By MaST Healthy Panther Post reporters | Healthy Panther Post seventh-grade reporters didn’t know what to expect when Philadelphia comedian Mary Carpenter brought them on stage.
Mary Carpenter brought them on stage. Some giggled nervously when she asked them to form a large circle. But one by one, they followed her instructions, smiling and laughing. Then she had them imitate her when she said her own name in a funny voice.
Now everybody was amused, and that was her goal. She said humor can calm us down. Relax us and enable us to take ourselves less seriously. “It helps normalize everyone and make everyone comfortable with sharing their own opinions,” said Mrs. Carpenter, executive director of ComedySportz in Philadelphia.
She also spent time as a middle school teacher. She said she used her experience as an actor and comedian to help her students relax, to memorize certain things, and to study.
Mrs. Carpenter uses her time on stage at ComedySportz, the city’s longest-running comedy show, to build connections with people through shared funny experiences. “I like lifting other people up,” she said. People are “naturally ridiculous” and sharing a laugh “helps normalize everyone.”
Humor is also healthy in other ways. Dr. Edward Creagan of the Mayo Clinic, a hospital and research institution, said humor benefits people mentally and physically. Writing on the clinic’s website, he said humor can decrease stress and increase the body’s natural “feel-good” chemicals.
“Nothing is as effective [at relieving stress] as running a marathon, holding your cat or your dog, or having an explosion of laughter,” said Dr. Creagan. In addition, he said, “a hearty laugh may decrease blood pressure, help regulate heart rhythm and just provide an element of joy, that elusive factor in well-being.”
Healthy Panther Post reporters interviewed Mrs. Carpenter as part of their research into the benefits of humor. “I liked how Mrs. Carpenter gave us an experience of improv. It released tension and gave us an opportunity to connect with others using humor,” said Reman Elsehy.
Improv—short for improvisation—is one of the features of ComedySportz. It means comedy that’s created on the spot by the actors working with each other on stage in front of an audience. Mrs. Carpenter said improv takes teamwork and collaboration skills. You can’t be funny on stage without listening to the other people, she explains: “Listening to others is key to building a moment of laughter together.”
Mrs. Carpenter studied acting at Northwestern University and graduated with a degree in theater. She also attended the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art.
Mrs. Carpenter previously lived in Los Angeles and Chicago, working for places like Second City, a comedy club in Chicago. She has been with ComedySportz for 33 years.
“The easiest part of my job is that when I am on stage, I am not alone,” said Mrs. Carpenter. On the other hand, she said, the hardest part of her job is getting out of her own head and resisting the need to be the center of attention.
Humor can also build relationships. “Humor gave me my husband,” said Mrs. Carpenter, who met him working at ComedySportz. Her younger son is also a member of ComedySportz.
Mrs. Carpenter say it’s a mistake to use humor in a negative way. Humor should never be at the expense of one person or a group of people, she said. And “humor should never be hurtful,” she added. When you’re “the butt of the joke,” it isn’t very funny.
For a comedian, it’s also important to learn that people aren’t going to laugh at every joke you make. You just need to accept it and move on, she said. “Don’t be afraid to mess up,” she said. “We will mess up and that’s OK.”
By trusting your instincts, you’ll increase your confidence over time. “This allows you to intentionally create flexibility in your thinking and allows you to pivot. Then you panic less,” she said. Mrs. Carpenter added, “The greatest way to build humor through connection is listening to each other and building off each other. That’s when you have those genuine moments that happen where you literally make each other laugh.”
Illustration by Olivia, 7th grade, MaST, 2025-2026.
