Meet Michael Mandzak: Stand Up Comedian & Comedy Club Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Mandzak and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I know the term “practice makes perfect” gets thrown around a lot and haphazardly applied to any situation in which someone may need some poorly thought out motivation but in the comedy world it truly is the bottom line. The timing, the word play, the punchlines, they all need to be worked on in front of a crowd. Practice is on stage, you are always practicing. You are always trying to tweak the words on a joke to get a bigger laugh and when you do it at home in a mirror with a hairbrush as a mic the only one laughing at you it is yourself. Of course writing is a giant part of the creative process but you wont know if its a joke until people laugh at it and then you have to wait until your next show to see if your edits and revisions make it better or worse; ad infinitum. Whether its a room full of other comics waiting their turn on stage, an empty bar or a packed out comedy club, stage time is stage time, stage time is practice and practice makes perfect.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I worked my way up through the ranks at The Laughing Skull Lounge comedy club over quite a few years. First filling in random shifts at the door to helping set up speakers and lights at shows we hold at different venues. From there I leveled up to lights and sound guy eventually moving on to where I am currently which is the man of many roles but on paper I believe it just says manager. From pumping out social media posts to making sure comedians don’t run the light while on stage I wear many different hats throughout the same day. To get to where I am it started with just be available. I am always ready to jump at some new opportunity and so I did. Trust is a major factor that helped me to get where I am as well. Whether it be my coworkers trusting me or vice versa our team is not built on the backs of each other but held up by teamwork. Everyone trusts each other to pull their own weight and to not be afraid to ask for help.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Depending on how their taste buds are feeling on that day we would start out at either Havana Sandwhich Shop, Food Terminal or one of the many fantastic fried chicken spots. After that I would need to go for a walk to get the food sweats gone so we head over to Piedmont park and walk along the side of the botanical gardens where you can see some of the cool stuff inside but dont have to pay the crazy price. Then rent some scooters and road rage our way over the The Laughing Skull Lounge for some comedy and stiff drinks. Then end it at one of the great bars on Edgewood where we can hopefully see (but not get hit by) the motocross guys doing wheelies. Always Uber home after drinking.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people in the Atlanta comedy scene that have helped me grow but if we were to start at the beginning there are three people that pushed me to where I am today. First would be my roommate Damian Turner who before I had any interest in performing hooked me up working some door shifts at a comedy club for some extra money, that’s what lit the fire. During my door man stint I hosted a bachelor party weekend for a good friend of mine named Julio Opazo. To surprise him me and the other guys decided to sign up for an open mic. The plan was in motion and we are all sitting in a smokey bar waiting for the show to start. The host shows up and puts a piece of paper on a table and yells ” Sign ups open”. I look around at my buddies and not a one stands up. No one was prepared or maybe they were just scared of the 3 person audience, regardless, it came down to me. I stand up march over and write my name on that list. I told my jokes, ones I will never tell again and left the stage knowing it would not be the last time. The third person is Marshall Chiles the owner of The Laughing Skull Lounge in Midtown. His eagerness to to not only create but to have a space for others to show off what they have created in the way of comedy is unmatched. If not for him and the environment he has created I would not have the opportunities that are in front of me today. As for honorable mention, Bob Place is the dude! If you need a laugh or a hug that man has got you covered.

Instagram: @mand.zak

Facebook: Michael Mandzak

Youtube: Michael Mandzak

Image Credits
Two video grabs are shot by Cody Vondell The pictures are mine