Charleston’s comedy community rallies to support one of their own
by Lorne Chambers | Editor
Hey, did you hear the one about the comedian who gained 30 pounds in one weekend?
Well, if you did, then you know local jokester Shawna Jarrett’s recent health scare was no laughing matter.
Known affectionately as “Charleston’s Comedy Daddy,” Jarrett has been at the forefront of the local stand-up circuit for more than a decade. But recently, simply standing up became slightly more complicated than usual. That was because the 42-year-old West Ashley resident had gained around 30 pounds of water weight all below the waist over the course of one weekend.
An echocardiogram revealed that Jarrett’s heart was functioning at just 22 percent. But there was no blockage detected, so more tests were ordered. Then more tests, and more tests, and more tests … and then some more tests.
The diagnosis was heart failure and cardiomyopathy. Jarrett says Doctors are running some additional labs over the upcoming weeks that might give a clue as to the underlying cause, or at least rule some things out.
“The jury is still out on the cause. No family history, and I’m young. Well, I’m ‘Heart Emergency Young,’” she jokes. “The 21-year-old ‘baby comics’ who come to my writers’ group probably consider me an ‘old lady,’ but the other residents of the cardiac floor at the hospital definitely looked at me like I might skateboard away at any moment.”
Despite everything that has happened in the last month, Jarrett says she feels “Lucky.”
“Wild as everything has been, I caught my condition early enough that it can be treated with meds so far. No blockages, no damage that requires surgery, etc. I’ll know more after a follow-up echocardiogram later this summer, but the difference in how I feel is night and day.”
Jarrett, a working visual artist and comedian—two fields not exactly known for generous health benefits or financial stability—faced a growing pile of medical bills. It amounted to about a thousand dollars for every pound she had gained that weekend. While the weight eventually dropped, the debt—more than $30,000—remained.
That’s when her friends on the local comedy scene stepped in to offer a helping hand, just as she had often helped them, either by getting them a spot on a bill or coaching them in a comedy writers’ group she hosts.
“She’s been a mentor to most of the comics on the local scene right now,” says fellow comedian and friend Mona F. Bender, who is the driving force behind Shawnaroo! A Benefit for Charleston’s Comedy Daddy on Friday, May 9, from 7-11 p.m. at Tin Roof in West Ashley. “Most of the Charleston comedy scene owes part, if not their entire career, to Shawana. So many of us feel like we owe her a favor.”
“Shawna means so much to the Tin Roof family and the Charleston Comedy Scene. She took over our monthly comedy night TROM, almost nine years ago and rebranded the night to The Get Up! Open Mic Comedy night, says Tin Roof owner Erin Tyler. “She has dedicated her craft, time, and money to help the Charleston comedy scene thrive. She’s a mentor to so many novice comedians. The first hour of her monthly event is even a workshop to help comedians with their standup.”
Jarrett hasn’t been on stage since the health scare. “I decided to take a full six weeks off post-hospital, while they were titrating my medications, just to play it safe. I hadn’t taken more than a week or so off in the decade prior to that, and that very seldom, so it has definitely been strange. But it’s been a strange season for me, obviously, overall. It happened that a six-week break would end in time for Shawnaroo at Tin Roof, which is also a couple of days after my birthday, so I’m excited beyond words to get back on the mic that night.”
Tyler also launched the Shawna Jarrett Medical Relief Fund, which, as of press time, had raised nearly half of its goal of $30,000 through GoFundMe.
“I suggested starting a GoFundMe. [Shawna] was a little hesitant to ask others for money, but I assured her that the community loves her and would be happy to help,” says Tyler.” I’m so thankful that her medication has been helping, and that the community has rallied around her. There has been a ton of money raised! She’s going to need more, and I feel confident that Shawnaroo will be a huge success.”
For several years, Tin Roof has served as a kind of home base for Jarrett, who hosts Get Up! Comedy Open Mic on the first Thursday of every month at the West Ashley dive bar.
“I love Tin Roof, it’s kind of the punk comedy scene over there that’s where my heart is,” says Bender, who in addition to having a slate of local comics lined up for Shawnaroo, says there will also be a silent auction to help raise more money for Jarrett’s medical bills.
Jarrett says the outpouring of love and support from her fellow comedians and local comedy fans has been humbling.
“This community is stepping up for me beyond my wildest dreams, and I’m so incredibly grateful,” says Jarrett.
Shawnaroo! A Benefit for Charleston’s Comedy Daddy will be held Friday, May 9, from 7-11 p.m. Tickets are $10. For more information, visit www.charlestontinroof.com. Can’t make it? You can also contribute directly to the Shawna Jarrett Medical Relief Fund at http://gofundme.com/f/shawna-jarrett-medical-relief-fund.
