Steve Gallas helps lift local stand-up comedy scene 'Above the Line'
Stand-up comedian Steve Gallas / Courtesy of Kipuem Oh
By Rory Kelly
“I make jokes all the time,” Steve Gallas told The Korea Times. “Sometimes it could be said that I make jokes to a fault.”
Relatively new to stand-up comedy, Gallas, in his own words, fell into the hobby by accident. A friend of a friend was involved in the stand-up scene and, after they hung out for a couple of hours, he suggested Gallas give it a try.
Gallas had been interested in comedy for a long time, but the opportunity had never presented itself. An open mic seemed like the answer. “When presented to me in this sort of low-stakes fashion, I figured 'Why not?'”
And he has no regrets. “I love doing comedy, so I'm glad I gave it a shot,” he said.
In addition to performing, Gallas is stepping into producing. He is collaborating with
to produce a comedy showcase in western Seoul near Hongik University, titled “Above the Line.”
Although he hadn't done comedy before, he comes from a creative background and has written fiction and satire. This influences his performance style, as does his previous job as an adjunct professor of English in the U.S.
He describes his stage persona as “kind of a relaxed nerd” and says that it's important to give the audience credit in picking up meaning. “Allow them to make connections while they laugh,” he explained. “I think it can be much more fulfilling that way.”
This might also inform his favorite kind of joke, which he says is meta-humor, building on other people's writing and cultural references. He cites a joke he makes which itself cites a joke from a book he found in the Seoul Metropolitan Library, or sets in which he comments on the differences between Korea and the U.S. through the lens of TV shows or MBTI tests.
Gallas speaks highly of subtext, saying that this is what makes the difference between a joke that pushes boundaries and saying something incendiary just to be edgy. “I'll joke about pretty much anything but that does not mean that I will say anything,” he said. “To me, there's a big difference.”
The distinction, he explains, is in what you're really saying about a topic, even if it's unspoken.
But the most important thing to Gallas? Originality. Even in his fiction, he exposits, he never tries to follow trends but only to write what is interesting ― or funny ― to him. This is a natural fit for comedy, based as it is on subversion. Aiming for a kind of unpredictable content that still makes sense in the end, the reaction that he strives for is, “Oh, I should have known!”
In a perfect world, Gallas says, he would be able to make a living from comedy. However, for now he is happy just to continue to improve the quality of his stage work and simply bring people joy. “Making people laugh is probably my greatest joy in life,” he said.
Gallas made several mentions about connections, either with audiences or other comedians, and spoke on how much he enjoys being able to share his perspectives with people when they listen to his material. “It's almost like being a tour guide on a trip into my weird brain,” he said.
Gallas will be headlining “Above the Line” at Cafe Unplugged in the Hongdae area, starting at 8 p.m. on June 16. Also performing will be William Paik and Kristen Pimley, with hosting by D. Hall. Tickets are 25,000 won at the door.
Rory Kelly is a writer, actor, improviser and stand-up comedian based in Seoul. He's also often spotted not quite winning pub quizzes in the Itaewon area.