nce you start you can’t stop. Comedy is a drug, and you get easily addicted. Once when I hadn’t performed in a while because I was on vacation, I became very depressed. I didn’t put two and two together but as soon as I performed the depression lifted. This may sound great, but it probably isn’t the best way to treat depression.

Experiments with online business models have led in at least one case to more tickets sold. And as the trappings change, the nature of the humor seems to be changing, too.

It’s only been three years since she took that first class at the Manhattan Comedy School, but Madison has been striving to make a place for herself in the standup world ever since—by spearheading “new talent” shows and open mics for other rookie comics, by organizing large comedy fundraisers, and of course, by continuing to hone her own standup act.