very catered to a specific demographic within the arts community with it being black and or queer. I always say and or queer because blackness is inherently queer and to be queer while most people think queerness is something centered around sexual or gender expression. Queerness can also mean weird, silly, odd, and peculiar. And to be black and and comedy is to be queer. I am most proud of the work that I have been able to put out and explore through this show. I’m also proud of the ways in which people have received the show. I have had people message me or tell me after the show that I have inspired them to get back into writing and into creating from seeing the show. I have also been able to watch people network across by seeing someone do stand-up or do Improv and have them connect with somebody else and do a sketch for somebody or do something creatively and that field just because of coming to the show which makes me so proud because that is what is all about. Art in its purest form is about community and bringing people together. You can’t have art without community. This show is about community. The show is about finding people who are also as hungry as you and are wanting to create as much as you want to create in building relationships through that medium and it’s always a bonus when that person looks like you or comes from a similar experiences you.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Something about putting on a monthly show is understanding that one show can be almost sold out and another show. Can have no one there. I think it’s resilient to understand the ways in which you have to keep showing up for yourself even when you might be performing for one or two people the work and the art is still going to be the same whether it’s two people versus 200 people. Another thing I love about this work and this journey is the fact that there is somebody out there that hates the fact that I am getting my Black and queer booty up on that stage and is doing this every single month. like there is a racist and a homophobic person or people out there that can’t stand the fact that I am getting up on stage and putting other people who are black and queer on and celebrating comedy and celebrating joy because we always say that black joy is resistance, but it Is so true. To exist in a black and queer body specifically and still smile and to still exude and bring joy to others during this sociopolitical climate is resilient and I love it so much. Knowing that somebody despises the work that I am trying to do for people in my community.
Have you ever had to pivot?
I moved to new York City five years ago, and I was on the stereotypical going to open audition calls and sending agencies and casting directors my headshot and résumé grind. You know the normal starving artist story. And mind you I did not have the BFA. I did not go to the conservatory. I didn’t go to the Carnegie Mellon, the NYU, the Juilliard. It was simply, as Beyoncé said it best, Me Myself and I. so after walking into pretty much every open, call being seen for some things, not being seen for some things I got bored and I said this is not really filling my creative cup. So I found Improv and comedy and stand-up and had to pivot my “career” to something that is more true and real to me and something that is going to help me also potentially get me opportunities later on down the line. Because I also got tired of singing 16 to 32 bars of a random musical theater song that 10 other people might also sing the same cut of again my creative cup was not being filled properly. And the beauty of comedy and improv is the fact that through this new medium of creating, my entire brain is wired differently. The things that I see and want to do in my head, I can put it on its feet. I can put it on a stage because there’s a fearlessness that comes with doing comedy. Had I not done comedy and had I stayed the course and just continue to go to open calls and pray to be seen at auditions I feel like I wouldn’t be as far as I am now because I don’t know what I know now.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://terrencelambert.com
- Instagram: terrencelambert_
- Facebook: Terrence Lambert
- Youtube: @TerrencesRandomVids
