James Braly found his niche when he wanted to perform, tell his own stories and watch the audience’s reaction. His success has resulted in a book to be published in 2013 and TV and film productions in the works.
Not completely so. It was a visit to a psychiatrist that led him on his career’s path. He had two choices.
Under the guise that money was not an object, Braly wanted to attend Cambridge University in England for a year to study and write a book. “I wanted the status of being educated at the oldest university in the world,” Braly said in a phone interview.
His other option was to be a storyteller, much like the comedian/monologist has become in developing his traveling hit show. “I preferred the second list,” he said.
Braly’s storytelling roots were developed as a child. “I grew up with my father in Alabama and most of my family is from Tennessee. My father was an incredible storyteller. I was hanging on to a completely absorbing work of art. The accent, cadence, phrasing and ability to embrace other characters are a work of art. Storytellers create scenery with words.”
The Seinfeld show, said Braly, had as much to do with his developing his craft as learning the stand-up skills associated with talking and entertaining audiences. “I love watching Seinfeld. I lived in New York City, had a black and white TV with coat hangers and watched him every night at 11. It spoke to me. In 99 percent of the shows there is one line that brings down the house. The larger part is dialog.”
A visit to The Mosque Theatre in Newark, N.J., is where Braly finessed his stories into monologues, much further than his initial five to ten minute stories. “I would go to The Mosque and listen to George Green and others telling stories. A couple of years later during open mic night, amateurs were invited to put your name in a hat and if you were chosen you could tell your story on stage.
“It was a terrifying moment when I was called. But I saw what it would take and suddenly I had an environment I could develop. Here I was in a city of eight million people and there was one place to tell a story.”
Braly has a solid background in writing. He wrote speeches for politicians and motivational talks for corporate executives. “That was not satisfying work for me.”
He wanted to perform, tell his own stories and watch the audience’s reaction. “I only have one real stipulation when I do my shows. I must see the first five rows of the audience. It’s a technique I use,” Braly said. “I’m looking into people’s eyes. The audience is responding to the character’s color, to the subtext and looking into my connections. When you’re present you can see the audience’s response.”
Braly said he enjoys talking about his dysfunctional family in “Life”, laughing through relationships beginning with his dating and marriage to his wife, Susan. He introduces his family during a bedside vigil at a hospice where his sister is spending her last days. What follows are stories so personal that their authenticity may creep into the audience’s mind.
“The only reason I can do this type of monologue is having the courage to go places we don’t normally go,” Braly said.
“This never gets easier to be the person I believe in. It’s primal. I have an obligation to deliver a good performance. I feel for the audience. If I get nothing else, we’ll have fun. And we’ll go on a trip together. We make a compact and we go on a ride to a deeper place. If it’s too personal the audience will freak out.”
A book is due out in Jan. 2013 by St. Martin’s Press and a partnership has been formed between Braly and Meredith Vieira Productions. His “Life” monologue has been optioned for TV and film. A new monologue (“The Monthly Nut”) is in development and his monologue “Asylum” is in production as a TV series.