When hearing about Carolina Productions' Open Mic Night, you may only picture vocalists and musicians — but Phillip Carter has redefined this generalization with his stand-up comedy acts.
Phillip Carter has performed stand-up comedy at Open Mic Night, now held in Russell House’s Gamecock Park near Woodstock and Taco Bell, for two years. He made his debut his freshman year when a friend told Carter he would only perform if Carter did as well.
When on stage, it's apparent that he is involved in theater. Carter is at home on stage and his delivery is on point. His timing works, and the jokes flow naturally.
The typical routine consists of about five or six jokes, depending on length. The longest he was on stage for a single act was between 20 and 30 minutes during his sophomore year.
Carter spends about an hour a day writing new material. But a few staple jokes make their way into his routine. When it comes to humor, nothing is off the table. Some of his commonly used jokes focus on child porn and Jews.
“I don’t think any of these jokes should be taken seriously,” Carter, a third-year marketing and theater student, said. “I try to push the limits as much as I can.”
Carter’s act is frequently offensive and edgy. Comedians such as Bill Burr and Anthony Jeselnik embody Carter’s style of comedy, and it's easy to see how he's influenced by them.
“I like improv, energy, being offensive when you know you don’t mean it and then just freedom of speech in general,” Carter said.
Carter maintains his own voice in an already-crowded environment. Being unique in comedy is a necessity. He doesn’t want to copy those he watches. Instead, Carter takes his inspiration and channels it into his own unique and original brand of comedy.
He is often joined by fellow comedians Caleb Franklin and Ryan Easterbrooks.
Aside from Open Mic Night at Russell House, Carter also performs at the New Brookland Tavern on Mondays and the Art Bar on Tuesdays.
After graduating, Carter hopes to do stand-up professionally. However, he would also enjoy working as a writer for a talk or comedy show.
"I didn't think it would be that fun," Carter said. "But I started doing it more just for fun and I just — I fell in love with it."