Andrea Sodergren: Class clown turned unhinged engineer
Andrea is the founder of Moms Unhinged, a nationally touring group of 30 mom comedians. They have performed in front of over 57,000 people in over 350 shows in the last 2 years alone. She has performed in comedy festivals in Boston, Chicago, and World Series of Comedy in Las Vegas. She wrote a book about Facebook and is a mother of 2 boys giving her an endless source of material.
What were you like as a teen?
I was voted class clown in high school. I got voted to do the commencement speech (because people thought I would be funny). I loved theater and was on the speech team doing humorous interpretation and original comedy. Then my dad told me I couldn’t go into drama in college, so I became an engineer. 😛
Did you have an un-sexy starter job?
Yes, I did engineering for many years and actually loved it. It paid much better than comedy. I was always pretty good at math. Luckily, I had more of a customer facing role since I was an engineer who could talk to people.Â
What is you biggest comedy achievement to date?
I can’t believe that I get to do comedy full time now as the founder and creator of Moms Unhinged. I had no idea that I would be able to do comedy like this later in life. I love that I’ve been able to fill large theaters with my marketing skills that I developed after my engineering career. Comedy is my third career and I am so grateful that I get to work with so many amazing mom-comedians in this role.
When you were coming up in comedy, what helped you stick with it?
I had friends who I would partner with to make sure we would show up at the open mics because it was tough. I was inspired by the local women comedians like Janae Burris, Christie Buchele, Zoe Rogers, Lisa Lane, Stephanie McHugh, and Nancy Norton who were also working hard to create opportunities.
Have you ever dealt with trolls?
One time I had to bounce a very drunk mom out of our show. She shoved me when I tried to get her to leave, so I called for backup from the bar staff. It was a little wild, but the headliner who was on stage handled it well.Â
On your deathbed, what transcendent advice would you croak at a young comedian?
Don’t give up. The world needs your voice and your presence on stage.
Best comedy advice you ever got?
Have fun and play in your set to keep things fresh.
Worst comedy advice you ever got?
Basically to act like something other than myself. Tone myself down.
How has being funny helped you in your life?Â
Comedy has helped me cope with tragic or hard situations like divorce, shame, and the death of my parents. I felt so much shame in situations and I realized if I could make it funny and share it, I’d find that others felt the same way.
What specific things should a novice comic do to shape their voice?
Keep writing and digging deeper into what is behind something.
Was there one person who inspired you to go into comedy?
I think it’s always been on my mind and I’m glad I did it later in life when I have more resilience.
Do you have a writing routine?
I used to use an app to help me write every day. Now, it’s been hard because I’ve been so much “in” the business of booking shows that I haven’t had as much time to create. I still journal every day which sometimes leads to some funny ideas, but I need to focus on new material.
What is your go-to show when you’ve had a bad day?
Princess Bride.
What single word always cracks you up?
Pickle.
