Life may be tough, but Powell Mansfield can still find the humor in it.
As a child, he performed dance shows for his friends and relatives. Now a senior, he opened for “Saturday Night Live’s” Nasim Pedrad. The comedy show was hosted by the Student Union Board (SUB) Feb. 18 in McCrary Theatre.
Mansfield showcases his original comedy on his YouTube channel, iHeartCharmed.
“Today, my biggest passion is to make people laugh,” Mansfield said. “I will always be, first and foremost, a fan of comedy.”
Sophomore Caroline Blanchard, SUB’s performance chair, said they started looking during winter break for potential comedians to perform at Elon with the help of Adam Bell, SUB adviser and assistant director of student activities.
Even though SUB was not specifically looking for an “SNL” performer, Pedrad fit well considering Elon’s past shows with “SNL” comedians, including Jay Pharoah and Kate McKinnon in 2014.
“It made sense to stick with tradition, and it totally paid off,” Blanchard said. “We had an incredibly successful event.”
Mansfield headlined a SUBLive event in August and told the board that he would be interested in performing again if he had the opportunity.
Looking back, Blanchard said Mansfield’s performance was an excellent addition to the event, considering the comedic reputation he has created for himself.
“Comedy is a form of art that isn’t appreciated as much as the others,” Blanchard said. “Powell is able to bring the arts to the Elon student body. He is able to do what he loves and make people happier at the same time, which I think is a pretty huge contribution.”
Mansfield said meeting Pedrad was both inspirational and informative. He said although their comedy styles vary, the two shared the common bond of the craft: the ability to simply stand in front of an audience and be able to entertain it.
During his performance, Mansfield joked about what he called “Elon Things,” a compilation of all the quirky things that define Elon. Tony’s Pub-N-Subs, West End Terrace and being a senior were relatable topics he spoke about.
After Mansfield’s performance, Pedrad shared a few encouraging words with him.
“We talked about the journey to find your voice as a comic and how important it is to have a resonant and unique point of view when you do stand-up,” Mansfield said.
Pedrad did not specifically comment on any of his material, but she did say she heard the audience laughing and told Mansfield that he was “killing it.”
“That was super cool to hear from her,” Mansfield said.
Pedrad told him that comedy is an ongoing process no matter where comedians are in their careers.
“She’s obviously further along that journey than me, but it’s such an endless process,” Mansfield said. “It was cool to hear her speak with such candor about how she’s still tracking down the voice she speaks with on stage.”
The pair also discussed his future career. After Elon, Mansfield plans to move to Los Angeles and start classes at Upright Citizens Brigade, an acting and comedy institution where Pedrad trained as well. He plans on bettering his improvisational skills there.
“[Pedrad] was really encouraging and excited to hear I planned to pursue comedy along a similar path,” he said.
Although he does not regularly watch it, Mansfield recognizes “SNL’s” influence in the comedy world.
He is still a fan of many of the comedians who have appeared on the show, including Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Nasim Pedrad, calling them “comedic rock stars.”
For now, Mansfield is working on finishing his double major in Media Arts and Entertainment and French in addition to his other activities.
He is a member of Twisted Measure, a co-ed a cappella group, which enables him to sing and entertain. His love for interacting with students prompted him to become an orientation leader and a tour guide for student admissions.
“I’m kind of all over the place in terms of my involvement,” he said. “But that’s what keeps it exciting.”