Today we’d like to introduce you to Marceline Amaris.
Hi Marceline, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Turkey and grew up in the U.S. as an immigrant kid who always felt like I didn’t quite fit in—people noticed I stood out within seconds of meeting me. In 2018, freshly 21, I moved to Austin with nothing but time and a job at one of the most unforgiving coffee chains. After the moving blues, I started leaning into the artistic community here. College and coffee art weren’t sticking, but making people laugh was.
The real beginning came during the pandemic, when I started doing stand-up and improv. I spent two years devoted to stand-up while also diving into improv, and those experiences gave me the foundation to step more fully into comedy. What stuck through all of it was the joy of telling stories and ideas that would throw people off the “normal” pace of life and make them grin with suspicion and mischief alongside me.
That pull led me across the U.S. to study with clown and theatre teachers and perform in different comedy communities. Back in Austin, I’ve created shows like Clown Night and Disaster Show—experimental variety nights where stand-ups, clowns, and characters collide. I headline most of the shows and curate them to highlight weird, emotional, character-driven comedy, which has been featured in outlets like Comedy Wham, KOOP Radio, and The Austin Chronicle.
It’s been a mix of saying yes to opportunities, self-producing when there weren’t any, and letting my perspective as an immigrant and queer artist shape the spaces I create. Right now, my focus is on bridging live performance with online storytelling, and Austin has been the perfect place to experiment with that balance.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not at all and honestly, I didn’t expect it to be. When I started comedy, it was also the first time my chronic pain was beginning to resolve. The lifestyle of rushing downtown to sign up for open mics—sometimes two to six a night—wasn’t exactly good for keeping it resolved, but my excitement (and a few heavily caffeinated drinks) kept me moving.
I didn’t come from money or connections, so everything I’ve built has come from starting at zero: booking my own rooms, designing my own posters, convincing people to show up for the thing I love, having confidence in it all along the way. In stand-up, I was young and naive at times, and being one of only about 15 women in a scene of a few hundred comedians was its own challenge. Comedy isn’t always kind to women—sometimes people say things just to get in your head. Learning to navigate that, to keep going without letting other people’s games shape me, was a struggle but also part of the work.
All of it—the setbacks, the exhaustion, the weird politics—has sharpened me. It taught me that if you want to make a space where you belong, sometimes you have to build it yourself.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I create experimental comedy shows and characters that live between clown, stand-up, and improv. In Austin, I’m known for producing Clown Night (@clownATX on Instagram), variety nights where I headline alongside clowns, freaks, and larger-than-life characters. The shows are strange, emotional, and interactive—audiences don’t just watch, they join in on the mischief. I’m also developing new shows that continue pushing comedy in fresh directions.
Alongside performing, I teach and coach. My focus is presence and impulse in performance—helping artists trust themselves, drop tricks, and connect with audiences in real time.
I’m also translating that same energy online through storytelling, character bits, and satirical riffs. What sets me apart is refusing to treat comedy as a formula—my background as an immigrant and queer artist, combined with training across the U.S. and abroad, shapes everything I do. I’m most proud of creating spaces where people leave not only laughing, but feeling something real.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Adaptability. Comedy is unpredictable—you can’t control an audience, a scene, or the way a joke lands. What I can control is how I respond. I lean into risk, play with what’s happening in the room, and let the unexpected become part of the performance. That flexibility has allowed me to grow across stand-up, improv, and clowning without getting stuck in one lane.
I also value endurance. Building shows, building an audience, and building a voice takes time especially when you’re building toward a long career. I’ve learned how to pace myself and stay committed even when the process is messy or unkind. I think that’s what sets me apart: I don’t need to look perfect. I need to be me, and I need to keep going.
Pricing:
- $15 online/ $20 at the door Clown Night tickets
Contact Info:
- Website: https://marcelineamaris.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clownatx
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/isitmarceline
Image Credits
Justin//shotbyjbro
