Donna East: NYC's Queen of Clean Comedy
"You can come to a real comedy dub with real comedians and feel good because what you're laughing at is clean", said East. "A lot of people are interested in it because you can bring anybody—even your grandmother—and feel comfortable."
East, 30, is a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, girl-next-door-type, who came to New York from Detroit nine years ago to pursue acting. After a stint in theater and working in commercials, she went behind the scenes to work as a production assistant for a cable TV network. "Then God called me to do comedy", she said, "because as Christians, we have a reason to laugh and be happy because we have Jesus."
Last fall, she was on tour with zany Christian author Chonda Pierce as her writer and performed some guest appearances. East, who describes herself as a cross between Roseanne Barr, Gilda Radner, and Chris Farley, has performed at such well-known venues as Caroline's, New York Comedy Club, and Don't Tell Mama's.
East's rip-roaring comedy ranges from taunts at her wacky family and the thirty-something dating scene to dealing with the rigxnaroles of life. "I called Sprint to cancel my cell phone", she quips. "I told them I couldn't afford it. But they are so desperate for business that customer service said, 'We'll give you two months free'. I was like, 'Ohbh...I don't know.' They said, 'We'll double your minutes and cut your rate.' I whined, 'Ohbh, but I don't like my phone...it's old.' They said, 'We'll send you a brand new $200 phone.' I said, 'Ohhh...okay. Can I talk to you about my other bills?"
Even bartenders and waiters like working her show. "This is strange because the people that come to my show usually don't drink," said East. "The club's employees say that my audience is usually a lot nicer than others. And when they ask, 'What's different?' I can say it's Jesus Christ."
After the tragedy of September 11th, East said there were lots of show cancellations. "I started searching the scriptures about joy, cheerfulness, laughter, and gladness. And I began wondering, 'Does God laugh?' Now I'm writing a book with that title," she said. "I'm trying to make a difference in the city. That's a huge thing after 9-11."
Along with becoming an author, East also teaches a workshop called 'A Time To Laugh' on how to develop, write, and perform clean comedy. She is teaming with author Martha Bolton, a Dove and Emmy-Nominated writer for the likes of Bob Hope and Mark Lowry. The Comedy Workshop and Show will be held at the Houston Worship Center on November 1st and 2nd in 2002.
East was hired by the United States Armed Forces to cheer troops in the Caribbean, Guatemala, and Honduras for three weeks this fall. 'It's such an honor to work for my country this way,' she said. "Humor is a tool- it gives people a different kind of joy. People love people who are funny and people want to laugh. Laughter heals the heart."