Life & Work with Quan Wiggins of Downtown Durham

Today we’d like to introduce you to Quan Wiggins

Hi Quan, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was introduced to performing at on stage during my senior year at Jordan High school. When the drama teacher/director Ms Hope Hynes asked me to audition for the musical Lil Abner. At the end of the play she gave me a note that read (this was 20 years ago so I’m paraphrasing) “You have an amazing sense of comedic timing, that I hope you continue to explore because I believe it will open many doors for you”. At the time I was headed to college to play football with the intent on going to the NFL which obviously did not happen. Throughout college I became a party promoter for a while and then I found my way back to the stage the NCCU theater department. In which I performed in Fabulation, Ruined and eventually the my favorite play from college theater the musical “Sarafina” where I played the narrator Pat Mlba. Though I loved the stage I still sort of felt like I was fumbling around, and hadn’t quite found it yet. I tried spoken word poetry for about a year and then one year I put on my yearly goals try stand up comedy. In December of 2009 I found myself at an Open mic at what Used to be Papa Mojo’s near the Highway 55/54 intersection and 15 years later I’m still at it. College was a very supportive environment for my stand up exploration, doing the wild out Wednesday campus talents shows, the homecoming comedy shows, and people from school would often come with me in support when I would perform at local shows in the area. Folks would allow my to practice my jokes on them on campus, in the student union. Had I not had such a supportive environment on that campus I don’t know that I would have ever had the comfort to take the jump.

2 years later I moved to Brooklyn New York to continue my pursuits. Where over the years I have performed regularly in Timequare and throughout the 5 borroushgs. In 2018 I won the annual competition at New York Comedy Club and also was selected as a finalist in the New Yorks funniest Showcase presented during the New York Comedy Festival. In 2022 I made my Off Broadway debut in the 6 week run of “Race The Movie The Play” at the Soho Playhouse to stellar reviews. I recently this past April put together a stand up show titled “The Hometown hero” , which was an hour long showcase at Durty Bull Brewing in Downtown Durham N.c. to a Sell out crowd.

That was a very emotional show, after 12 years in NYC the, learning the craft, perfecting my craft, and finding my artistic voice, I meant the world to me to see that no matter how far I’ve gone or how much time had passed the bull city still had my back.

My comedy inspirations are Eddie Murphy, Dave Chapelle, Martin Lawrence and my High School Theater teacher. ( I didn’t know I would land as a stand up comedian but after my introduction to the excitement and electricity of being on stage that’s been home to me every since

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No there have been many difficulties and Obstacles. Pursing something that does not have a defined path is extremely difficult because there is no set way to purse being a stand up comedian. So there is a lot of figuring out. How does one even start stand up comedy you know. Where do you perform? How do you learn how to write Jokes. I think that old saying if you want it you’ll figure it out apples, because they is a lot of doing the same thing over and over and until you come back with a new approach that’s the right one. Getting into the rotation at a comedy club is a very difficult process. I auditioned for New York comedy club for 4 years in a row before I got looked at (which doesn’t mean you’re in) to where I staid steady that year reworking the same 5 minutes set and persistently following up on my status. to the eventual point where I was invited to participate In the three round Club competition which I won. I reset my entire stand up comedy trajectory. Having a competition victory on your belt looks really good when you’re trying to find shows in the city, and that moment really changed things on the NYC scene for me.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I perform stand up comedy as well as dabble in acting and scriptwriting. I am most proud of being able to go on a stage and take the most embarrassing thing from my life that I don’t want to even acknowledge take it on a stage and get a room full of people to not only laugh but to relate. Being able to articulate the human experience through humor, and trying to make sense of like through jokes makes me feel like a funny philosopher or poet and I think that’s what sets traditional standup comedians a apart . When you really think of of we are modern societies philosophers.

Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I like watching sports documentaries, on boxers and football players, and approaching stand up comedy in a similar fashion.
The discipline, the self belief, and constantly overcoming adversity. Mike Tyson once said “How you come back from a loss is the sign of a true champ”.

Studying the best stand up comedian’s is very important. Kobe Bryant used to always refer to going to goat mountain to learn from the greats., I apply that same thing in stand up comedy. Studying Dave Chapelle’s “Killem em softly”, Chris Rock’s “Bring the Pain”, and Eddie Murphy raw

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @quanwiggins
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/quandwiggins
• Youtube: @quanwiggins