Corey Alexander '95 Brings the Funny to New York City
He's moonlighted in comedy for past five years
When alumni went to Carolines on Broadway in New York City, they had to pay
for the drinks, but the laughs were on Corey Alexander ’95.
The New York City Alumni Chapter hosted Comedy Night with Corey Alexander
’95 on March 20. A government and law graduate, Alexander has moonlighted
in stand-up comedy for the past five years.
“What inspired me? The desire to earn very little money and stay in motels
that end in a number,” says Alexander. “And, the other thing being, I was
very drawn to stand-up since I was a kid. I babysat this kid who had HBO,
so I sent him to bed pretty much right after the parents left so I could
watch the HBO stand-up specials.”
Alexander began to work on his comic chops while still a student at
Lafayette, and his road to the stage briefly ran through College Theater,
under the direction of Michael O’Neill, director of College Theater and
associate professor of English.
“[O’Neill] helped with a little general acting and theater development,” he
recalls. “I only tried out for one play and that was my senior year. I
tried out for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. He cast me as some
king who finally came on stage for the last minute of the play and didn’t
say anything. In other words, I had the same amount of lines as the
lighting guy, the ticket taker, and the makeup artist combined. It was
brutal. My parents traveled almost two hours to see me walk on stage and
have the curtain come down after 15 seconds. But Michael was very
encouraging, and he had a lot to do with my efforts later down the line.”
While he does use some “college humor” in his act, Alexander says there is
nothing specific about Lafayette – yet. Still, his college experience
helped him hone the skills necessary to be a successful comedian.
“Lafayette was a great experience in how I learned to write and develop an
act,” he says. “I did write two plays while I was there for the Fringe
Festival and established a little comedic timing with friends. Plus, I now
sit on the board of the Philadelphia Alumni Chapter. It’s great to be
connected to people who are much more sane than I am.”
Alexander hopes to leave his alumni audience with a good impression.
“I just hope they don’t think this is what my parents paid for: a guy who
does jokes for a half-soused audience in the middle of Manhattan,” he says.
“But in reality, this is exactly what they paid for; they’re still trying
to get a refund.”