What Rocket Science Taught Me About Making People Laugh: Artober, Improv, and the Central Coast Comedy Theater

What do you get when you combine aerospace engineering with live comedy? You get Dane Larkin. As Director and founding board member of the Central Coast Comedy Theater, Dane is helping to shape a community where laughter isn’t just entertainment, it’s healing. From designing rocket thrust-vectoring systems in college to now teaching improv two nights a week, Dane brings left-brain brilliance and right-brain heart to the local arts scene.

In this special Artober edition of Up+Adam, Adam Montiel dives deep with Dane about how the Theater is using comedy to support mental health, what it takes to build a nonprofit from the ground up, and yes, we even get into his Cal Poly engineering days for a surprising, nerdy, and fun moment.

• Learn more about Central Coast Comedy Theater: https://centralcoastcomedytheater.com

• Support or donate to the nonprofit: https://centralcoastcomedytheater.com/support-us

• Follow them on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/centralcoastcomedytheater

• Explore Artober with the City of SLO: https://www.slocity.org/government/department-directory/parks-and-recreation/artober



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Adam will be leading a live workshop on The Art of the Interview at this year’s Central Coast Writers Conference, happening September 26–27, 2025 at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. For details and registration, visit cuesta.edu/writers-conference

Listen to Up+Adam with Adam Montiel:

• Official Website: adammontiel.com
• Apple Podcasts: Up+Adam on Apple Podcasts
• Spotify: Up+Adam on Spotify
• iHeartRadio: Up+Adam on iHeartRadio
• YouTube Music: Up+Adam on YouTube Music

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