Every friend circle has a “funny guy” within their group to keep things light and entertaining. Once in a while that guy is someone who recognizes that what comes naturally to him might be something that others find unique and could possibly be a means to an end.
Kevin Wolfring, a sophomore at St. John’s, is pursuing a career involving comedy. He performs as a standup comedian around the New York/Long Island area, bringing a quirky sense of humor to people who at first doubt his ability to put on a show.
As a 20-year-old college student, Wolfring is trying to find a break in the comedy industry as a whole. He has the ultimate aspirations of becoming a writer for a sitcom and his stand-up routines give him an opportunity to both work on his writing and get his name out to an audience.
“I like performing, but I can’t do characters.” he said, “The stuff in my brain just doesn’t work out in my voice.”
When the Floral Park native steps on stage, people aren’t sure what to think about him right away. As he puts it, “Usually at first its pity laughs”. Between his high, cartoon character similar voice and his black Pixar t-shirts, it doesn’t take long for his audience to warm up to his storytelling style.
Wolfring prefers to tell jokes in a style that uses both observational humor and stories. He wants to get people to think about things through a different perspective, which he offers through himself.
The tall, black haired lover of all things Star Wars uses what he calls the idea of being a “nerdy loser” to his advantage when he opens his set. When people judge him as being what he tries to portray, he runs with it and tells jokes playing off of himself to lighten the mood.
While still relatively new to the stand-up scene after starting in November of last year, Wolfring has performed a few different venues including Governor’s Comedy Club in Levittown, NY and on campus at a benefit show.
When he thinks about the benefits of being from this area and attending St. John’s University, he simply looks to Manhattan as all you need to know.
“It’s easier for me being near the city,” he said “It’s the capital of the world and there’s no better place to get your start in the [comedy] industry.”
Famous comedians who have influenced his perfomances include George Carlin, Louis C.K. Another big influence is Broadway Musicals.
“I grew up watching those performances that are sometimes unique to New York and I got to see live comedy in action,” he said.
He has a YouTube channel (KevinWolfring), where he publishes past performances and a Twitter account (@KWolfring) where fans can keep tabs of his work.
Wolfring he’s looking to continue to improve his act by attending workshops in Manhattan and looks to take the stage again soon, whether at a local New York establishment or the St. John’s campus.
When asked to describe his humor in one adjective, Wolfring was typically self-deprecating.
“Terrible”
