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When asked what keeps him motivated to keep doing standup after all these years, Dean Lewis replied, “Partly it’s that I don’t have any other skills. But mainly it’s that besides my children, it’s my greatest joy. I love making people laugh. Putting them in a good mood is just magic!"
Lewis was drawn to standup comedy as a teenager. His first attempt at standup was an impromptu set at Calm Eddy’s Comedy Club in 1983 that some of his Richland College theater friends forced him into. After a few more sporadic attempts to get up and tell jokes in the 1980’s, Lewis got serious about it and took a comedy writing class and started writing jokes.
As a way into the industry, Lewis got a job tending bar at the Dallas Improv in 1991. His big chance came on a night, when the Improv had time to fill and no comics. He did so well, he was given the opportunity to host and emcee a weekly showcase for local comics at the Dallas Improv. Lewis leveraged that opportunity for regular stage time to develop as a writer and performer. Ultimately he became a headliner, regularly performing in Las Vegas and comedy clubs all across the United States. Lewis has performed internationally as well.
Early on in his career, Lewis developed a standup comedy writing class which he taught at the Dallas Improv. To promote the class, Lewis went on Chris Jagger’s morning radio show on 102.1 “The Edge.” Lewis had great chemistry with Jagger and the other personalities on the show – Mondo Mike and Jasmine – and ended up becoming part of the “Jagger Mafia.” Lewis spent over 7 years with Jagger’s crew doing a daily morning radio show on local radio stations 102.1 and 105.3.
Lewis still teaches comedy writing and has taught, tutored and mentored practically every comedian coming out of the Dallas comedy scene for the last 25 years.
Besides performing and teaching standup comedy, Lewis written material for other comedians, including Jay Leno, and has written for movies and television. Lewis was recognized in 2007 with an Emmy for his writing on “DFW 10” a local television show which aired on the Dallas CBS affiliate station.
When asked how the comedy scene is different now than it was when he got started, Lewis said, “That’s like asking a Caveman what he thinks of an airplane.”
Lewis went on to say, comedy is just so much more accessible now with many more comedy clubs in DFW and all the streaming services. Lewis said he believes that social media and YouTube have made it easier for a standup comedian make a living as a comedian, because it’s made it easier to find and build a following, which was much more difficult to do 30 or 40 years ago.
The downside is there are lots of people out there who think they are funny and deserve stage time because they have 30 followers on Facebook and they got a few “Likes” on their last post. Likes aren’t laughs. That’s not what comedy is.
For Lewis stand-up comedy is a 90-minute show with three or more comics where the headliner goes last and real people are there in the moment sharing a good laugh.
Register for Mixed Nuts - Funny Friday with Dean Lewis here. Tickets are $20 for the 7:30 p.m. performance on Friday, Aug. 1.
