Stand-up comedian Jose Figueras, also known as Jose Dynamite, first tried entertaining a crowd at a talent show when he was a senior in college at Chaminade University. His roommate helped him write some jokes. Unfortunately, his set followed that of another student who performed a song dedicated to classmates who had died in a recent car crash, he said.
He bombed. But that was not the end of his comedy journey.
Figueras went on to become the founder of Comedy U Hawaiʻi, which provides up-and-coming comedians a space to try out their jokes, limited to three-minute sets. The group produces a stand-up comedy show with an open mic on Wednesday nights at Anna O’Brien’s, along with shows at other venues, including Blue Note Hawaiʻi.
“We keep the open mic in a very structured format where you're gonna get three minutes to start out,” Figueras told Aloha State Daily. “A lot of people feel like: ʻOh, I need more time.’ They don't realize if you suck for three minutes, that's a very long time for audiences to sit through.”
Figueras grew up watching Saturday Night Live and regularly watched performances by comedians, such as Chris Farley, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Kevin Nealon, David Spade and Phil Hartman.
“They would spoof commercials," he said. "I always thought that was the greatest thing ever, and I wanted to do that. I wanted to write funny commercials. And that's what made me want to get into marketing.”
After his initial attempt at stand-up comedy, he took some time off from the sport. But in the early 2000s, Laugh Factory came to Queen Kapi’olani Hotel, Waikīkī Beach. Figueras, who is now a media consultant for Pacific Media Group, was working in radio at the time and the station was doing a promotion for Laugh Factoryʻs amateur comedy night.
“And my co-worker, she just started laughing at everything I was saying and encouraged me to go try doing comedy,” Figueras said. “I realize now that she was just needing contestants. She didn't really think I was funny. Because I went up three times in a row, and I bombed so bad, again.”
The headliners for the event included Jo Koy and Ralphie May, he said, adding, “This is when they were just beginning to get a name for themselves.”
At the event, Figueras was only allowed two minutes. Koy went on stage and made fun of Figuerasʻ set for five minutes, he said.
“And it was hilarious,” Figueras said.
A few years later, a local news group ran a story about the resurgence of local comedy. At the time, comedians such as Augie T., Frank De Lima and Andy Bumatai were performing. Paul Ogata was also coming up. Da Braddahs had their television show.
“It just made me say, ʻOK, I want to give this a try,’” he said. “And so, I went to one of the open mics, and after I got off stage, one of the guys that was one of the comedians that was there came up to me said, ʻYou know what? People like you. They really like you. You should come out Monday to this open mic here.’ And so, that's when I started going almost every single night of the week and getting on stage.”
When asked which personality traits are shared by comedians, Figueras did not skip a beat.
“Well first of all, there's so many different personalities in comedy,” he said. “There is one common denominator with all comedians: there is a level of narcissism and fear of rejection, and there is a sense of being a social outcast that all of us share. It’s such a common thing that no matter where you would go, the comedians will naturally be able to gravitate toward each other. You can look at news headlines and what's going on in the world, and you'll find the most disturbing, saddest thing ever and comedians are like, ʻOK, what's funny about that?’”
Comedians also share a dark sense of humor, he added.
“We're looking for that silver lining,” he said. “It’s our coping mechanism. Because comedy is always tragedy, plus time. After enough time, we can find something that’s going to be humorous in a situation.”
There are different techniques and styles of comedy, but finding your own voice is important, he noted.
“That's really discovering who you are as a performer and what is your point of view that is unique to you,” Figueras said.
Recently, Figueras opened for Tumua Tuinei at the Blaisdell Arena on Dec. 27 and 28.
“Several years ago, he got his start on the Comedy U stage,” Figueras said. “I've been in his corner from the first time he got up on stage. He's one of those guys that — when you talk about the ʻit factor’ when it comes to entertainers or movie stars or anything like that, there's some people — they just have it. … He had that gift from the very first time he got on stage at an open mic. He crushed it in the three minutes that we gave him.”
Figueras immediately offered him a chance to do the same three-minute set at a show that Friday night.
“Eventually he started headlining his own shows, and now he's selling out arenas and theaters all across the U.S.,” he added. “I feel very blessed to be part of the journey and still continue to be able to work with him and support him and be invited to be on his stage."
Comedy U started in 2013. Figueras had been doing a show on Friday nights at O'Toole’s Irish Pub a few years before that. The owner of that pub offered him the opportunity to move the show to Anna O’Brien’s, which has a larger performance space. Figueras teamed up with another local comedian Patrick Tyrrell to start a featured show, followed by open mic on Wednesday nights. Since the venue is close to the university, the group was named Comedy U.
“The concept was kind of like a university in that with doing the open mic, it would be a stage where we could allow the newer comics to come in and get the exposure practice.”
Doors open at 7 p.m. for the show and open mic at Anna O’Brien’s on Wednesday nights. Tickets cost $10. Get tickets.
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
