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From growing up in Atlanta and performing stand-up, to her bestselling autobiography “Rabbit” and the fifth (and counting) season of her sitcom “The Ms. Pat Show,” comedian Ms. Pat has had an eventful career, with no signs of slowing down.
Amidst all these projects, Ms. Pat is returning to the Glass City with a new hour of stand-up at Toledo Funny Bone September 18 and 19.
“I’m talking about just being grown,” Ms. Pat said. “I’m going through menopause, I’m married. I got kids and I got other people’s kids. I’m just gonna be talking about life.”
Through her stand-up, Ms. Pat addresses her own experiences growing up with abuse and selling drugs. Dealing with issues both personal and societal, her comedy can get dark but is about healing through humor.
“When people see me standing on stage talking about dark things,” Ms. Pat said, “I’m hoping they can heal from it and we can laugh together. I’m hoping that they can challenge the things that hurt them in life and find the funny in it so they can have control of their situation.”
In 2017, Ms. Pat published “Rabbit” under her off-stage name Patricia Williams with co-author Jeannine Amber. On September 29, her second book, “Ms. American Dream,” comes out.
“Everybody knows the childhood that I had, if they read [“Rabbit”], being a teenage mom and selling drugs, making all the mistakes. Then, the next book takes you into I gotta deal with a whole other circumstance, which is Hollywood, putting my marriage back together, all the sacrifices I made,” Ms. Pat said, “I think that my American dream is happiness. And I have it.”
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Ms. Pat’s commitment to connecting with an audience that hasn’t felt represented continues with her cooking show “Whiskin’ It All with Ms. Pat.” Famously not a cook, the comedian learns recipes from friends and family on this show that shows cooking is for everyone.
“You see cooking shows all the time where people can cook. Well, I hadn’t seen a cooking show where people couldn’t cook,” Ms. Pat said, “and believe it or not I’ve learned a lot.”
Ms. Pat has never been shy about sharing her journey. By finding the funny in serious stories, she makes connections with her audience. Whether they have had similar experiences to hers or have faced obstacles of their own, they can find comfort and community through Ms. Pat’s comedy.
“When I first started,” Ms. Pat said, “They hadn’t really had somebody to stand on stage and say things that I was saying. And so, to see people relate, it makes me realize that I’m breaking down doors and we should have those conversations. And you shouldn’t be ashamed of anything that you’ve been through in life.”
Come see Ms. Pat at Toledo Funny Bone September 18 and 19 with Friday shows at 7pm and 9:45pm and Saturday shows at 3pm, 6:30pm, and 9:15pm. You can find more information at mspatcomedy.com
