You can't have lived in the Upstate of SC for long without hearing something about the live, local comedy at the Cafe and Then Some. A staple in downtown Greenville for decades, no stone is unturned and everyone is a "target" in their distinct brand of dinner theater. Tent cards on the table give a running history of the characters, parts of town, and situations that may be unfamililar to anyone who didn't grow up off of Augusta Road (and yes, locals will always call it "road"). "Satire," Susan once read from the stage, "is a form of freedom of speech, protected by the First Amendment," and then opened a biting, at times fantastically awkward play about eminent domain and the development along the Reedy River. How these locals -- friends of the community, philanthropists, mother/father/cousin/neighbor -- make a living by poking fun at the very people living across the street, is just this short of a miracle.

Why is humor so important to us? How do we deal with humor in our everyday lives? What if you chose to make a living using humor; your income and livliehood came from making people laugh. Could you do it? Engineer by day, funny lady by night Shivani Nadarajah is a local Greenville comedian who was born Canadian, bred Sri Lankan, and raised southern at heart. She began her stand up comedy career in May 2013, sharing stories of her upbringing, transition to southern culture and international travels. Her humor, impressions and crowd work resonates to any and all ethnic groups. She recently placed 2nd in the 2014 SC’s Funniest Comic competition hosted by Alchemy Comedy. Off stage, Shivani works at General Electric in Business Development utilizing her degree in Supply Chain Management from Auburn University.