Jane Dabish was born in Southfield to a Chaldean family. She spent her childhood down in her parents’ basement playing out stage productions and rehearsing for stardom. Shy and introverted, her first crack at comedy came during babysitting gigs, when she captivated her cousins with funny jokes.
“All I did was fantasize,” Jane remembers. “I did horrible in school because I lived in my own world. I never wanted to come out of the basement. I just liked to play in my own fantasy world.”
Like many performers, Jane’s family background is the source for much of her comic material. “I think being 100% Chaldean absolutely shaped my humor,” she says. “Most people completely misunderstand our culture. We are the only Middle Eastern people who are Roman Catholic. I am used to being misunderstood, so I make a joke out of it.”
Jane’s first opportunity to go on stage was at an open mike night at the former Club Bart in Ferndale. “My mom was not pleased, and really tried discourage me,” Jane recalls. “I remember Mom pleading with me, saying, ‘Jane don’t do this, you will embarrass yourself… Jane don’t do this, people might laugh at you!’ To which I replied, ‘Of course they’ll laugh at me—they’re supposed to. It’s stand-up comedy!”
Her next shot was at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak, where she brought down the house with her off-color sense of humor. Family, relationships, sex, men, and dogs are some of her favorite topics. “I love to make fun of male behavior and how they act around women,” Jane explains. Today she has over 60 performances under her belt and has been focusing her creative energies on script-writing.
“I love to write comedy,” Jane says. “I get up early in the morning and write diligently between the hours of 4:30 and 8:00. My ideas just flow and I can get completely absorbed in the creative process.” Jane has written several scripts that have been made into full-length feature films. Crabby People, Stupid Habits, Family Chaos and Order, and Taking Crazy Chances are all available on DVD. Currently, Jane is producing a relationship comedy focused on a tattoo artist that is scheduled for its theatrical premier this summer.