Comedy On Tap Stand-up

10 Questions with Kate Mason

Kate Mason

The lovely Kate Mason (née Maisnik) was first seen nationally as the star of a TV series on ABC called Star of the Family in the dreaded Thursday night slot opposite Magnum P.I. She played the precocious daughter of Brian Denehy, starring as a country singing prodigy to great reviews. The show displayed both her acting and vocal talents (she even sang the theme song, and was nominated for Best Young Actress in a new TV series at the Youth in Film Awards). Great things were predicted, and she even got to compete on Battle of the Network Stars.

Kate Mason

Star of the Family never found a real audience, and when it was cancelled she decided to finish her schooling in San Francisco. Upon graduation, Kate went back to singing. She toured with Jimmy Buffett as a backup vocalist in his Coral Reefer Band, then toured Japan on her own.

When she returned to the U.S., Kate decided to try something new. She began a career in stand-up comedy. She has appeared at the Improv, the Laugh Factory, Punchline, and many other clubs in Southern California, and will soon be touring nationally.

Kate can next be seen featured in the upcoming mockumentary film "The Making of Sequestered," with Dave Thomas and Rick Overton.

TEN QUESTIONS

COT: Which is scarier: Doing stand-up in front of a large audience or an audition in front of a casting agent?

MASON: Doing stand-up in front of a large audience of casting agents.

COT: What's your favorite joke?

MASON: The one that got the most laughs recently.

COT: Which is better: Laughs or applause?

MASON: Laughs. Except if I'm acting in a Eugene O'Neill play.

COT: A lot of your comedy concerns your parents. How do they feel about it?

MASON: Be concerned. Be VERY concerned.

COT: Which is better: Laughter or applause?

MASON: Hey, a mime can get applause...

Kate Mason

COT: You sang for Jimmy Buffett. How scary is it to be touring on a bus based in Margaritaville?

MASON: Luckily I found that lost shaker of salt.

COT: Is the casting couch still alive in Hollywood?

MASON: It's alive, but nowadays you need plastic slipcovers, 'cause these days you just don't know.

COT: Is it tougher to win over the women in an audience if you're better looking than they are?

MASON: The more attractive the crowd, the funnier I have to be.

COT: Who are your influences?

MASON: "Men at Work"(retired).

COT: Who's your favorite comic?

MASON: Rick Overton .

COT: Ever had cybersex?

MASON: Call me old fashioned, but I was raised on phone sex.

COT: What's in your medicine cabinet?

MASON: Another mirror. I'm weird that way.

COT: What's next?

MASON: Like any good comic, my noon-time nap.

Interview by Jeff Hause.

Kate Mason

The Comedy of Kate Mason

"When I was born the doctor didn't slap me -- he thought the vibe in the room was already too weird."

"My Mother used to hear voices in her head. Not anymore, that's because now even THEY don't want to get trapped in a conversation with her."

"Some people are heterosexual, some people are homosexual. I'm more of an autosexual. I like to take advantage of myself in traffic. There's nothing like having an orgasm while the airbag is going off in your face."

"I hope my blood tests all come back as negative as my mother is."

"There's an old expression,"don't judge a book by its cover." I think the expression should go,"don't judge a muscle mans sexual prowess by the appearance of his steroid soaked body." I was dating this guy who worked out about 5 hours a day. He looked great. The problem was,well, the steroids had this effect on his...it looked like a normal penis, just REALLY FAR AWAY. He would get aroused maybe once every two months tops and he'd be furious if I wasn't RIGHT there for his Andy Warhol 15 seconds of fame. I used to call him SPORATICUS." (Finally, one more network TV shot. I'll bet she kicked Scott Baio's ass on Battle of the Network Stars.)

Kate Mason

Star of the Family is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from September 30 to December 9, 1982. The show featured Brian Dennehy as fire chief Leslie "Buddy" Krebs and Mason, then Maisnik, as his singer daughter, Jennie Lee Krebs. The show was developed by Robin Williams, then an ABC star in Mork & Mindy. The series debuted on September 30, 1982 on Thursdays after Joanie Loves Chachi, and was canceled after ten episodes, but was very popular on the planet Ork.