Welcome back. Up next, a brilliant stand-up comedian. We are honored and delighted that she has chosen this show to make her late-night television debut. Please welcome the wonderful, Erica Spera.
The words of world-renowned stand-up comedian James Corden echo throughout a jam-packed Studio 56 at CBS Television City in Los Angeles. The curtain opens to an applause as Spartan Country’s own Erica Spera steps onto the set of The Late Late Show. With a wave and a smile, this 2009 Maine-Endwell grad prepares to deliver a comedic masterpiece, sending laughter throughout the homes of millions across the country.
“It mostly felt affirming for me, like all the work I had been doing up until that point had paid off. It's a tough business to make it in, and it can take a long time to "get your flowers," so when you finally get a moment like that, it's very special. It feels good,” said Erica Spera, 2009 Maine-Endwell Graduate.
Comedy has always been a big part of Spera’s life. She remembers watching countless stand-up specials with her family when she was just 10-years-old. Even at a young age, the dream of performing her own comedy began to grow.
“It was always a farfetched dream like "if I could be anything in the world, I'd be a comedian," but how do you do that? I never knew this was something you could pursue as a "career" until after I graduated college and ended up in New York City, where I was going to comedy shows. I ended up taking a stand-up comedy class to try it out, started going to open mics, and then never stopped pursuing it from there,” said Spera.
Pursuing a career in the entertainment industry isn’t for everyone, often requiring years of hard-work, practice and perseverance. Some of Hollywood’s top performers often heard 99 “no’s’” before hearing one “yes.” But the mental toughness required in pushing forward and never giving up on a dream is something that was instilled in Spera from a young age, beginning with her earliest days of playing sports at M-E.
“There was a strong emphasis on being well-rounded. My time in sports definitely shaped my work-ethic, the biggest being that many days you don't want to do something, but you know how much the practice and the preparation matters for the big days. The mental toughness as well, from being able to bounce back from all the mistakes and rejections, and also performing under pressure,” said Spera.
Spera was a five-sport athlete at Maine-Endwell, competing in swimming, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, and track and field. In 2006, she was named rookie of the year, later earning All-Division honors. The 2009 grad also captained her volleyball team for one year, earning All-Division honors in yet another sport. She’d continue her basketball career at Saint Lawrence University, where she found similar success, tallying 335 points, 297 rebounds, 58 steals and 33 blocks.
Today, when she’s not performing at top venues across the country like The Comedy Cellar or Gotham Comedy Club, Spera hosts the popular podcasts Two Stand-Up Gals and Finding Mr. Height. She was also named one of Conan’s TBS “Comics to Watch.” More than 20 years after watching her first stand-up special with her family, she’s living her comedy dream. While her path following graduation took plenty of twists and turns, she encourages students of today to be patient, consistent, and ready to pivot, especially if they’re looking for a path into the entertainment industry.
“The entertainment world is exciting, but it's challenging and always changing. You have to be persistent and able to adapt to the constant changes of the business. It's hard, and sometimes what you originally wanted to do, won't be the thing you're best at. Pursue your dreams full force. If you don't build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs. So the choice is yours! I may never make it in this business, but I'm glad I tried because I'll never wonder "what if?"
Erica Spera’s comedy and podcasts are available on all forms of social media. She’s headlining live Saturday, February 8th at the Lincoln Lodge in Chicago. She then heads to Ridgewood, NJ on Thursday, February 13th to perform at The Park West Loft. She’ll host a live podcast of Finding Mr. Height at Sesh Comedy in New York City on February 22nd. Spera always looks forward to returning home to Endwell, where she often performs at local venues.