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There are lots of things you can do with a life problem: solve it, suppress it, discuss it with a close friend over a glass of wine, go to therapy. Another option is, write it on a small notecard, stuff it into a suggestion box at a bar, and then have a standup comedian troubleshoot it in front of a live audience.
That’s the premise of the comedy show Leave Your Troubles at the Door. It’s hosted by standup comedian Chris Hudson, who got the idea when he realized that his comedian friends were even funnier off the cuff, just hanging out, than they were onstage.
Hudson first tried the show in 2019, but it has been running in earnest for two and a half years. The show appears monthly at the FunhouseLounge in the Central Eastside; Integrity Beer Hall in John’s Landing; and at Capitol Hill Comedy/Bar in Seattle.
Hudson, 35, opens the show, then passes the mic to the next comedian on the bill. The Sept. 6 lineup features Danelle Porter, David Seung, Jaren George, Reece Green and Mx. Dahlia Belle. The comedians see the problems—which are submitted anonymously— for the first time when they are projected on a screen onstage for the audience to read, too.
WW spoke to Hudson in advance of the Sept. 6 show about how to riff on cancer, the pressures of improvisation, and what makes a Portland problem.
WW: Are comedians good at solving life problems?
Chris Hudson: Not really. But you always get a funny, interesting take from a comedian, even for problems that are kind of serious. We definitely get some serious ones.
What are some of the most serious problems you’ve solved?
We have gotten a few people who just found out they got cancer. We got one about somebody’s brother in the service going missing in the Middle East. A lot of people’s parents getting sick.
Is that hard to riff on?
It can be difficult, yeah. But part of the challenge and the fun of the show is finding an angle that, maybe, someone wouldn’t think of. Trying to find the positive. Kind of like, if someone just found out they got cancer, then maybe, like, one of the positives is that, “Oh, well, when your friends find out, you’re definitely not going to have to pay for dinner any time soon.”
Is it a lot of pressure to improvise on the spot?
I’m a little more used to it now that I’ve been doing it for so long, but it’s definitely high risk, high reward. I definitely don’t knock it out of the park every show. Although, I will be honest—I found this out recently—some people don’t come to the show for what jokes are going to be made; they’re coming to see what the problems are going to be.
What are the most common problems?
Relationship and dating problems. This happens all the time, by the way: They’ll come with their significant other and they’ll put in a problem, like, “I want to break up with my boyfriend or girlfriend or partner, but I don’t know how to do it.” And they’ll be there with their partner, together.
Have you solved any problems?
We actually have! In Seattle, somebody had a problem with their medical bills and another person in the audience was, like, a nurse who knew exactly how to get money knocked off of your hospital bill.
Are there some that really stick with you?
The ones that are complicated are the ones that stick with me. The last problem of one show was, like, “I’m pregnant, but it’s not my spouse’s baby.” There was a third party. Another one was, “My partner’s partner might have herpes.” But it was, like, two people removed.
Since the show travels, do shows in different cities have different vibes, or is it pretty universal?
No, different cities definitely do have different vibes, for sure. In Seattle, it’s career oriented. It’s a lot of, “I want to afford a bigger place but I can’t,” or “I want to live in this neighborhood.” And a lot of problems with people making friends.
I think Portland gets the most problems with the third parties and “‘my partner’s partner.” There was another one that I remember that was in Portland that was, like, “My pet pigs in the front yard are disturbing my neighbors and they’re complaining and I don’t know what to do.” It was like somebody with front yard pigs, and that was a very Portland problem.
SEE IT: Leave Your Troubles at the Door at Funhouse Lounge, 2432 SE 11th Ave., 503-841-6734, funhouselounge.com/leave-your-troubles-at-the-door. Doors 10 pm, show 10:30 pm Friday, Sept. 6. $12 advance tickets, $15 at the door. 21+.