Local comedian Steve Smargon is hilarious, plain and simple. The comedian who is affectionately known as the “Bipolar Marine” is a natural storyteller and makes sure that the material in his routine isn’t fabricated for shock value. “Comedy is very therapeutic for me” said Smargon, “I was hesitant to talk about being bipolar at first because of the stigma that comes with mental illness, but it shapes who I am and my outlook on life.”

According to Smargon, “What you’re going to see on any given night depends on whether or not I took my medication, or if I took a handful of Skittles. I’m very much at the mercy of whatever mood I’m in.” Regardless of Smargon’s mood, every performance is memorable. “The great thing about comedy is I basically talk about the stuff I used to talk about in therapy, but now I get paid for it.”

Smargon is a masterful observer of people and the world we live in and is quick to find the humor in common situations. “When I stopped trying to develop material and focused on what’s real, that’s when comedy really opened up for me” said Smargon. “The story about my son finding and eating a sucker from a public restroom is a true story” laughed Smargon.

When it comes to new material Smargon explained, “One of the keys is to have a recorder or notebook with you at all times. When you start to develop a comedian’s mindset you’re constantly observing. Comedians just kind of twist the things that people see normally, and we just try to find the funny in it.”

Smargon officially started performing comedy in 2007 and says “I’m a comedian 24/7, that’s what I do to relax and it’s my defense system.” According to Smargon “Whenever we’re out with friends my wife is always saying ‘don’t encourage him’ but she’s very supportive of what I do and she’s great for bouncing ideas off of.”

As a fairly regular performer at Toledo’s Funny Bone, Smargon enjoys traveling regionally and plans to expand in the coming year. “I would like to keep refining my material and keep writing new stuff” said Smargon. “I would like to do as much as I can, travel, work with different people. I just want to be the best at whatever I do.”

Smargon plans to revisit The Funny Bone toward the end of January or early February and will be opening for Charlie Murphy again this March. Fans of brutally honest, yet clean comedy should make sure to catch a Steve Smargon performance.

Tags: Funny Bone, Star, Steve Smargon

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 13th, 2011 at 7:00 am and is filed under Arts and Life, In Concert, Star.
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