Cooking up Comedy

MEGHAN COOK originally arrived in Wilmington for its film study program, but a few years later, she’s here for the comedy scene and the community that now feels like home. After graduating from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2016, the Maryland native moved to New York.  

“I lost all my money, and moved back to Wilmington,” she says with a laugh. “I love it twice as much as I did in college.”  

Cook balances her comedic aspirations with freelance writing for The Good Newspaper and Good Good Good, an independent media company. “It’s built on Mister Rogers’ principle: ‘When you’re scared, look for the helpers,’” Cook says. Here, she enjoys highlighting uplifting stories about animal rescues, environmental efforts, and human rights. Yet her true passion ignites when she steps on stage, where her storytelling talent shines.    

Initially, Cook faced crippling stage fright, dodging invites from her friend JULIA DESMOND to perform at open mics for a year. She eventually found the courage to face the spotlight. The thrill of making people laugh gradually overshadowed her nerves. “The more I did it, the easier it became,” she says, crediting the supportive comedy scene at Dead Crow Comedy Room for nurturing her growth.    

Cook’s comedic style centers on storytelling. “Everyone has stories they like to tell, but the hard part is chipping away at that story and telling it under five minutes,” she explains. Her life is filled with bizarre moments – like when working at Carnegie Hall. “I was approached by The Princess Bride actor Wallace Shawn, who told me a woman in the audience was going into labor,” she says. “So, he grabbed an arm, and I grabbed the other arm, and we escorted this heavily pregnant woman out of the symphony into my boss’s office. We both held her hands while we waited for the ambulance to arrive.”   

Cook distills her experiences like this into a comedic narrative by asking herself, “What’s the best version and the most concise version of that story that I can tell?”  

Drawing inspiration from her past, Cook recounts a childhood beach trip where she, convinced she could pay her dad back for a broken snow globe with sand dollars, wandered off for hours. “Years later, I thought, ‘This is so weird and absurd,’” she reflects, noting how the nightmare of going missing – with time – turned into a hilarious story.   

The Wilmington comedy scene has been a blessing for Cook.  

“It’s very supportive,” she says, highlighting the camaraderie among female comedians, who have formed a close-knit community, checking in to ensure fair pay and opportunities. “My favorite part is after the show,” Cook says. “We exchange notes and compliments. We’re a smaller city but we foster a lot of creativity.”   

Through her performances, Cook aims to create an atmosphere where laughter prevails over life’s stresses. “I want them to laugh,” she says. Sharing personal challenges, like her struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder, has resonated with audiences. One woman approached Cook after a show to tell how her openness helped the woman better understand her brother. “You never know what people are going through,” she says, emphasizing laughter’s role in providing solace.  

Currently, Cook is writing a novel and working on a one-hour stage show with JESSLYN WILSON, exploring the joys and awkwardness of being a woman. “It’s about laughing at the world while inviting everyone to want things to be better,” she says.  

She and Wilson will soon offer comedy classes for women as well as kids and teens to help them expand their creativity and learn more about comedy.   

Cook is eager to give back to the community that has supported her.  

“Julia pushed me to try comedy, and I want to be that person for others,” she says. “It might scare you, but you might be good at it. Or at least you’ll have a good story to share!”

To view more of photographer Madeline Gray’s work, go to madelinegrayphoto.com.

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