“T Robe” Roberson has come a long way from when he went to a comedy show in Philadelphia, only to end up onstage trading “Yo Mama” jokes with none other than Tommy Davidson and have the notoriously tough Philly audiences laughing loudly.
From that first appearance, Roberson knew he was on to something.
“The club manager came up to me and said, ‘Are you a comedian?' ‘No.' ‘Well, you should be,” Roberson recalls. “I was always a silly guy, and after that show I thought I could do comedy.”
Fast-forward to today, and Roberson's comedy career includes opening this year for such heavyweights as Dave Chappelle, Katt Williams and Kevin Hart. Also, he's one of the few Pittsburgh comedians to headline their own weekend at the Pittsburgh Improv. It is very difficult to break into the Improv roster, especially when you are not from New York, Chicago or L.A.
Roberson, of Aliquippa, knows he still has a ways to climb to the top of the uber-competitive comedy world, but headlining your home club makes for a great base camp.
He's not taking his success lightly and is working his plan. He doesn't want his fame to be fleeting.
“I just try be as nice as I can to people who take time to come to see me work,” he says.
He is using all the friendly faces at this hometown show to record his new DVD, “T Robe: Based on a True Story.”
Behind every successful man is a great woman, and Roberson is thankful for the support he gets from his wife, who is a professor at a Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and says his love of family keeps him grounded. He has a 2-year-old daughter and a son, Ryan, who will be attending Duquesne University this fall on an academic scholarship. That is, after he opens for his father at the Pittsburgh Improv. The silly gene runs in the family.
Question: How would you describe your comedy style?
Answer: Very, very honest. Aggressive and adult. Witty and clever.
Q: Who are your comedy role models?
A: Richard Pryor and Martin Lawrence and I'd have to say Eddie Murphy, as well.
Q: Tell me about your creative process?
A: The older I get, the more I started to tell stories. I write things down that happen in my life and take that to the stage.
Q: When will you know you've made it?
A: I'll have made it when I don't have to promote my shows. Like Chappelle, he announced his show at 6 and sold out at 6:18. I have to say (comedy's) never been about fame to me. I want to be as funny as I can and get paid what I'm worth.
Q: What would people be surprised to know about you?
A: I do a lot of things that your typical black guys don't do. I golf and I'm good. I bowl; I have six 300 games.
Q: Do you have any unique preshow rituals?
A: I say a prayer. I have to be by myself. I go through my set list in my head.
Q: Why is comedy important today?
A: The world is so critical. Social media has magnified every little thing. In the '80s and '90s, everything was so simple. Comedy makes people forget about their pain. It's an escape from their reality.
Matt Wohlfarth is a contributing writer for Trib Total Media.
