Episode 47: Michelle Chan Bennett - Comedy Through Absurdity

Michelle Chan Bennett is an actor and comedian based in New York City.

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(00:00) NYC-or-bust origin story

(02:11) Nonprofit/education plans; missing creativity

(04:36) Improv → indie team → sketch

(06:58) Layoff pushes full-time creative

(09:40) Forensics scholarship path

(12:07) What “forensics” is; event types

(14:52) Finding a “smart + stupid” voice

(18:05) Vulnerability and taking herself too seriously

(21:27) Intense program culture; “touch grass”

(24:55) Dreaming of speechwriting & oratory

(28:14) Disillusionment with politics; showbiz pull

(31:29) UCB journey & pandemic pivot to characters

(34:47) How UCB auditions work

(38:22) Money reality at UCB

(42:06) Why keep doing it: community & meaning

(49:03) Attention economy, goals & the “20K” talk

(52:06) Brand deals, freebies, rates and UGC

(56:18) Characters, archetypes & truth in comedy; sign-off