The very first thing you’ll discover about comic Evan Mills are his extensive, heavy-lidded, expressive eyes. They might be quietly smoldering as he croons in one in all his authentic music movies—typically hilarious, typically achingly severe, like his 2021 single “Sissy Boy,” an anthem for younger queer boys. They might briefly flash impossibly extensive in what might develop into his iconic, John Krasinski-esque nod to the viewers on the Second Metropolis earlier than a piercing punchline.  Or they could do some little bit of each, as in his folky cowl of a hilarious Schitt’s Creek musical quantity, “A Little Bit Alexis.”

Both means, they’re the showstoppers that draw you into Mills’s kaleidoscopic expertise. And if the eyes are the proverbial home windows to the soul, then Mills’s home windows are extensive open, as he bares his private life for the sake of laughter. On Instagram, for instance, he made a brief music video about issues he Googled as a younger closeted homosexual child. He’s additionally unafraid to ask uncomfortable but hilarious questions, as he does in a skit through which he ponders in music, “Why did all my white pals drink milk after they ate dinner?” Then, in fact, there are the smirky call-outs, like his quick music video “Scorching White Gays,” through which he pokes enjoyable on the privileges of sizzling white homosexual males.

“To be an individual of coloration and a queer individual on that stage, and doing the content material I used to be doing,” Mills mentioned of his work at Second Metropolis, “I’d make y’all uncomfortable, however I’m gonna make you chuckle.”

Mills has a historical past of mixing comedic and musical abilities. Earlier than he was Evan Mills, Second Metropolis alum, stardom-bound, and reeking of potential, he was one half of the duo Evan & Mary Jane, who sang folks songs about discovering pubic hair in your meals. In 2018, he wrote, directed, and carried out in Queer Eye: The Musical Parody, and through the years he’s put his movie diploma to work producing music movies and skits on his social media platforms.

Now, as Mills wraps up his stint as a mainstage actor in Don’t Give up Your Daydream at Second Metropolis—the Chicago powerhouse identified for launching a startling variety of well-known alumni, from Invoice Murray to Tina Fey—he’s making ready to go to Los Angeles this fall, with drafts for pilots, authentic musicals, and songs in tow. Earlier than he leaves Chicago, although, he’s throwing the doorways to the comedy temple extensive open for different comedians of coloration as this yr’s director of Second Metropolis’s second annual Victor Wong Fellowship, an intensive coaching program for Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) comedic expertise that culminates in a collection of public performances titled Youth In Asia (Are You Pleased with Me But?), operating each Tuesday by way of Might 28 on the UP Comedy Membership.

Having seen solely glimmers of progress towards extra comedy for, by, and about Asian Individuals and Pacific Islanders, Mills hopes a fellowship like this may make the world a funnier place for extra folks. 

“For many of our lives, if an Asian individual was in a film, it was in regards to the struggles of being Asian or coming over to America. It was by no means like, right here’s only a comedy, right here’s pleasure, proper?” mentioned Mills. “As soon as I began seeing Asian comedians, I used to be like, oh, we have to do extra of this, this ought to be extra distinguished.”

‘He simply desires everyone to succeed‘

In his time at Second Metropolis, having labored as a bunch and bartender from 2012 to 2017 earlier than performing for the final seven years, Mills mentioned there was just one time he wasn’t the one Filipino onstage. It was throughout a efficiency with Jordan Savusa, a Hawaiian and Filipino performer (at the moment onstage at Second Metropolis’s new Brooklyn location), for whom Mills was typically the understudy or alternative. So when Mills walked in as director of the Victor Wong Fellowship, he mentioned it was the primary time he’d ever been in a room with 10 AAPI performers.

“It was such an unbelievable expertise to stroll into that,” he mentioned. “Proper off the bat, I felt very linked with all of them.”

For Mills, human connection is without doubt one of the foremost causes to do comedy. It’s additionally one thing that comes naturally to him. In the course of the fellowship, he mentioned, his foremost purpose was to verify the fellows felt heard and cared for. He held one-on-one conferences with every of them, checked in with them weekly, and, throughout suggestions periods, strove to make sure that everybody knew it was a protected house to share. It’s that type of particular person consideration and dedication infuses all the pieces Mills does, in accordance with Johanna Medrano, one in all this yr’s Victor Wong Fellows.

“He’s all the time rooting for us and he’s very communicative and clear,” Medrano mentioned. “I feel that transparency is clutch. He’s all the time letting us know what he’s doing and the way he’s combating for us and what we need to specific with our artwork.”

For the primary three weeks of the intensive three-month program, the fellows would are available in and pitch skits and scenes for the Might showcase. Then they’d run by way of the scenes and provides one another suggestions, after which do one other spherical of pitches.

As soon as they’d a strong assortment of pitches, the work turned rehearsals and removing and fine-tuning their skits. That was the exhausting half for Mills. He was nonetheless sending emails whereas he was on a quick trip as a result of he was torn between chopping or making an attempt to make room for skits from the fellows he discovered humorous, mentioned Julie Dumais Osborne, vp of the Coaching Facilities at Second Metropolis.

“His journey to the place he’s is one thing that I feel informs how he sees potential in others,” mentioned Osborne, who labored with Mills when requested to take a seat in on auditions for the Victor Wong Fellowship final yr. “He was very excited to have the chance to probably develop that expertise with Victor Wong. He’s such a cheerleader for rising expertise.”

As an alternative of pom poms, nevertheless, Mills comes armed together with his private expertise and a purpose to “get you all brokers.”

“He simply desires everyone to succeed,” mentioned Medrano. “He simply desires the perfect for everyone, and I feel that’s nice, as a result of performing is cutthroat.”

In his years on Second Metropolis’s mainstage, Mills realized lots about placing himself on the market as one in all solely eight AAPI comedians he’s seen grace Second Metropolis’s stage since 2012. Mills encourages the fellows to be boldly themselves—trustworthy and open—but in addition to not limit themselves to content material centered round AAPI points and matters. 

“I don’t need you to put in writing one thing as a result of that is an AAPI showcase, I need you to put in writing one thing since you assume it’s humorous,” he advised his fellows. “That’s what they’re going to anticipate, proper? They’re going to return into an AAPI present and be like, ‘Okay, this can be a showcase for Asian American performers.’ However I need them to depart the present and go, ‘Wow, that was a great present.’ Interval. Level clean.”

Mills’s personal comedy profession started to take form after he noticed his first Second Metropolis efficiency. He had graduated from Columbia School with a movie diploma and took a job as a bunch at Second Metropolis earlier than he even knew what Second Metropolis was. However after witnessing Mary Sohn onstage throughout his first evening as host, he was hooked.

The Victor Wong Fellowship supplies a extra intentional pathway into the hallowed realms of Second Metropolis for AAPI comic hopefuls, and Mills jumped on the probability to be concerned.

“I do know that there aren’t a whole lot of alternatives and doorways open for folks like me, and I used to be opening them and I used to be making means for myself in areas that I didn’t see myself in,” mentioned Mills. “I need them to know that it’s accessible and their goals are doable. So any means that I may help be a voice for them whereas I’m within the constructing is so vital to me.”

As for the fellows, Mills says he sees shiny futures for all of them. 

“I can’t clarify to you the way each single rehearsal or pitch course of was like cry-laughing,” he mentioned. “I already knew how good they have been, however they’re actually displaying me by way of authentic materials and scripted materials that they’ve had to do this they’re very succesful and really gifted and ought to be working in that constructing ASAP.”

‘I’m not right here to make you’re feeling comfy’

Rising up in a household that was “so joyous and laughing on a regular basis,” Mills mentioned he couldn’t assist however worth laughter. 

“I cherished making my household chuckle,” he mentioned. “If household’s vital, then making them chuckle is vital. So comedy is vital.” 

As an viewers member, you may not be household, however for the quick time that you’re in Mills’s care as an viewers, he’s decided to attach and make you chuckle. In his years acting at Second Metropolis, he mentioned he would typically look out into the viewers, discover the one one that wasn’t laughing, and make it his purpose for the remainder of the present to make that individual chuckle.

Laughter has all the time been a core a part of Mills’s id, ever since he was an solely little one cackling alongside to Steve Martin films he rented from the video retailer throughout the road from dwelling in Michigan. When touring across the U.S. as an ensemble member of Second Metropolis’s touring firm, he realized how sure comedy works in sure locations and never in others. However when acting on his dwelling stage in Chicago, he has discovered that no matter who’s within the viewers, being susceptible and trustworthy onstage felt finest for him and nonetheless bought the laughs.

“I’m going to put in writing content material that’s relatable for everyone. However each from time to time, I’m going to pepper in a few of my very own stuff, and if that makes you uncomfortable, then that makes you uncomfortable,” he mentioned. “I’m not right here to make you’re feeling comfy in an area that isn’t yours.”

Mills cited a skit referred to as “Survey Says,” which he did as a part of Do the Proper Factor, No Worries If Not, for example of the methods laughter weaves out and in of his private identities and the way he brings all of it to the stage as a method to join with audiences. 

The skit opens with a number of easy survey questions. Mills asks viewers members to boost their arms if, say, they’ve ever been in a foreign country. Given Second Metropolis’s normal viewers of majority vacationers, fairly a number of folks elevate their arms.

“Nicely, it have to be good to have cash,” he quips. 

Then, he will get private:

“Increase your hand should you’re an solely little one.” 

“Hold your hand up should you’re an solely little one whose dad and mom are divorced.” 

Together with his personal hand raised, he leans in the direction of the eight to 10 different folks with their arms raised and scrunches his face with recognition, “That sucks, proper?” 

Lastly, he brings it again dwelling , “Now preserve your hand up should you’re homosexual, Filipino, left-handed, and have a homosexual dad.” 

“Nobody would be capable to preserve their arms up,” he mentioned with fun in a latest interview. “More often than not the viewers goes to narrate to what I’ve to say. And in the event that they don’t, they’re nonetheless going to chuckle, as a result of I’m going to current it in a means that makes them discover a method to discover it humorous.” 

From time to time, he places his musical chops to work on one thing that may make you cry as an alternative of chuckle, and it’s then that you simply see simply how a lot expertise he’s working with. When requested about her favourite Evan Mills work, for instance, Medrano tears up when she cites one of many Evan & Mary Jane songs about loss.

Now, as Mills prepares to take his susceptible mix of music and comedy to L.A., with a pocket stuffed with pilots and a dream to sometime write hilarious musical numbers for RuPaul’s Drag Race (see his imaginative and prescient for a Girl Gaga musical), Mills hopes that the teachings he’s realized over his profession can present “younger Asian folks you could be so susceptible and you may be so humorous, on display and onstage,” he mentioned.

In any case, as he put it, “There’s one thing so stunning about making folks chuckle.”

Crystal L. Paul (she/her) is a Chicago-based journalist and editor, specializing in neighborhood journalism and reporting on race and tradition and the humanities. @cplhouse

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