Christina Parrish entered the world of comedy at 13. As a Maestro student at Austin’s own Hideout Theatre, Parrish naturally gelled with the improv troupe and found comfort in creating fun environments devoted to creativity and play.
By 15, Parrish completed all of the Hideout’s curriculum and dropped out of high school to pursue comedy full time. Over the past 14 years, Parrish has hustled to build her career and grow as a writer and filmmaker, her primary influences being improv aficionado Molly Moore and actress and comedian Maria Bamford. She went on to train through various comedy course models and workshops at venues such as Fallout Theater.
Sorry I’m So Sensitive, Parrish’s upcoming album, hosts a collection of films, shorts, series, and stand-up routines spanning her career as a comedic performer. The idea for the series was spurred from a newsletter Parrish created during the pandemic. The platform, ChatFam, was a safe space to share personal jokes, entries, pictures, and deep insights after being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. “My material reflects the range of emotions I frequently experience: anxiety, depression, hypersensitivity, frustration,” says Parrish. Although she acknowledges that her job is to bring relief and joy to an audience, Parrish has noticed “a pressure to be something, the constant hustling, the cruelty that happens in the art form itself … it all just slowly deteriorated my mind and made me hate the thing I once loved.” Since comedy has been such a huge part of her life, Parrish used humor as a tool to prioritize her own healing and wellness. “I’ve found that talking about my emotions makes my material more relatable. It’s important to share that I’m not defined by my diagnosis.”
The recordings are divided into three parts, and each bit dives deeper into Parrish’s journey in therapy and readjusting after spending time at an inpatient mental health facility. “The term ‘sorry I’m so sensitive’ came from being an outpatient at Ascension Seton, where I learned therapeutic tools to handle my hypersensitivity,” she says. After two years of work, her newest recordings are “like a rebirth and coming back to my own. I want to prove that comedy can be a little different.” Parrish hopes that her vulnerability will be a refreshing and experimental angle to her craft. “My mental health struggles are a spectrum, and that’s my kind of comedy.”
Writing has always been a way for Parrish to process, and in a sense, Sorry I’m So Sensitive is a return to the performer who is kind, a good listener, and focuses on the present moment. For up-and-coming comedians, Parrish says to “be playful. Be in the moment.” Stand-up comedy presents an opportunity to educate the audience on what you know, so don’t be afraid to try untested material. “Take a risk and attend an improv class because it will help you get comfortable using the stage.”
This article appears in June 28 • 2024.