Meet Brian Kohatsu

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Kohatsu.

Brian, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was always funny as a kid and enjoyed making people laugh. My father always said he was going to send me to clown school, but I always took that as a joking threat. Years later, I started my production company Kohatsu Video Productions when I was 20 concentrating on corporate videos. You know the videos everyone is forced to watch at work. During production, I liked to keep the set light and happy, so I was always joking around. When we get into the edit, I continued to keep it light and happy and my clients always said they appreciated my sense of humor and that I should be a comedian. Fast forward ten years, I was asked to co-host a radio show which eventually leads to my morning show. I did sketches and wrote jokes daily. From there I started performing improv for the next three years. The jump to stand up seemed like a natural next step. I now perform around the country in clubs, casinos and churches around the country. Sadly, my father passed away before I ever started doing comedy professionally, but he’s definitely with me every time I hit the stage.

Has it been a smooth road?
Steve Martin once said, “Comedy is not pretty.” So true! Nobody tells you how to do this job. Once you figure out how to write and perform without bombing, you still have to learn how to get booked and keep your calendar full. The biggest struggle is learning how to do all of that stuff. There are some books, there are classes, but you learn as you go. You make mistakes (sometimes in a room full of people) and you learn from those mistakes. Sometimes other comedians are willing to share information with you, some are not. As time goes on, you find a core group of comics you like working with and possibly a mentor and you keep moving forward. Eventually, you learn enough to try and help a new comedian navigate through the comedy world. Keep in mind while your juggling all these tasks, things change and you have to keep up with pop culture, social media and continue to write and update your act. That was exhausting…next question, please!

Please tell us about your work.
I work as a clean comedian, so I can perform anywhere. My material is such that I can perform in churches, corporate events or fundraisers and relateable in clubs and casinos. Since I do improv, sketch and stand up, it allows me to be flexible with my shows and provide variety for my clients. I also teach improv and improv corporate/team building workshops as well. I love seeing people get out of their comfort zone and discovering a new side of themselves. In addition to all this, I also use my video business to record shows and help comedians with their video content and demo reels. I’m like a comedy Batman utility belt, whatever you need, I can probably provide. I love making people laugh and watching others succeed!

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I’m a native to Arizona and grew up in Glendale. I’ve seen Phoenix grow over the years, but it doesn’t stop there. Phoenix is always adding new things to do downtown, venues and adding to the culture. What I like least about Phoenix and sometimes the valley, in general, is the constant amount of construction. I know it’s a growing city and improvements are being made, but traffic seems to get worse with every improvement. In addition to that, the air quality continues to get worse every year.

Pricing:

• Seven week Adult Improv Classes at Stir Crazy Comedy Club $240.00
• Summer Improv Camp for Kids at Stir Crazy $300 for one week improv and field trip

Contact Info:

• Website: www.briankohatsu.com
• Phone: 6026166556
• Email: brian@briankohatsu.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/briankohatsu/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/briankohatsucomedy/

Image Credit:
Josh Sawicki, Aaron Beaubien, Sandra Marshall

Suggest a story: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.