Jamie Masada with Emerson College

In his one-and-a-half hour interview for the American Comedy Archives at Emerson College, Jamie Masada talks about how he came to found the Laugh Factory, and Richard Pryor being the first comedian to take the stage there in 1979. He describes figuring out the business of owning a comedy club in Los Angeles, and the challenge of booking comedians when it first opened. He discusses a few controversies that have popped up at the Laugh Factory, including Seinfeld’s Michael Richards using a racial slur, and Carlos Mencia stealing jokes. Masada recalls many incidents of the healing power of laughter at his club, including shows done after 9/11, and holding a memorial for Richard Pryor on the evening of his death. He concludes by discussing his comedy camp for underprivileged kids, and the then-future of comedy. Bill Dana and Jenni Matz conducted the interview on February 19, 2007 at the Laugh Factory on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, CA.