Laugh at him . . . Please!

Devon O’Connor, a 17-year-old resident of Whitestone, has made it his mission to make the borough laugh by opening a comedy club.
O’Connor, a senior at Bayside High School, said that he and his friends would go to a movie or out to dinner but felt like there really wasn’t anything to do in Queens, although there are comedy clubs in Manhattan and on Long Island. He then began thinking about establishing a comedy club in Queens.
“I’ve always wanted to do something with comedy,” O’Connor said. “I wanted to be the one to bring comedy to Queens.”
Within the last couple of months, O’Connor began doing more work to put together 4LaughsComedy. While at a friend’s Sweet 16 party at The Reception House in Flushing, he met the owner and told him of his idea. They decided to give it a try.
The Reception House was also the location for auditions for comedians. O’Connor placed ads in some local newspapers and on some websites and had 15 people show up to audition. Of those, he picked the four he liked the best to participate in the initial comedy show.
In selecting the comedians, O’Connor said he was looking for humor that was family-oriented and clean. Part of the influence for doing so was that he has two younger brothers and he said he doesn’t remember ever hearing his father swear.
Although O’Connor said his father was behind him throughout the process, he still did all the work himself.
“The age didn’t bother me and it didn’t bother the comedians either,” he said.
O’Connor held the first 4LaughsComedy event on Thursday, September 18. He said it was a great success and that the room was packed with audience members. Even before the show, he said the idea had already generated a fair amount of buzz and people gave him positive feedback about what he was trying to do.
“I couldn’t have imagined it going any better,” O’Connor said.
Following the show, O’Connor said one woman gave him a hug as she left and that she thought it was a great idea. One of the comedians also sent him an e-mail saying that he thought it was a great show, a great turnout and wished O’Connor luck in the future.
After having his successful first show, O’Connor said that he definitely plans on keeping 4LaughsComedy going and hopes to be able to do it on a weekly basis in the near future. Along with continuing to hold it at The Reception House, he also wants to be able to do it in various locations throughout the borough of Queens.
“I want to bring it to all the different neighborhoods,” said O’Connor, who said he wants to be known as the “Queens Comedy King.”
O’Connor said that he is planning to have an event in October.
In the future, O’Connor said that he might even try to bring his comedy show to Brooklyn. His ultimate goal is to one day open up his own restaurant and comedy club.
Anyone wishing to find out more about 4LaughsComedy can contact O’Connor at 718-4-LAUGHS or 4laughscomedy@gmail.com. More information is also available at myspace.com/4laughscomedy.