By Thersa Montoya

Since Dawn Schary was young she has always loved to perform. At first, she originally wanted to be an actress but soon realized she didn’t want to pretend to be someone else. It wasn’t long after that she finally found her true calling in comedy.

Initially, as a young child, Schary felt limited in her ability to express herself growing up within a religious household. The atmosphere Schary said often felt restrictive, leading her to feel as if there were a lot of expectations for her to be respectable and well-mannered on a constant basis. There was no room to argue Schary said, so she bottled up her humor.

Eventually, Schary found inspiration to open up through the viewing of popular sitcoms that she would watch as a child. A special form of entertainment that her family would indulge in alongside her. The shows that inspired her included “I love Lucy,” “Roseanne,” and “The Cosby Show.”

“From there I always followed comedy,” Schary said. “I liked it growing up. Comic relief was a big thing in the 80’s and early 90’s.”

Watching the animated actors on-screen helped her learn to open up and now as an adult, Schary said her role as a comedian provides her a safe space to say whatever she wants on stage.

Schary’s comedic career has grown since she was inspired by funny actors on the television. Now as a seasoned comedian she has performed in several countries as well as within the United States. Schary has performed in Australia, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and even small towns such as Fort Collins. Despite all the different places she has traveled Schary still continues to perform locally in Albuquerque, New Mexico as well as performing recently at both The Kilt Check Brewing Company and The Aux Dog Theater Nob Hill.

Able to express herself more openly now, Schary said her family and friends are very supportive of her career. Despite this support, however, Schary admitted with a smile that she sometimes gets uncomfortable performing her more explicit material in front of them.

Regardless of these obstacles, Schary said she loves the authenticity of comedy.

According to Schary, comedy provides an outlet for honesty, creating a place where people can go for the truth. Comedy allows comedians to throw caution to the wind by not caring about what others shouldn’t say. This provides a platform for comedians to deliver both easy and harsh truths.

Because of this, Schary said she wants her messages to extend past her comedic routine causing a bigger impact on people in the long run.

To create these powerful messages, Schary works hard on getting great material for every show. In order to get her material, Schary is looking for stories that she knows she would not normally be able to talk about in a regular conversation.

Instead, she saves these conversation pieces for the stage. For Schary comedy is more than just a way to express herself it is also a way to open doors to honesty and other’s point of view.

“Comedy confronts, it asks questions, it gives other perspectives,” Schary said.

For more information on her upcoming shows follow her on Instagram @goofysunshine and Facebook or find her online at livefunnyandprosper.com