Meet Ilene Yang | Comedian, Stand-up show Producer & Student

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ilene Yang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ilene, can you share a quote or affirmation with us?
“Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” -Samuel Beckett. The best part of this quote is the ending. Learning to fail better is such are great mindset to have. Failing without effort is a loss and not trying at all is a tragedy. I love this quote because it reminds me to enjoy the falls and to continue trying. I used to allow my failures to deter me from trying again. I would be very emotional about my failures and let it define me in a negative way. Now, I allow it to define my potential which I realize is limitless.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
It has been a journey to accept my identity as an artist/comedian. But nothing would make me me happier or more fullfilled than being a stand-up comic, so here I am. While running and hosting my own comedy show, Summer Ham has been a great feat it is not my proudest achievement. My personal journey with comedy has been the most challenging, turbulent and fulfilling relationship I have ever had. This ongoing relationship is what I am most proud of. It has lead me outside my comfort zone and made me realize my capabilities. It is because of stand-up comedy, I have decided to go back to school and be open to other opportunities. It has pushed me to be curious about myself and the world in ways I never could have imagined. Stand-up comedy has taught me about resiliency, balance, persepctive, power, humility, work-ethic, and more. When I first started pursuing comedy in 2016, I though it was all about getting laughs. I thought the goal was to be a buffoon and forever live as a child on a stage. And while there is a sense of silliness to stand-up comedy, I realized that you eventually have to say something of worth for others to listen. To get others to listen I learned the power of authenticity and vulnerability. Some of the best laughs have come from me sharing my darkest moments and my most personal secrets. With that said, I have also shared very personal stories and been met with silence. EIther way, it has taught me that there is a risk that comes with sharing yourself and it takes more than courage to do it well. I realized that what makes me a great comic isn’t all the sets where I perform well, but all the sets where I take a risks to fail. Where I stretch myself to say something that I have not fully discovered the joke or story. I am most proud of myself as a comedian when I tell jokes over and over again until they land. I have learned that it is not just about saying things that make others laugh, but about saying something that means something to you and finding the humor in it. This is not an easy task and it comes with a lot of emotional roller coasters, but patience, perserverence, and self-kindness have helped me through a lot of lows. I have learned that I need to be my own best friend and not my own worst enemy. I have also learned to take criticism and most importantly discern when not to. It becomes a slippery slope when you take too many opinions in. This is where the lesson of balance comes into play. There continues to be a lot of lessons when pursuing comedy and some lessons you have to relearn over and over again. Generally, I accept that I will die learning and that’s what I like about myself.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was in town I would take her on the Red line to Downtown, LA. The first stop would be Grand Central Market. We would get brunch at Egg Slut and then Little Tokyo for some Bae and Co soft serve. From the Broad to the MOCA, to the Last Book store, to walking around the Art District, we would need a couple of days dedicated to DTLA. On another day we would start the day at Los Liones for a hike, have a peaceful meditation at the Self-Realization Center Lake and end the day watching the sunset and having a picnic at Castle Rock Beach. Pre-covid, I would have taken her to see improv at the UCB, stand-up at the Improv, and a play at the Pasadena Playhouse. I couldn’t send her back home without feeding her Sugar Fish, Haejangchon BBQ, El Taurino Tacos, Tacos Verdes, Paco’s Tacos, and Tacos El Venado. And we would need to get the Matcha Cheesecake from Matcha Village. While we were on that side of town we would also have to get Coconut Fried Chicken at Cha Cha Chicken. From there we would end with something cliche like drinks at the Shore Bar.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people who have inspired and encouraged me throughout my journey. I specifically want to name my best friend of 14 years, Chelsea Marie Geier, who has shown me what true love is. She is my rock, cheerleader, sister, mother, spiritual guide, and a very dear friend. My sisters, Angel and Esther Yang, provide me with so much encouragement. Their faith in me outweighs any doubt I have in myself. Professors Christopher Lay, Ben Smith, and Cara Gillis have taught me how powerful the combination of empathy and wisdom is. Other great friends I need to shout out are Lexie Grace, Lana Epstein, and Alexis Bradby who shower me with postivity and laughter. Another soul sister who continues to be in my corner is Monica Lopez who defines the word mensch. The list goes on and I am eternally grateful for the amazing supporters I have had in my life. Especially in the last couple of years, these people have shown me how much love a person can recieve if and only if you allow it.

Instagram: yangilenea

Image Credits
Andrew Max Levy (8 photos) Andrew Park (self image)