As a sophomore, Quinn Marcus has already made a name for herself on the Emerson campus. The Comedy Writing and Performance major is the only woman in the on-campus improvisation troupe This Is Pathetic, a former intern at Second City, a correspondent for The Emerson Channel’s Closing Time, a writer for the EVVY Awards, and the host of a radio show, “Inside the Emerson Studio.” Recently, she began making Quinnterviews, a YouTube video series in which she asks people on the street about a specific topic, and she is making clear strides in the male-dominated world of comedy. Marcus sat down with Her Campus Emerson to discuss all of the different organizations, events, and productions that she takes part in, and what inspires her.
Q: How did you get involved with improv and the comedy world?
A: I took an improv class at an improv theater, Dad’s Garage, in Atlanta in high school and fell in love with it.
Q: How has improv changed who you are as a person? Your confidence? How you interact with others?
A: Improv is all about agreement and making your partner look good. It has really helped me with doing both of these things in every day life.
Q: What made you choose Emerson?
A: Emerson was my only choice for college. I loved the different approach to learning it took. I like actually being able to host a talk show or write an awards show rather than just learning about how to do it. I also liked that I didn’t have to take math.
Q: You do a lot: improv, working on a talk show, writing for The EVVY Awards, writing for a talk show. How are all those things different? How do they challenge you differently?
A: Writing for a talk show is very different than the writing we do for the awards show, because the shows themselves are different; they have a different feel and style. With the talk show, we can talk about things that are happening right now, today. But with the awards show, we have to make sure our topics aren’t dated. Performing–like doing improv shows or being Collin’s side kick on Closing Time–is very different than writing the shows because I write for the hosts of the show, and when I perform I get to be myself. I like performing more, because you get instant feedback, and I love improvising and just being able to riff on stage with someone.
Q: What makes a successful improv show for you? Do you feel you’re a tough critic on yourself?
A: I am a tough critic on myself because, even if the audience is laughing and they think the show is great, I know when it is still not my best show. What makes a good improv show is telling a good story, not telling jokes.
Q: Tell me a bit about Quinnterviews. How did that concept come to be, and what inspires the Quinnterview concepts?
A: Quinnterviews came about randomly. We didn’t even know what we were doing when we shot the first episode. A few friends of mine in Atlanta and I grabbed a camera, went into downtown Atlanta, and started asking people questions. And, all of a sudden, my Quinnterview personality came out, which is me pretty much making everyone look bad and being sort of a jerk. Filming Quinnterviews are very fun for me because I get to ask people questions that they don’t know how to answer, and wouldn’t normally answer. People act in a very strange way in front of a camera and don’t think about what they are doing. The concepts for Quinnterviews are chosen for specific reasons, which is just a feeling I get. I knew that Black History would be a lot funnier and work a lot better with the format and style than a Quinnterview about the Oscars. It’s not a normal correspondent package, it’s very different and very specific.
Q: What does it feel like when you tell a joke, whether during Closing Time or at a Pathetic show, and it flops?
A: I wish I could say that never happens. When I say something that I think is funny and it doesn’t get a laugh, I always hate that feeling, because I like when the audience and I are on the same page.
Q: How did you get involved with Closing Time?
A: Collin Kittredge Smith, the host, saw Quinnterviews and asked me to produce a few episodes for his show, then asked me to be the announcer, then it evolved into me being his sidekick with my own little desk and everything.
Q: Who are some of the people–both in your personal life and people you have watched from afar–that have inspired you?
A: David Letterman is my biggest inspiration. And all of the guys in This is Pathetic [seniors Sean Van Deuren and Noel Carey and sophomores Jeff Mitchell and Mike Fink] are really smart improvisers, and I learn a lot by working with them.
Q: What are your goals for the rest of your time at Emerson?
A: The goals for my time here at Emerson are to meet more people that I connect with on a creative level. I would love to be the host or the head writer for the EVVYs, and I’d love to host Closing Time. I can’t wait to do more improv with This Is Pathetic.