FiveQuestions
Mia Faith Hammond, winner of the recent Make Me Laugh Albany competition, will perform locally this holiday season on Friday at Lark Tavern in Albany and on Saturday at The Comedy Works in Saratoga Springs as part of the Comedy’s Best Kept Secret Tour. Both shows begin at 8 p.m., with $15 pre-sale tickets available online now, or $20 admission at the door.
1 You won Make Me Laugh Albany. What do you have to say of your win?
I just want to say that I am truly humiliated on behalf of my competitors. These are grown, sex-having adults, and they all lost to a 19-year-old girl virgin. Yikes. Even Joan of Arc was like “Wowza, that is friggen making me blush.” Yeah, I’d say I’m like the Joan of Arc of comedy, but I didn’t get burned at the stake like a loser. I’m an alive winner.
Hi mom.
2 You’re 19years old, it seems like quite the accomplishment to be a comedian so young. How do you think your age affects you in the comedy community?
Well, I’d say it’s particularly challenging being a young comic because no one really takes you seriously. Like this one time when I was on stage, a heckler from the audience yelled, “Name three different IRS-authorized tax forms, or we won’t take you seriously.” and then the rest of the crowd roared a concurring and collective “Yeah. Do it you little girl.” I had such trouble recalling the tax form titles in that moment, for my brain was so busy battling off sudden thoughts of cute boys and hashtags. Blimey, being young is rough. Like, how do you even pronounce mortgage? I don’t know I’m so young.
3 Past Make Me Laugh winners have been given opportunities to perform on cross county road trips that have traveled all the way to Alaska. What do you most look forward to as a result of this opportunity?
Man, I’d have to say ... going to Alaska. I’ve always wanted to be as bored as I am cold (am I right Albany?). Dreams a comin’ true. Mean Canada, here I come.
4 What was it about comedy that drew you to the art form?
I was never really drawn to comedy so much as it was just always around when I was growing up. Mother used to be a standup, but she never became successful at it. So I guess, in a way, she’s forcing me to do this so that she can live vicariously through me. She gets to feel young again, and
I get stress wrinkles. It’s symbiotic. S-O-S haha. Also, I like farts and fart jokes. 5What’s your favorite thing about the holidays?
When it snows. Snow is how I refer to mother’s winter tears. I like trying to make her cry. On purpose. She raised me this way.