HAVERHILL — This comedian’s biggest comeback didn’t happen after a bad set. It was the punchline that followed a years-long, silent battle with alcoholism as well as an undiagnosed disorder.
Now nearly 16 years sober, Amy Tee feels right at home under the spotlight, making material out of her past struggles to bridge a connection with listeners who may be facing the same issues.
She was born in Haverhill, and still resides in the city, which now has a budding comedy scene full of open-mic-ers polishing sets and testing punchlines. Tee pointed out spots like AmVets Post 147, the Funny Vibes Comedy Club and Crusttown Pizza.
Long before her dedication to the craft, Tee took improv classes as a student at Northern Essex Community College (NECC), training in a theater located above The Peddler’s Daughter in downtown Haverhill.
The environment was “ahead of its time,” Tee said, as the theatre was the perfect space to sharpen her skills on stage. Improv wasn’t her preferred lane though, as a persistent friend kept encouraging her to try stand-up.
Tee recalled her teenage years watching VH1 stand-ups specials of famed comics that she idolized, claiming that comedy was always in her “soul.” She eventually enrolled in a stand-up comedy course at NECC under Dave Rattigan, a professional comedian and live comedy producer who teaches at UMass Lowell today.
It was a curriculum of setups, punchlines, and refining routines. To graduate, the pupil performers took their first steps in front of a live audience.
Tee’s first-ever set took place at The Grog in Newburyport. She said the venue was packed, standing-room only, and amongst the whole class, Tee was the night’s opener. She crushed it.
“I instantly fell in love the first time I took stage,” Tee said. “I had the mic, spotlight and laughs. I was like, ‘Oh, this is what I’m meant to do.’”
In the years that followed, becoming a professional comedian meant a nightly hustle of road trips across New England for any open mic Tee could find — five minutes here, seven minutes there. Each spot was an opportunity to tweak her set, and to maybe get noticed by a talent booker and land a paid gig.
The doorway started to widen. She found herself securing weekend slots at comedy clubs and opening for national headliners.
Tee said a major career milestone came in 2009, when she starred in the documentary “Laughing Matters … Next Gen.” The film followed six up-and-coming comics — Tee being one them — who were openly out about their sexuality. Tee, who had long been public about being a lesbian within the comedy space, frequently incorporated her identity into her writing.
There was so much momentum behind her stage presence, but between the public success and personal struggles, Tee said she hit her rock bottom — a moment that spurred her now 15 years of sobriety.
“You’re out every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. You’re in a bar-situation, and for me, I was still trying to figure out who I was as a person,” Tee said. “Alcohol created a character. I was overdrinking to mask a lot of insecurity and discomfort being in these social situations. It gave me that boost and extra confidence.”
In 2010, she found herself spiraling — this night-lifestyle of partying was actually substance abuse. Her drinking had damaged her career, destroyed her relationships, and she hadn’t been paying attention to it.
She stepped back from the comedy scene and soon received a diagnosis and treatment for bipolar disorder, which helped her put past struggles into a new perspective.
Rather than see herself as a victim, Tee said she’s chosen to confront the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction — bringing herself back to centerstage for more than just a punchline.
“I spent my entire life not knowing I had a mental health condition, so how many people are going through the same thing?” Tee said. “The more I talked about it on stage, the more I would have someone come up to me after a show to thank me.”
Tee now describes her comedy as using “humor as a conduit” to make conversations around alcoholism and mental disorders more relatable and approachable for whomever needs to hear it. She also works as a mental wellness advocate, serving as an approved In Our Own Voice presenter for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Her advocacy brings her story to hospitals and colleges, where she shares her experience with recovery and growth.
Her work led to her founding Experimental Comedy Therapy (ECT), which promotes “chemical-free comedy,” producing events designed to break down mental health stigmas through laughter.
“I feel now in my sobriety, I’m a much better person. The material is more authentic, and I, quite frankly, am much funnier now.”
Tee will be back on the mic for a show on Feb. 6 at AmVets Post 147.