The Half Hour

Baron Vaughn approaches stand-up as an exercise in recreating behavior. A college acting major who spent his early career bouncing between auditions and open mics, he brings a theatrical elasticity to his premises. He doesn’t just talk about using his computer for things other than porn or waking up alone; he physically acts out the psychology behind those routines.

The set was recorded at the Royale in Boston, the city where Vaughn first started doing open mics. The timing of the gig was mildly chaotic. His USA Network series Fairly Legal had just been cancelled, and this booking landed squarely in the middle of pilot season. Before walking over to the venue to shoot his first Comedy Central half hour, he spent four hours in his hotel room taping a new audition to send back to Los Angeles. None of that background stress makes it onto the stage, where his delivery remains entirely poised.