Few pieces of pop culture have resonated as much in this city for its sheer Philadelphia energy as “Abbott Elementary.” The brash South Philly native Melissa Schemmenti, portrayed by Lisa Ann Walter, might be the best embodiment of that vigor out of any character out there. She loves Italian cooking, the Birds and getting feisty. What’s more Philly than that?
Before headlining three days of stand-up shows at the Helium Comedy Club in July, Walter spoke to PhillyVoice about her work on the show, her love of accents and why she does her best performances in Philly.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
On “Abbott Elementary” creator and star Quinta Brunson nailing Melissa’s Philly roots …
WALTER: Quinta is very faithful to what inspires these characters. This character is based on her mother’s best friend, who was a teacher at a school in West Philly. Quinta’s a good writer — she doesn’t go for tropes. …
She puts those personalities of the city into various characters, and Melissa being from South Philly is the embodiment of some of those things, but I’m an actress and I’m a human being, so I gave Melissa specific personality traits. Does she have the fight? Yeah. Does she throw down at games? Yeah. Did she have to go to court because she threw batteries at a Phillies game? Yeah. But I think she also has the things that are sort of broader in the other aspects of her — the connection to family and the loyalty and pride in her city and in her neighborhood.
On Melissa’s love for local labor unions …
WALTER: Melissa happens to be very pro-union as is Lisa, which I don’t know which one came first. But Melissa has been that since the beginning of the show, which I think is very essential to Philly. It’s a union town. That’s one of the things I love about it.
I started doing stand-up in Philadelphia when we were on strike. I used to have a line about, “I’ve been out of work half my life. I’m out of work right now,” and it would start this huge round of applause because people were so in tune with the labor movement that they knew what I meant. I didn’t have to say we’re on strike. I said I’m out of work right now, and a cheer went up in the room and then I just [raised my fist] and the cheer went on and on. It wasn’t like that anywhere else in the country. That was specific to Philly. That was part of the makeup of what Philadelphia is about.
On Melissa’s authentic nature …
WALTER: That’s a part of Melissa that I like as well, and that I think is reflective of the people that I’ve met from the city, particularly South Philly. There’s an authenticity to it and I think people feel that in me. I think it’s one of the reasons I feel like they’ve embraced me in the city is because they get that I’m real and I am who you see on the show and who you meet in person is a real and genuine person.
On Melissa’s South Philly accent …
WALTER: I’m a fan of accents, so it pulls me out of my enjoyment of a piece if somebody is not really faithful to it, so I try my hardest. I’m never going to be perfect, but I really do work on it. It’s important to me.
When I talk about Melissa, I start becoming Melissa.
On why she loves doing stand-up in Philly …
WALTER: It’s the audience. It’s what they’re giving me. It’s the energy. It’s the vibe that I have connecting with the Philly audiences that elevates those shows to something different from anything I do anywhere else in the country. I do better shows!
I get inspired to write on stage. I’m constantly going, “Somebody write that down. That was hilarious!” I say stuff I’ve never done before on stage. I pulled my body suit out of the crack of my butt and … started blaming the Kardashians. I did that in Philly because there’s nowhere else in the country where I’m going to do something crazy like that and it’s just more fun.
Walter will perform on July 11, 12 and 13 at the Helium Comedy Club in Philadelphia. Tickets are available here.
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