Robyn Schall Made Laughter Her Best Medicine

CBS called Robyn Schall one of the top five standout comics in New York. Although Robyn’s life is filled with laughter, as a child she struggled with illness and for years was immobile from the waist down. She turned her darkness into light by pursing comedy and became a standup sensation.

Robyn grew up in Long Island and wore leg braces Forrest Gump-style when she was a child. At age 6 she was diagnosed with Perthes disease, a childhood condition that prevents blood supply to the hip, causing the bone to deteriorate. She had five hip surgeries, was immobile for long stretches of time and endured many complications post-surgery. “Everything that could have gone wrong during surgeries did. The pins that were placed in my hip during surgery slipped out. It was hard.”

Her parents converted their den into a makeshift hospital. After the surgeries, she no longer needed the leg braces to walk.

Socially, Robyn had no trouble making friends in school. Her friends saw past the leg braces. “The kids were blind to it. It was the adults who were the problem.” One friend’s parent didn’t want Robyn in their home because she was afraid her leg braces would break something. Robyn’s mom fought an uphill battle trying to get Robyn equal treatment in school.

“It was terrible,” Robyn said in an exclusive Aish.com interview, “but I credit my comedy career to this ordeal. I can pinpoint exactly how I became a comic.”

Robyn decided to accustom herself to the constant pain and used comedy as her painkiller.

She was confined to her bed throughout fourth grade and unable to attend school. “Since I didn’t have to wake up early, I didn’t have a bedtime. My parents went to sleep and I would stay up watching sitcoms. My comedy schooling was Lucille Ball and Mary Tyler Moore.”

Comedy distracted her from the physical pain. “I hated taking pain medication because when it would wear off I would become more aware of the pain.” She decided to accustom herself to the constant pain and used comedy as her painkiller.

“Comedy made me feel better. I thought, Wow. It’s better than medicine. I want to grow up and do that for other people.”

Positive Attitude and Pervasive Joy

In addition to sitcoms, her parents' positive attitude and pervasive joy taught her to laugh through everything. Her parents didn’t see the need to wear leg braces as a disability and encouraged her to do everything that her siblings were able to do.

“My parents’ motto was, ‘If Robyn wants to do it, let her try!’”

When Robyn wasn’t stuck in bed, she did everything her brothers did. She even went skiing.

“The braces actually helped me ski because they kept my legs in position and prevented them from wobbling while I skied down the bunny slopes.”

Robyn first dreamed of being an actress and hosting a show similar to Rosie O'Donnell. She loved how Rosie would talk to celebrities and make everyone feel comfortable.

Her parents supported her when she picked this impossible career. She attended college and pursued a career in acting. “When I graduated college, I tried booking acting gigs but nothing was clicking. I was making zero income and asked my dad, who is an accountant, what I should do. He suggested, ‘Why don't you try standup? I think if you could just be yourself and make people laugh you will be successful.’”

Robyn followed her father’s advice and within months she was making a living. Within two years it was her full-time job.

As a relatively clean comic, she was booked nonstop for temples and private events. She also toured for troops in 30 different military bases overseas.

Career Exploded

Robyn has been a comic since 2011 but her career exploded during the pandemic. On a whim, she made an Instagram video about her goals for the upcoming new year.

@robynschallcomic Hey @Lenny Kravitz got my scarf & im ready for fall! Also that you g man was a freakin gem!!! #humor #comedy #funnyvideos #autumn #fypシ ♬ original sound - RobynSchallComic

“Everything that I wanted for 2020 was the opposite in real life. Lose weight, be more social…The video is pretty dark comedy, but it went viral. Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Garner and so many others reposted it. They found humor in such a dark video. It’s really my life in a nutshell: how to use dark times and turn it into laughter. When the world was at its darkest, that's when my career exploded.”

After the video went viral, she made a new list of goals involving her fans. Her list included:

Meet Oprah and have Kim Kardashian send perfume. One by one, they ALL started to happen.

For Robyn, the most rewarding aspect of her video’s success was her ability to give back. She encouraged others to give charity and was able to donate $27,000 to the Ronald McDonald house by auctioning off personal items.

“We made a list that came true and we are able to give back. It combined the power of manifestation and power of unity.”

Robyn’s comedy is fresh and clean, and she’s always working to improve. “After the show, my family and I dissect it. They will say, ‘You should go more on this part, or tone it down here…’ I stick to my style and know what's is going to work. I am more of a storyteller and I use lots of misdirection. The audience thinks I am about to say one thing, and then another thing slips out. I like painting a picture and creating a full visual with my words.”

Inescapably Jewish

Robyn says her audience knows she’s Jewish within moments because of her style and voice.

“If you’re not Jewish you may think that I am Italian, but when a Jewish person hears me, they know right away. My Judaism is part of my identity. Any Jewish person knows I am Jewish within three seconds.”

“This is a generalization but so many comedians are Jewish. It’s like Jewish people and comedy go hand in hand. I think Jewish people have been through a lot and laughter is how we survived. Comedy got me through my own ordeal. Laughter is the best medicine. It really is. That’s what I’m sharing with the world.”

Robyn’s upcoming tour begins October 7 and she travels to 8 different cities: NYC, Detroit, Seattle, Phoenix, San Diego, Atlanta, Toronto, and Vancouver. Check out her tour here.