We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lianne Mauladiin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lianne below.
Lianne, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you feel you or your work has ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized? If so, tell us the story and how/why it happened and if there are any interesting learnings or insights you took from the experience?
Although teaching rooms full of high school art students is great preparation for performing live stand-up, Its been a challenge in some ways juggling both. I don’t know if I was projecting my own insecurities, but when I started in stand up I didn’t want people in the audience to know I was a teacher. I thought there would be a certain response if I told them. For example, if you say you’re a cop or a. lawyer, everyone has their preconceived ideas and I think a teacher is no different. I also feared that people in stand-up would think I was doing it as a hobby and that I was this teacher who thought they’d have fun going to a few open mics.. Thats something that I’ve always been working through with myself. Like any art, you don’t find success by half-assing things and I’ve been patient with myself saying ” well you’re doing as well as you can for someone with another career” (which I love by the way), but now I realize, no actually you’re crushing it for someone with another career. I have done my whole teaching career at independent schools, the kind of schools where if the leadership is weak, the parents are calling the shots. Unfortunately I had an experience where an uptight parent saw me on a poster and was concerned lol. The principal of the school at the time responded by having me sign a legal agreement saying I wouldn’t do any jokes about sex or religion. how ridiculous, I guess racism and homophobia were okay with them. lol I seeked legal advice and concluded that I’d sign it and continue doing exactly what I wanted to do. They would never be at a show anyway. so after that I cleaned up my social media a bit but I still don’t mix the 2 worlds and I”m actually going to be full time comedy starting next July.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
In 2007 I moved to Toronto to teach and wanted to meet people I didn’t work with. So I took an improv class at Second City. I liked it but I felt too much pressure not to let the other members down. Then I saw that they offered a stand up class. I took it. I loved it! It was just me up there. saying whatever I wanted, and making people laugh! it was amazing and I still love that feeling. There were only 2 women in the class, but in the parallel class there were several. At that time, women needed to fight for stage time more than now and there were a lot of all female shows going on that helped me get started. Years later I ended up taking over the Mary Janes of Comedy which was an all female show done in an underground 420 friendly environment prior to legalization. As a teacher, I had a hard time promoting it so I moved it to the Comedy Bar. And its since been known as the “Merry Janes of Comedy” and its the longest running all female stand-up show in Canada. The show is monthly and features 3 headliners, 2 doing 15 min sets and one doing 30 mins, and of course me hosting!. This is a show that also tours with different comics. One of the semi annual shows is at the Bare Oaks Family Naturist Resort where everyone is nude including the entertainment! Merry Janes road shows have been going on since 2010 to cottage country, womens events and venues across Ontario.
my bio at www.liannemauladin.com has more specific info about credits which I am proud.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I love this question because there isn’t but I guess I should set some. lol! I’ve not been good at that historically. I became an art teacher which I always wanted to do but that was achieved at age 23 so after that anything else I achieved in that area was just gravy. Same with stand-up. I set goals for myself, like get a particular festival or headline a show. but again I achieved that already. So my philosophy now is just to stay open to everything, don’t force things, this crazy ride has veered from stand up to movie acting, to pilot writing and I say “yes’ to the next thing too! Actually the next thing is stand-up, I really want to travel the world doing stand-up. A lot of getting booked world wide has to do with Instagram followers now so I really need to push that at my shows! and with the readers :)
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
for me the most rewarding part of being an artist is joy. I feel happiest when I am on stage and I love interacting with audience members. Being recognized as a core member of the comedy community makes me very proud and I cherish my place in this community. As a teacher I am teaching art to teenagers, I can’t think of a more rewarding career than teaching. Following creative endeavours as they come to me is how I make the most of my life and the reward is happiness. I am genuinely happier than everyone I know and I think its because I only do what I love and when it stops being fun I take it in another direction. My careers both bring me a great deal of laughter and the feeling of contributing to society in a way that makes people happier through their own journeys.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.liannemauladin.com
- Instagram: @jokeladyhaha
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jokeladyhaha
- Other: Album on itunes https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/late-for-the-party/1556500826&ved=2ahUKEwjHyojT4IiFAxXwG9AFHUYVBC8QFnoECBEQAQ&usg=AOvVaw3JbrR37WeiS7bqjEtwjUCV
Image Credits
Pics 2,3,4 Carey Ann Photography Pics 1, 5.6 Ramy Arida