School of Communication professor Chris Palmer is a Renaissance Man. He's served in the British Navy, been a high school boxing champion and worked on an Israeli kibbutz. He was a naval officer, an engineer, a business consultant, an energy analyst, the chief energy advisor to a senior U.S. Senator, a political appointee in President Jimmy Carter's EPA, an environmental lobbyist and most recently, the director of the Center for Environmental Filmmaking here at AU. Last year, he added standup comedian to the list.
A few months ago, Palmer's daughter showed him a flyer for standup comedy training, which inspired Palmer to seize a personal aspiration and enter the spotlight himself. In his personal mission statement last January, Palmer wrote that he would honor and embrace humor as a major part of his life, including getting on stage once a week and hiring a stand up coach.
After a few self-described "nerve wracking" gigs at the Topaz Hotel in Dupont Circle, Palmer decided to start his own comedy club in Bethesda, a town known as the "City of Restaurants" but devoid of comedy clubs. Palmer is taking his show to the Bethesda Hyatt on April 1, where he and several other amateur comedians will perform a full-length set for a $5 cover charge. After the set, any member of the audience will have the opportunity to get up on stage and tell the best joke to win a $25 dollar prize.
"I wrote to the head of the Bethesda Hyatt and outlined my thoughts," said Palmer, a charming man who exudes a wealth of enthusiasm through his British accent. After the Hyatt head and a few colleagues checked out the set at the Topaz, they were very receptive. "In fact, that same fellow wound up winning the joke contest."
Palmer has no background in comedy from a professional standpoint, but maintains that his extensive career in public speaking has served him well. Growing up in Great Britain, Palmer drew influence from comedic luminaries like John Cleese and David Frost. But that hasn't precluded him from enjoying contemporaries.
"I like Jay Leno, David Letterman and especially Jerry Seinfeld. He's really a great talent and I think people overlook that," Palmer said.
As a venue, the Hyatt provides a convenient location with heavy foot traffic and a modest cover charge for anyone to enjoy. Palmer also added that anyone who comes will appreciate the content.
"I think that this has an almost universal appeal. I tend to stay away from political and religious humor and mostly draw from my experiences as a father, as a professor, things a lot of people can relate to," Palmer said. "Jokes about Dick Cheney and hunting aren't going to be funny in six months."
Ultimately, Palmer hopes that the small dream will bloom into his own nationwide tour. But for now, his ambitions remain grounded in the fact that he merely wants people to laugh.
"Humor is one of the things that makes life worth living, something that I've always cherished. And if I can get everyone in the room laughing then I can say with confidence that I've succeeded."
Palmer's comedy event is scheduled for the evening of Saturday, April 1, at the Bethesda Hyatt, a one-block walk south from the Bethesda Metro stop.
