Theatre major Joseph “Joey” Love ’20 may not have been the high school class clown at the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, but comedy has definitely become his forte at Albright College. Working with the theatre faculty, along with theatre groups like the Domino Players and Albright Improv, the Philadelphia native discovered a comedic talent that he hopes will land him on the set of Saturday Night Live in the future.
Love said his first stop after graduation will either be in Philly’s comedy scene or the Disney College Program. Within a couple years he plans to move to Chicago to further hone his sketch comedy and improvisational comedy skills at The Second City, Chicago’s premier comedy club, theater and improv school that boasts alumni like Bill Murray, Tina Fey and John Candy. There, his goal is to end up on the coveted Mainstage, which he hopes will propel him toward his ultimate goal of being an SNL writer.
It’s a dream Love would have never imagined having until he came to Albright College. He knew coming in that theatre was where he wanted to focus his career pursuits, but his passion for comedy developed as he went along. Two summer ACRE projects with Associate Professor of Theatre Matt Fotis, Ph.D., cemented his love for comedy, and he has sharpened his comedic talent and performance skills with involvement in the Domino Players and Albright Improv.
“Working with Matt allowed me to dive into the history of the subsets of comedy that I love, and I really developed an amazing working relationship with him that challenges me to be a better writer and performer for the comedic environment of today, which is harder to be funny in because everyone has done almost everything. You have to be original and on top of your stuff — both knowing what is happening in the world and how to make it funny,” Love said.
Albright’s core curriculum has also been an asset, Love said, making him a more well-rounded student and shaping the way he sees the world. “I think, as a comedian, it is really important to get a broad spectrum of knowledge because you want to be relatable to as many people as you can, and I think Albright’s learning process has allowed me to do that.”
Love feels especially blessed to be part of the Domino Players and Albright Improv. Thanks to the opportunities they gave him to grow artistically — including his directorial debut in the Players’ performance of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ “Everybody” in September 2019 — Love said he is “ready to get out in the real world of theatre and comedy.”
