Writer, Producer, Comic, Jann Karam joins host Rich Stein

Comedian Jann Karam started out close to home in Arizona when she embarked on her journey in Stand Up Comedy. She soon traveled to Chicago where she studied in The Second City School of Improv, doing comedy sketches. Before long she traveled To New York City where she ultimately met the people and made the connections with the comics, writers, agents and clubs which helped define the path her career would take for the next thirty plus years. 

She not only got on those early stand up TV shows like "An Evening at The Improv" ( 4 appearances) but also performed on "Caroline's Comedy Hour" and was the lone female comic on what has long been considered one of the best Years/ Versions of "The Young Comedians Special" which aired on HBO yearly and had become the  premier and most coveted spot to show what you had to a national and worldwide audience. Jann appeared on   "The 13th Annual Young Comedians Special" ( 1989)

As her star continued to rise she appeared twice on The Tonight show with Johnny Carson, Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, The Late show with David Letterman as well as spots on episodic shows like: ER, Mad About You, Diagnosis Murder, Norm and two of the greatest comedy series ever: Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm.  We discuss her Seinfeld spot which is considered one of the top episodes ever where Jerry and George try to figure out how to break up with one roommate, to pick up the other one, would best be solved by requesting a menage a trois to which both girls accept.  Jerry scarily rebuffs shrieking, "I CAN'T DO IT, I'M NOT AN ORGY GUY...I'd have to grow a mustache and get all kinds of robes and lotions....I'd need thick carpeting and weirdo lighting and get orgy friends...No, Im not ready for it!"

 

 It was probably one of Jerry's best line deliveries even with the smirk and smile he still pulled it off and George even caved and said,"Yeah, Me neither!"   So Jann Karam as Sandi, one of the potential partners of Jerry, entered into what has been called in SEINFELD LORE and on IMDb one of the top 73, or female dates, girlfriends, encounters with Jerry in the series no matter if it was brief, a date or anything in between.

Jann also discusses her roles on CURB Your Enthusiasm, which due to its long run has had an equally strong impact in terms of comedy as dealing with popular culture and the always changing line of comedy and how close you can get to it and in Larry's case, cross it. 

We also discuss Jann's independent roles and features that she has written and or produced as well as some of the many independent projects she has appeared on to support her friends and colleagues.  

 

Please welcome to the mics this week:

Jann Karam