When the shy, polite Minnesotan gets onstage to perform her stand-up, she can instantly shift from her normal speaking voice into a multitude of characters, including a cranky Los Angeles coffee shop customer or a sassy receptionist. Bamford and her entourage of caricatures will come to the Arlington Cinema 'n' Drafthouse this weekend.
All the voices are based on either an experience or a person who has made an impact on Bamford. One of the characters she's working on is based on an experience she had getting a new dog.
"I went to Little Angels Pug Rescue. It turned out to be the most militant, terrifying organization I've ever been a part of," Bamford said. "I'm trying to work on a character that's crazy and militant — I haven't really worked it out."
Some stand-up fans might recognize Bamford from her shows on the Comedians of Comedy tours, which featured "alternative" comedians led by Patton Oswalt.
"[The tour] has helped have a lot more people see me -- maybe some people who might have the same sensibility," she said. "I'm sure there are some people who were like, 'Who's this lady?'"
03-29-2008, 04:08 AM
The Many Voices of Maria Bamford
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