Introducing Royal Wood III, ex-Air Force, ex-class clown, ex-resident of Michigan (and no, it wasn’t Detroit), current comedian breaking out on the Albuquerque scene. Royal started off with normal careers goals, like most people, but his life took a funny turn instead. It all started when he switch assignments with an airforce buddy and came out to NM. The rest, as they say, is history in the making.
Royal’s first on-stage experience was at the Effing Bar on Albuquerque’s Westside. He would go up on stage and make up stuff to make people laugh. Kevin Kennedy saw his performance one night and invited him to an open MIC night. If you don’t know who Kevin is he promotes comedy shows around Albuquerque and particularly at Low Spirits. Royal had been thinking about doing comedy prior to meeting Kevin so he decided to go. Luckily there weren’t very many people there the first time Royal went out. “It’s good to know you can get up on the stage and try and get the words out.”-Royal.
Royal started making friends in the comedy scene and hitting different open MIC nights. He’s now proud to say he has been doing comedy for over a year now and has preformed all over town. He only makes the shows in the first half of the week because his day job is technically a graveyards shift working with children in the mental health field. “Comedians are the best people for that job working with kids we can make them laugh no matter what is going on.”
The schedule is great because Royal is back in school to finish his liberal arts degree. It gives him time to practice his art at the open MIC nights and now he lives and breathes comedy with his new room in the Comedy Mansion. Royal admits “I was homeless for a hot second, but the stars aligned and a room open up here.”
The best part about he scene he in town is that everyone tends to click with each other. They all work with each other and they try to make themselves and the others better every time they go out. It’s a great place to find out what you are made out of and if being a stand up is for you. “This is a hard business you need to respect the work you do but you have to fun while you do it.”
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