Hi, I’m Linda Stogner, one of the founders of Backdoor Comedy.
Jan Norton is the other founder, and we would be telling you the story of Backdoor together, but sadly, Jan passed away earlier this year after a long battle with cancer.
Jan was the heart and soul of Backdoor, and was adored by comics and audiences alike.
For most of our lives, she and I have been best friends and truly like sisters. Backdoor Comedy was our dream. We built it together, working side by side on every aspect.
The loss of Jan has been very difficult. It has broken my heart, and it feels like it will remain that way forever. This is the story of Backdoor, but I feel like I could not tell you that story without telling you why Jan is not here with me to tell it.
Our story
When we started stand-up, there was no place for us to perform, so Jan and I decided to create our own space.
repo’s
Jan Norton and Linda Stogner
We wanted a comedy home where the two of us and all of our comic friends would have a place to perform every week.
We looked all over DFW for a restaurant, bar, or hotel that would give us a chance, but we kept getting turned down. We finally found a small pizza place in Medallion Center that looked like it could use some business.
Jan talked to the manager of Repo’s Pizza and persuaded him to let us try our crazy idea of stand-up comedy.
Self-produced shows are fairly common these days, but back then, no one was doing that. Only established comedy venues were producing shows. Stand-up was fairly new to places outside of LA and New York. So, self-producing shows was somewhat unprecedented in Dallas, especially by women.
There were not very many women in comedy during those days. But we were not really aware of our maverick ways. We just wanted to do stand-up and did our best to make it happen.
So, with the green light to proceed, we built a stage, purchased some utility lights from Home Depot, bought some old used sound equipment and started putting everything together.
We had no experience and did not know what we were doing, but it turned out okay. It was very primitive, but it worked.
We called our comic friends, made the list, and had a plan.
Jan’s dad would be the cashier. Jan and I would greet the customers, seat them, clean and bus the tables, and do whatever else was needed.
Finally, it was showtime, and of course, we were not ready, but we had to go. We turned on the stage lights, started the intro music, and began with a nervous introduction, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Repos Comedy Showcase.”
And in true “Let’s put on a show” fashion, we did it. We produced our first real live stand-up comedy show!
There were a few hiccups, such as the guy making pizzas kept shouting over the loudspeaker several times throughout the show, “Joe or Bill or whatever, your pizza is ready!” But it didn’t matter, it was all part of it, the audience just laughed at that, too, and overall,
Jan Norton
Linda Stogner
It was a fantastic show! We had found our comedy home!
We did one show three nights a week with about twelve comics per show, and to our surprise, it was an immediate hit! The Dallas Observer wrote an article about us and called us “the hottest stand-up comedy showcase in the Southwest!”
Philachi’s Deli
The owner of Repo’s decided to retire, so we had to find a new home. Jan had a nose for finding locations, and she found the next one, a tiny sandwich shop called Philachi’s.
Brian Fuller
Shucky Ducky
The owners locked the front door at 7 p.m. every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and the deli became a comedy club. The guests had to enter through the back door and that’s where we got our name. From then on, we were Backdoor Comedy.
Linda Stogner and Jan Norton
Over the years, Backdoor has called many places home. We’ve been in a pizza place, a disco, a bowling alley, a feed store, a deli, a hotel, a restaurant, a bar, among others. The inside joke was that we were like the Energizer Bunny.
We just kept going, nothing could stop us. If one venue closed, we would find another. Throughout the years, we set up shop and told jokes all over DFW. Here is a list, in order, of all the venues we called home.
LOCATIONS
Checker’s Pizza - on Greenville Ave. We had to enter from the back here. Also.
Don Carter’s Bowling Alley - on Northwest Hwy. Backdoor was located upstairs in their former disco, with disco ball still there.
Vickery Feed Store - on Greenville Ave. One night after closing, a fire destroyed the restaurant. Since it was after hours, no people were hurt, thank goodness, but the restaurant and everything in it was lost, including Backdoor’s stage, lights and all of the equipment.
Don Carter’s Bowling Alley Part II – disco ball was gone.
Ross Avenue – downtown Dallas in the Arts District, next door to the then-popular improv comedy club, Ad Libs.
Shadyside Café/White Rock Sports Bar – across from White Rock Lake in East Dallas.
Cockeyed Parrot – Deep Ellum
Radisson Hotel – just north of Mockingbird Ln.
Doubletree Hotel – on Central Expressway near Northpark. (13 years)
Our latest and forever home is now in Richardson at The Line Public House.
We have a small, intimate room for our stand-up comedy, and it is perfect! It wasn’t very long after we moved here that the Dallas Observer once again chose us as the “Best Comedy Club.”
Linda Stogner
We have had our struggles along the way, we’ve survived a fire, the pandemic (many comedy clubs closed during COVID), what seems like a million moves. We have had challenges, for sure, but Backdoor has stayed strong and here we are, still bringing the funny after 35 years!
As we look to the future, I have to admit it feels strange to continue doing Backdoor without Jan.
I know she wanted me to keep it going, and I will. It is my dream as well, I just miss her. It makes me sad because she should be here.
