ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: DANA AGATHA
STEVE: That’s fantastic. I think a lot of us got started by watching SNL as kids, but it’s sweet that it was something you could share with your dad. Was your family supportive of your childhood goofiness? Can you remember a time growing up when you really let your comedic side shine?
DANA: My parents have always supported my dream to become an artist! In 6th grade I was in this play, The Beloved Dearly. It's about a young boy who starts a pet funeral business. There was a scene where neighborhood kids were auditioning to be his "professional mourner" and I was last in line to show off my cry. I wailed and snorted with this sort of gusto that made everyone in the audience burst out laughing! It was the first time I received that kind of reaction from an audience!! I realized there could be joy, silliness, and community through acting!! Following that, my parents made sure I stuck with acting and even put me in singing lessons outside of school.
STEVE: Hey Dana. Thanks again for allowing me to interview you for this series on comedians. I wanted to start with this year’s Albuquerque Funny Fiesta. Now, you were in a few shows this year. I knew you as an actor in college, but I believe I saw you mostly in dramatic roles. I was pleasantly surprised to see you killing it in comedy after graduation and you even came on the Classless Chaps podcast and were fantastic. What made you want to go toward comedy? Was that something you discovered in college or were you a funny kid?
DANA: Comedy has always had a place in my heart! My love for it blossomed when my Dad and I would watch SNL when I was younger. I loved the most obscure sketches and characters that would be written every week! Throughout my school years, I did take on more dramatic roles. I wasn't necessarily seeking them out; they were just the roles I got cast in. But, I always did love being goofy with my friends outside of the theater! We used to make comedic sketches for my Snapchat story and occasionally YouTube. It wasn't until after college that I started my Improv journey and rediscovered the silliness I had as a child.
STEVE: That sounds hilarious! I’ll have to read that play sometime. Now, it was your idea to do our photoshoot as an adult in professional wear who was having fun on a playground. I think that kind of silliness is something that is lacking in a lot of people these days. What are some things that you do to remind yourself not to take adult life so seriously?
DANA: Honestly, Improv has really helped me rediscover that child-like joy. Being up on stage and basically playing pretend is so freeing! More recently, I've been loving making zines. They can be anything! No rules! I've made zines about my Club Penguin boyfriend, cat memes, and even Five Nights at Freddy's. Haha! I've noticed the best silliness comes out when I'm doing things I loved as a child with no judgement.
STEVE: Yes! Thank you for bringing up the zines! It is absolutely wild that zines are making a comeback. I had a student recently who told me she made zines and a bunch of my students didn’t quite know what those were or only had vague ideas. They are very popular in more downtown, artsy areas and maybe haven’t had a widespread resurgence at my university yet. So for those people, could you tell us just briefly what a zine is and what initially drew you toward making your own?
DANA: Zines (like magazine) are a DIY, punk, non commercial publication, usually made from one single piece of paper. There really are no rules to making one! They can be collage heavy. Only words. Just photos. Digitally made or hand written. Zines have no limits! This is the main aspect that drew me in. I am free to do anything!! Free of judgement and free from trying to be perfect!
STEVE: That sounds like a lot of fun. I’ll have to keep a lookout for some of your zines in the future. Thank you so much for letting me talk with you about your art. Could you tell us where we could catch your comedy or see your zines?
DANA: You can catch me being improvisationally funny on stage with The Nightcap in Downtown ABQ. Follow us @TheNightcap_Improv on Instagram for our next show. And see my latest zines and current doodles @HotPinkClown. Thanks for interviewing me and for the photoshoot! This was so fun!!
