Iconic comedian Paula Poundstone is bringing her witty, spontaneous style of entertainment to Southern Oregon with a show at Medford’s Craterian Theater. 

Doing stand-up comedy for more than 45 years now, Poundstone’s irreverent and witty sense of humor has put her on some of the biggest stages and shows, from providing political commentary in the 1990s on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” to her current role as a frequent panelist on NPR’s weekly news quiz show “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!” 

“It’s the best job in the world; it’s really fun and I have a terrific, nice, fun audience,” Poundstone said. “I’m lucky to get to go all over the country and perform.” 

The comedic master will perform stand-up at the Craterian Theater, 23 S. Central Ave., Medford,  at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 29. 

Tickets range between $34.50 and $40.50 and can be purchased at craterian.org/event/paula-poundstone/#tickets.

Poundstone’s off-the-cuff and observational sense of humor is strengthened by her ability to connect with just about any crowd. 

“We all have far more in common than differences,” she said. “A lot of times I like to get a conversation started; I’ll ask questions to the crowd.” 

A particular point of conversation that interests the comedian when it comes to stand-up and connecting with audiences are the numerous rivalries between local cities and regions toward each other.

“That’s often a big jumping off point for learning about an area,” Poundstone said.

The comic recalled a recent show she did in Minnesota and hearing about the longstanding, albeit friendly, rivalry between St. Paul and Minneapolis. 

“I think people generally like to — not that they all like to talk about themselves, though a lot of people do — introduce you to their perspective on things,” she said. 

Poundstone recalled a particularly unique and difficult show she did at a Walmart fulfillment center in Wisconsin. 

“I was entertaining at a Walmart fulfillment center and the people who hired me have this annual event I guess, like a little luncheon for employees and entertainment,” she said. “I just got hired to do the job and said ‘yes,’ but I didn’t know anything about that, and they tell me last minute that who the performer is is going to be a surprise for employees. And I thought, ‘well I’m not a great surprise.’” 

“Getting them laughing was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my life. I told a couple jokes and got sort of a mixed response, and I ended up going from person to person,” she added. 

After her performance was over, she awaited the meet-and-greet at the fulfillment center expecting a measly turnout and was shocked to see one of the longest lines she’d ever had. 

Whether through self deprecation, witty observations or spontaneity, Poundstone’s chief goal is filling venues with laughter.

“I consider myself a part of the endorphin production industry and feel like it’s such an important thing,” she said. “They say laughter is the best medicine, and it’s good, but I think there’s also insulin and antibiotics that help.”

Beyond her use of humor to laugh and connect with others, Poundstone also uses it as a coping mechanism to find the light or absurdity in dark situations. 

“It feels great to have people come together and laugh for a couple hours,” she said. 

Outside of her stand-up comedy, she has a weekly podcast called “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone” with co-host Adam Felber that works as a variety show with occasional guests. 

Her career in comedy began in 1979, performing stand-up at open mic nights in Boston. Since, Poundstone has received accolades including the American Comedy Award for “Best Female Stand-Up Comic” and a CableACE award. 

Her talents have branched into acting as well with recent voice acting appearances in Disney-Pixar movies “Inside Out” and “Inside Out 2,” as well as other movie and TV show appearances.

The comedian also has a soft spot for animals.  

“I have 10 cats, a big dog and we’ve had lizards and bunnies in the family … I really am an animal lover,” Poundstone said. 

To learn more about Poundstone, her stand up, her podcast or other topics, visit paulapoundstone.com. 

Reach reporter James Sloan at jsloan@rv-times.com