Today we’d like to introduce you to Jo Foster.
Hi Jo, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My comedy journey began almost exactly 3 years ago–on my 27th birthday, I took a free “intro to improv” class at Fallout Theater in downtown Austin. About 5 minutes in, I knew I wanted to dive deep into the world comedy. I enrolled in my first improv class, and a few minutes later I found myself alone on stage physically shaking in front of a crowd of strangers at my first stand-up open mic.
Since then, I have performed in comedy venues all over town, from the largest local clubs like Cap City and The Mothership to hole-in-the-wall cafes where payment is made in the currency of roast-beef sandwiches.
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?
The biggest challenge to my comedy has been my own aversion to social media. I heard someone once describe being an artist in 2026 this way:
“It’s as if you were a musician, and no matter which instrument you play, you are forced to play that instrument through the trumpet. You might play a completely different instrument, but unless you can learn to play the trumpet well, your primary instrument most likely won’t be recognized.”
I am not overtly pessimistic to the advent of social media and its relationship with creativity–it has given many artists a platform and an audience for little to zero cost. But on a personal level, I have a difficult time navigating the insidious grip that the regular usage of Instagram does to my psyche. It’s as if I can feel my self-image becoming bloated and warped–my world becomes smaller and hyper-focused on myself rather than the larger world around me, and my comedy material suffers the loss.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am primarily a comedian and storyteller (and otherwise general tinkerer and dabbler of many ADHD-inspired pursuits). I fell in love with standup due to it’s wildly uninhibited nature–no rules, no organizing multiple people’s calendars, no safety net–just a microphone on a stage. I have a special place in my heart for the absurd–to see how weird I can get with an audience and still make them laugh, especially if it’s unexpected. My favorite jokes don’t have a standard setup and punchline structure, but rely on the audience laughing in a “what the hell was that” kind of way.
This penchant for the absurd has inspired my “clown” comedic routines, which entails developing an obscure idea into a fully-fledged character that performs for and improvises with the audience live on stage. My most in-demand character is “Croissant Cigarette”, inspired by a real caricature artist I met in France. Recently, I have performed at Coldtowne Theater as “the ginger ale can in the back of your fridge”.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
TAKE BREAKS.
For the sake of your art, please take long (and real) breaks. From doing it, from thinking about it. When you can really turn off the part of your brain constantly searching for fodder for your craft, that’s when the most original ideas strike you. Genuinely engaging in other aspects of life to its fullest. yields the ripest results. That involves slowing down, getting away, paying attention to everything outside of yourself, which yes, includes your art.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fojoster/
