Gab Bonesso spreads peace, love, and comedy
For comedian Gab Bonesso, comedy is cathartic. It is visceral as well as cerebral. It is as tactile as a punch in the gut and a kiss on the lips. It occupies all dimensions at once if done right.
And for nearly two decades, Gabrielle Marie Bonesso has been trying to do it right.
In many ways, Ms. Bonesso, who recently turned 40, is one of the region’s most overqualified comedians in terms of experience on stage. She’s topped many “Best of Pittsburgh” reader polls, headlined festivals, recorded a live album, filled opening slots for legendary comics, helped pioneer underground comedy here and even did a two-year stint for South Sidebased retailer American Eagle Outfitters as its “corporate comedy” correspondent — a lucrative gig that took her across the country.
While not as frenetic as she was a decade ago, being a gal in constant motion is a big part of Ms. Bonesso’s act. She’s as likely to do riffs on being bipolar, a diagnosis she has lived with for several years, as she is to launch into overthe-top tales about growing up Italian-Catholic in the Pittsburgh suburbs.
While being manic on stage is how Ms. Bonesso presents herself,
her material is deeply thoughtful. It’s rooted not only in her experience, but reflective of what she believes many in her audience are feeling — yet have not dared to admit to themselves.
That’s where the catharsis at the root of her comedy comes in. That’s why after a show, some members of the audience seek her out to thank her for expressing their confusions and inner struggles so vividly.
While she doesn’t believe in sugar-coating reality — a typical Gab Bonesso set will feature bawdy self-criticism alternating with pointed critiques of powerful institutions and individuals — she does look for ways to bring her more conservative fans along for the ride.
“Prior to 2016, I would’ve said ‘absurdist,’” Ms. Bonesso said when asked whether that was a good word to describe her comedy stylings. “But then absurdity died, because whatever I say now, some people believe to be literal because of what happened,” she said, alluding to Donald Trump’s unexpected victory.
“So it kind of ruined it for me. I’m a former absurdist trying to use the realism of the day to create humor in the moment. Hopefully, I can get back to absurdism some day.”
Asked to define her approach — something every creative person hates to do because they understand their process can’t be pigeonholed so easily — Ms. Bonesso is a good sport.
“I’m very autobiographical, so that ends up becoming political,” she said. “I’ll take pokes at being raised Italian-Catholic and then mock the Catholic Church for everything that’s happened that is worthy of mocking, but I try to add a twist so my fans in Beaver County won’t get mad at me.”
For years, Ms. Bonesso and her business partner Josh Verbanets have made the school, children’s retreat and youth circuit presenting an anti-bullying pop-rap show called “Josh & Gab.” It has opened doors and raised her profile in social services and educational circles as well.
Even so, business was much brisker before 2016. In a counterintuitive way, some schools became reluctant to use the “b-word” after Mr. Trump’s election to describe troubled kids when there was an obvious bully in the White House.
“We thrived during the Obama administration,” Ms. Bonesso said. “An anti-bullying message was President Obama’s world. Within a year of Trump being president, it was like: ‘Let’s not use the term ‘antibully.’ We would hate for bullies to feel bad. Let’s say ‘pro-kindness.’”
Ms. Bonesso believes demand for anti-bullying services will see a resurgence. Maybe.
“I totally understand that there are schools that can’t even afford textbooks, so how are they going to bring in an anti-bullying advocate for a few hundred dollars?” she said.
And even when she is brought in, it can get complicated.
“...It does sadden me when I’m brought into a school in a very rural part of Pennsylvania and the reason I’m brought in is because there’s been an incident where a kid is now identifying as a different gender than what they were born and the school doesn’t know how to react, but the school has to do something because the kid is being severely bullied, so they invite me in to fix the problem — me, a comedian — but then they tell me: ‘Don’t you dare bring up anything LGBTQIA.’”
Ms. Bonesso tells the story in the breathless, rapid patter she uses on stage, complete with gestures. “So how do you want me to do this?” she asks rhetorically. “So then I make it about Steelers fans and someone from Baltimore moves into the neighborhood and they’re a Ravens fans. That’s the only way they’ll let me talk about it. It’s wild.”
She has a lot more freedom to deal with other issues when she visits schools these days. “We’re talking to kids with anxiety,” she said. “Active shooter drills alone have produced a higher number of kids with anxiety. An emphasis on mental health has replaced bullying.”
Ms. Bonesso has a consulting business with Mr. Verbanets, and her own company called Gab Bonesso Productions.
She books her own shows, manages her own career and coordinates her many talks and motivational speeches through her company. These days, she does a lot of mental health conferences that aren’t used to comic relief at their gatherings. It’s a welcome respite for them and it keeps Ms. Bonesso busy.
After recently relocating to Beechview after living for years in Robinson with her family, Ms. Bonesso is rethinking her goals and how to achieve them.
“My ultimate goal is to star, direct and write my own stuff,” she said referring to new media platforms. She loves reality shows and cringe-inducing comedy like HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” She’s been obsessed with YouTube in recent years and has been editing videos and learning the visual language of the new media.
“I finally invested in MacBook Pro Final Cut, real mixer mics and installed a studio in my house because I really want to start taking my comedy and developing something for the screen,” she said. “Let’s face it — everything is different now.”
Gab Bonesso isn’t a household name in the country yet, but she’s finally reached veteran comedian heights in Pittsburgh. That’s fine for now, but she has grander ambitions. She’s ready to take the Gab Bonesso Show to places it hasn’t been before.