Comedian Sheng Wang Talks About His Upcoming Cleveland Show

Thanks to the popularity of his first Netflix special, Sweet and Juicy, comedian and actor Sheng Wang has seen his popularity rise. He’s been on the road for the past two years developing material that will become his next Netflix special, and he brings that show to Cleveland on Friday, Sept. 26, for a show at the Mimi Ohio Theatre.

In this this recent phone interview from a Tacoma, WA tour stop, the comedian with the very deliberate, droll delivery speaks about his 20-plus year career.

Is your current popularity thanks to the Netflix special?

That thing really blew it up. I have been doing standup for 23 years. Before that, I was slowly building a following but nothing like this.

What was it like to work with Ali Wong, who directed your special?

It was great. I trust her. She’s a good friend of mine. We started in the same scene and have known each other for 23 years. We’re very close. I know her kids. It’s really nice and helpful to see a friend do their thing. Having the experience of see her succeed tells me that I could do it too. It’s not impossible. It’s nice to have her alongside me in the process.

I think you grew up in Houston. What was that like?

I grew up in Houston but born in Taiwan. We immigrated when I was 2 or 3. t was a fun childhood. Everyone’s childhood feels normal. We weren’t very, very well off but we had family. There was a bunch of us in one house. I didn’t know that was weird or not typical. It was nice to have a lot of cousins and aunties and uncles all in the same house. It was fun just hanging out. That was the ’80s. There was a lot of free time, playing in the bayou and catching tadpoles. We ran around outside without parental supervision or cell phones or AirTags tracking where you are.

Were you funny as a kid?

No, no. I’ve never been the class clown. This whole thing was never something that anyone had suggested or prophesized in any way. I never exhibited any desire to be a performer or entertainer in Hollywood or anything like that. It came about later in life. I joined this group in college that wanted to encourage Asian American students to do something on stage. Everyone shouted out different forms of expression like reading poetry and taking photography. Someone yelled out standup comedy, and I copied them. I was so terrified. You go to school for 18 years and then stop going to school and work for somebody for 40 years. I was terrified of that. I picked business as a major, but I also took fun classes in psychology and sociology and poetry. I had no plans. After college, everyone had their interviews and negotiated their salaries. I was very lost. Eventually, I found random jobs working at the camera store or at public access cable. I did open mics. I wanted to figure out how to be a photographer or poet. Comedy was the easiest form. You had to write a joke and try it out at the open mic.

You started in San Francisco. What was that like?

Yes. It was a great time. It’s good to not start in L.A. or New York. It’s good to start in a smaller town. AT the time, comedy fell off in the ’90s, and there was a big bubble that died. In the ’90s, it felt dead. In the early 2000s, it was slowly coming back. It wasn’t too big. There was a sense of community. You would see the same people at open mics every day of the week. It was a good time to start out.

Did you always have that very droll delivery?

You know, I think it’s always evolving. You kind of slowly figure out who you are. I did some experimentation early on. Every comedian comes out imitating their favorite comedian, and mine was Mitch Hedberg. Every generation had that one. There were some Dave Chappell alikes and some Dave Attell alikes. At one point, I was getting really weird and slowing it down even more like it was a medical condition. I don’t know. I would really lean into my pauses. There was a big chunk of the early part of my career when everyone complimented me pauses. My pause game was strong. I totally lost that. It wasn’t really a deliberate choice. I don’t lean into my pauses like I used to. It’s good to learn that practice. That period taught me that it’s okay to have silence and have variations in your tone and delivery. You don’t have to yell. If your writing is good enough, you can be very quiet and soft.

You had short hair at one point. What made you grow it out?

It wasn’t really a choice. I canceled my haircut appointment on March 13, 2020. It was the pandemic. At one point in my career, I tried to grow it out when it was between short and long, I cut it and never gave it a chance. People started complimenting me on my hair. I thought it might not make sense to cut it right now. It matches the vibe of the comedy and writing. For now, it really works. It’s all an accident.

You joke that the best part of an office job is being able to print for free. Did you ever have an office job?

Oh yeah. I still have to have different jobs. I had some temp jobs and was always so blown away by how much printing and trash comes out. Going from printing at home to printing at an office, I remember the warmth of fresh printed paper. That stuck with me. It’s based on real life office experience. As a comedian, you go into an office with fresh eyes and everything feels so alienating and interesting.

What will the live show here in Cleveland be like?

This show that I’m coming to Cleveland with is totally different. This will be my next special. If you like the first one, you should find this one enjoyable as well. It’s a fun time. It’s a fun hour. It’s a fun group event, and it’s fun to be with an audience. My jokes are the same approach. They’re based on joy and kindess, and the writing is getting tighter and better and bigger in a way that is almost poetic.