SNL writer and comedian takes Lyman stage

Olivia Richman, General Assignment Reporter:
He writes for Saturday Night Live. He is a stand-up comedian. And he performed at Southern Connecticut State University. He is John Mulaney and he said he has always wanted to perform at SCSU.

“I’ve liked (Southern) a lot. Joe (Mande, the opening act) and I set up the coffee machine in the Lyman Center,” said Mulaney. “We met the parking lot attendant. He was cool. I think he was disappointed we couldn’t juggle.”
Juggling played a big part of Mulaney’s routine. At the same time as the comedy show, there was a magic show going on in Engelman Hall featuring two friends juggling knives and dressed in purple suits. Mulaney said that throughout the show they were his competition.
“If you want to sneak into this school and get by the parking lot attendant, all you have to do is wear purple suits,” said Mulaney during his routine. “’Oh, you’re with the ‘jugglers?’ Go right on in!’”
“That was definitely my favorite joke,” said Sarah Pucci, a freshman at SCSU.
Mulaney has been writing for SNL for three years, after some people on the show saw him doing stand-up.
“They wanted me to write for the show,” he said. “It was really exciting – and scary – to do.”
Mulaney said he has always wanted to be a comedian. He started doing stand-up comedy in New York with Mande. Both of them performed comedy shows together for no money.
“I’ve always pictured myself (doing stand-up),” said Mande. “I’m not too good at most other things.”
Mande said he considers his jokes to be observational storytelling. On arriving in New Haven, he had a lot to say about it during and after his stand-up routine.
“I love New Haven,” he said. “I’m a big fan of Ikea. I also saw a documentary once about people smoking embalming fluid in New Haven. It seems like an interesting town.”
Mulaney said he feels his stand-up is a “nice man talking.” When he’s onstage he said he focuses on if he’s standing up straight or not.
“I once did a show in Tennessee,” he said, “in a camp ground next to a beer truck. And someone yelled ‘We’d prefer silence to the sound of your voice!’ I was slouching so I stood up straight.”
Not all of Mulaney’s experiences have been so bad.
“When I was 24 I went on late-night with Conan (O’Brien). It was the first time I did a TV show. It was really exciting,” he said. “I feel very good when people laugh. I really like it. I had a lot of fun at SCSU. It was a huge stage. I just hope I made use of the space.”