Montclair Actress Performing At NYC Comedy Club

It’s so easy to meet nice people in Montclair. I recently made friends with a lovely young woman named Melissa Ward, when she asked me for directions. It turns out that she is an actress who had just moved back to Montclair, and she is performing a series of gigs at some comedy clubs in NYC. Her upcoming gig is at Comix, onTuesday, January 5, at 9:30 pm. Comix is easy to get to from the Jersey side–it’s at 353 West 14th St between 8th and 9th Avenues. I asked Melissa a few questions about her sense of humor and her worldview….

Says Melissa, in answer to some of my queries,

Hi, Fran! What first inspired my comedy was living in a women’s residence on the upperwest side of New York City. It’s called St. Agnes Residence, and is located at 237 West 74th St. between Broadway and West End. When you have about 100 female residents, living under the same roof, there are many different characters to explore and rules to make fun of. The rule of “no men allowed above the first floor” is always an interesting topic of conversation.
I am sometimes inspired by current events. My first performance at COMIX was on inauguration day, so there were jokes about Melissa vs. Obama…who were my true friends? not the ones that went to D.C. instead of watching me onstage! I make fun of myself and the part time jobs I’ve had struggling as an actress in New York. I talk about race and dating.
As far as my favorite comedians, I love to hear Kathy Griffin’s jokes about what it’s like to be a comedienne/actress in the industry, and all her inside views of celebrities. I like Chris Rock’s honest perspective on being Black in America; he talks about conflict within the Black community and I have experienced internal racism. I love Jerry Seinfeld’s use of everyday life and circumstances that everyone can relate to, such as cell phones or riding in a taxi cab.
My website is www.melissabrookeward.com

Good luck Melissa!