Hannah Keister
Comedian Ryan O’Flanagan performed at Mocs Comedy on Friday, February 9th in the Thrift Alumni room.
O’Flanagan visits around 10 college campuses per year, and this was his second visit to FSC.
His routine began with jokes themed around Florida Southern. He then covered a range of topics such as living alone, starting the new year, being from the New England area and experiencing California droughts.
He has been performing stand-up for around 10 years, since he was 18 and wanted to break into acting.
“In college, I studied acting,” O’Flanagan said. “I really wanted to be an actor, but then I had more success when I did stand-up, so I branched into that.”
Despite the focus on comedy, O’Flanagan has acted in a few productions as well. He participated in his high school and collegiate theatre programs, and has since been on shows such as an episode of “New Girl” and played a central role in Netflix’s “American Vandal.”
When preparing for a set, O’Flanagan admits that he does not do much prep work.
“I write out my set on a piece of paper if it’s a longer set,” he said, “and then I just drink water, maybe stretch the hammies before the show.”
O’Flanagan was preceded onstage by Tom Horton, an FSC sophomore. Horton is pursuing a Biology major at FSC as well as a Theatre minor. He is also an active member of Studio Box, the campus’s improv comedy group, and had a major role in the theatre department’s production of “Maids of Honor” in the Fall of 2016.
Before the show, Horton expressed that he was “extraordinarily nervous, but looking forward to it!”
In order to write his set, Horton thought of events that have happened in his life and then polished them up and performed them for a set of friends before the show. After getting their feedback, he wrote the final set and practiced it until the show.
When asked what his favorite thing about performing comedically for an audience is, Horton answered that it is the vibe of the audience.
Horton said, “It just feels wonderful. It gets your blood flowing and adrenaline pumping and puts a smile on your face.”
When the show concluded, Ryan O’Flanagan was asked what advice he had for students
like Horton who have an interest in performing comedy.
“Do as many open mics as possible,” O’Flanagan advised, “It’ll suck at first, but you have
to stick with it and get out in front of as many crowds as possible to perform your material.”
For more information on O’Flanagan’s comedy and where he performs, follow @ryanoflan on Instagram.
To see more of Tom Horton’s comedy, follow @studioboxfsc on Instagram and follow Studio
Box on Facebook to get more information on their shows.
