Jason Castleberry is a third-year game design student. Castleberry, when he is not at school, is a full-time comedian. On stage, you can call him Jason Castle.
What and/or who inspired you to get into comedy?
My 7th grade Spanish teacher ran an improv club at my middle school. She recommended that I should give it a shot, so I did. As I could convincingly look like an 18-year-old. Aside from that, I was always a huge fan of Dave Chappelle. John Mulaney’s “The Top Part” was the first album I ever owned.
How do you balance school and your act?
School always comes second for me. From what I’ve seen, your GPA won’t be the factor that gets you a job. It’s your connections and your portfolio that does. By putting my passion first I have more to show.
What would you classify your comedy as?
Problematic. All jokes aside, I try to keep it as relevant as possible, but by sticking to my personal experiences. No one wants to hear a straight white man talk about politics or racism and it’s not what we as a country need right now. I’d guess I’d want people to describe it as timeless.
What’s the process of coming up/writing your act?
I just write a lot. I sometimes write for five or six hours. After that I run the open mic circuit and rearrange bits. From that I can get about 5 to 10 minutes of material that I can use in a professional capacity.
Do you have shows lined up? Do you get nervous on stage or does it feel natural?
I’ve got a comedy festival I got into, but as to whether or not I’ll do it it’s still up in the air. Festival just happens to start on the first day of my senior year.
Do you get nervous on stage or does it feel natural?
I’m always extremely nervous before a show, but when I get there it just kind of happens. For lack of a better metaphor, it’s like riding a bike.
Since you write comedy do those skills transfer to your other types writing?
Certain parts may transfer over, but standup is a medium unlike any other. The amount of improvisation and adaptation you have to do based on audience reception is noticeably different.
What does the future look like for you?
I’d love to be a comedian. It has been a dream since I was a kid. If not that I hope to work in film or write video games.
Anything you would like the people to know about you and your comedy?
I think if any of you met me you have a good indication of what my comedy is like. There’s no good way to explain it but if it interests you, message me, @the_real_jason_castle, and come see a show.
