Q & A with Halden Hoodenpyl

Halden Hoodenpyl at a Stand Up Society Meeting

By: Rachel Graf

RG: How did your interest in Stand-up begin?

HH: I’ve always been interested in stand up.  I remember when I was a little kid, my Dad watching one of Jerry Seinfeld’s specials, he was talking about a vacuum cleaner or something.  It’s such an insignificant moment and I was like five but for some reason I’ve never forgotten it.   I had always loved performing.  I had wanted to be an actor, a performing musician, etc.  I was making a lot of short films and doing a lot of acting a few years ago and I was starting to think about comedy again because I was really liking acting.  Then, like 18 months ago, in February, I heard about the Stand Up society through a friend. I went to the first couple meetings and it was awesome. I loved it I started going up every chance I had.

RG: What does Comedy mean to you and how has it influenced your life?

HH: For a while it seemed like the only thing keeping me sane.  School has always been such a drag to me and in the last year it all sort of fell apart.  But stand up gave me an outlet to vent my frustrations. Most of stand up is venting these frustrations, getting angry and then analyzing. When I was doing stand up more I was way more confident and articulate.

RG: Do you see comedy in your future? if so how?

HH: I don’t know how comedy will play in my future. I hope so.  I have a few lines in the water. I’ve had a little bit of success in acting and a lot of people are telling me I should go that direction, but I also am writing music and trying to put an album together.  And then there’s stand up, sort of just sitting in the back of my mind.  It’s the ex I always text when I’m drunk and I think we’re getting back together.  I love Stand Up and I need that rush of performing in some way and I love the outlet it provides.