Comedy Salad with Buddah #4 Chili Challis

Chili as I know him.

"Comedy Salad with Buddah" is a standup comedy blog about comedians and their world of comedy. This week I had an outstanding interview with comedian Chili Challis who has become well known for his dojo classes. His dojo classes are a must for new comics. Oh yeah, before I forget, Chili is also a former writer for the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno". I asked Chili six questions and for Chili to shoot one back to me. He we go...



BUDDAH: How did you get to be a staff writer for the Tonight Show with Jay Leno?



CHILI: I wrote my way onto the show. I sold Leno so many jokes privately over his fax line, he called me one day and offered me a full NBC network writing job!



BUDDAH: Do you have any tips or writing exercises for comedians to get out of a writers block?



CHILI: To me writer's block means you're overthinking something and probably have your 'internal editor' up too high. Simply go back to what makes you laugh, think silly and apply to whatever you're writing. You'll snap out of it.



BUDDAH: You are known for helping the development of up and coming comedians with your continuing dojo classes. So tell us, what is a dojo class?



CHILI: A dojo session is a personal coaching situation of writing and performing of comedy that just happens to happen as a group. Each talent is worked with on an individual basis. In any dojo you will have me and my experiences as a coach and the focus group (the dojo members) listening, helping a talent with whatever it is they wish to work on and feel that they need. It could be performance, more character, tags and of course writing.



BUDDAH: You are the headliner and I just bombed badly in front of you as your feature act, What advise would you give me after the show is over?



CHILI: I would probably talk you down from the ledge or pehaps even ask you to climb higher and then push you off.

Actually the factors of bombing are sometimes out of your control and each time would have to be looked at under specific parameters to see just why the bombing took place. The one thing I would do is tell the feature there will be better shows. because the truth is...there always will be.

As the old saying goes 'if you lose the battle, gain the lesson', if you keep doing that way you bomb far fewer times if at all.



BUDDAH: Would you rather be a comedy performer (standup/improv) or a comedy writer and why?



CHILI: I have done both professionally and they both have their positive sides. But if I had to pick one I'd stay with performing my own stuff and seeing that through, that would be perfect for me.



BUDDAH: Okay, it's a movie marathon kind of night. What movies (titles) do you want to watch tonight?



CHILI: "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou", "The Jerk", "Amadeus", "Rocky", "History of the World Part 1", "Project X" One of my dojo'ers is the star of that one! And it's not a porno!)



And now, one question from Chili to Buddah. What has been your most important realization since starting to do standup?



BUDDAH: Good question. It takes time. And you have to keep your patience from everything, to developing your stage skills, gaining self-confidence, writing material and working it out at open mics and of course waiting on that valuable stage time (guest sets & feature spots). But I think the most important realization in all of this is understanding that it takes up to a good 3-5 years to carve out a solid 30 minute feature set, which has been my goal since the beginning of this journey.
Chili Challis

Comics, Chili is always teaching his dojo classes in various places including Ann Arbor, Michigan and a few venues in Ohio. As a student of Chili's dojo class I absolutely recommend it to new up and coming comedians. Also, look for him at a comedy club near you