LITTLE ROCK — Hecklers aren’t limited to New York and Los Angeles.
Arkansas has its share too, says Tiffany Reckling, manager at Little Rock’s Loony Bin Comedy Club.
“Occasionally, some people don’t understand how a show works,” she says. “Others are drunk and sometimes people try to be funnier than the paid comic.”
Comedian Michael “Doc” Davis agrees.
“Generally a heckler has alcohol-induced courage,” he says. “Many comedians are pre-prepared to deal with and make the heckler part of the show in a sense, [then] the heckler tends to not want to say much more.”
As for how the Loony Bin handles hecklers, Reckling says, there are rules that are posted and explained to the audience and there is also security.
Self disclosure: This newspaper writer has experienced heckling. At the Arkansas’ Funniest Person competition two years ago at the Electric Cowboy, a crowd member didn’t like a joke.
“I’m canceling my prescription!” she slurred.
I hope she kept her prescription, as she needed to be medicated.
I also hope she kept her subscription, too.
Style, Pages 29 on 07/24/2012