When Christine Marie takes the stage, she lets her life shape her performance.
Marie, a 23-year-old Penn Township native, performed her one-woman show "Spooky Musings" recently in Leechburg. The show was recorded, and Marie plans to sell copies.
Performing is nothing new for Marie. She began doing stand-up comedy at 16, has performed at the Improv in Pittsburgh and started her own production company, Industrial Gardens, in 2008.
"I've done this forever," said Marie, who lives in Apollo. "It's probably my first love."
Marie graduated from Penn-Trafford High School in 2006 and Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in history and minored in theater and English, in 2010.
She takes the stage for laughs, but first turned to performing after her brother, Anthony Marie, was killed by a motorist while walking along Murrysville Road in Level Green. Her first play was a response to the incident.
"That play was pretty much for me to deal with the grief of that," Marie said.
Her latest show features stories about dysfunctional families, retail jobs and observational humor.
"It's self-deprecating in a way you can relate to it," Marie said. "Everyone has done this."
Marie said the show features all-new material and personal stories she couldn't resist featuring. Included are stories about medical issues, and her experiences performing in the area.
"I'm very proud of it," Marie said. "I had some recent adventures I could not not joke about."
Marie said she finds it refreshing to be able to laugh about herself on stage. This show will be the 33rd from her production company.
She'll return to Leechburg early next year for a Valentine's Day show. Besides her production company, she works in retail and is a clinical hypnotist.
She said she enjoys taking on different types of performing.
"There's pretty much nothing I don't do when it comes to performance," Marie said.
Marie chose this performance to film because, she said, she wanted to feature a live audience enjoying her work. She'll sell the show as a bootleg.
"I want it on the tape, people who truly understand what I'm saying," Marie said.
To order a copy of "Spooky Musings," contact Marie at christinemmariech@gmail.com .
