Four Inane Questions with Happy Faces Entertainment’s Dennis Porter
Courtesy of Dennis Porter
For nearly 25 years, Happy Faces Entertainment’s Dennis Porter has been making people giggle and guffaw. Through magic, clowning, and/or good old-fashioned improv, Porter has found his niche teaching groups of all ages. Think court jester meets motivational speaker. “It started with shows in the living room of my parents’ house,” he says. “And decades later, it became a full-time career.”
Porter tells us his company was the by-product of his versatile skill set. He’s worked on and off-stage for most of his life with community, educational, and professional theaters.
Whether you need an emcee, game show host, or drag queen—or, perhaps, a game show host drag queen emcee—Porter is up to the task. “When anybody needs some smiles, in a small group or large crowd, I’ll bring my high-energy demonstrations,” he adds.
We caught up with the entertainer extraordinaire as he was gearing up for an interactive murder mystery comedy show. Yes, he does those, too! He took no time tackling our zany questionnaire—however, each answer required an elaborate costume change. It was all very on-brand. Bless.
Courtesy of Dennis Porter
The Pitch: What character would you play in a haunted house?
Dennis Porter: The butler. He’s there to greet you and seemingly make sure you have an enjoyable visit. However, there is always something unsure about him. He knows everything, everyone, and maybe too much. Will he protect you when needed or push you into the fiery oven? You’ll never know until it may be too late.
And contrary to popular belief, I don’t think it’s the butler that always did it. Well, at least not the murder. And his name is not an option on the card at the murder mystery, so stop trying to make reasons for him to have done it, just because he’s leading the investigation. Was that too personal?
Courtesy of Dennis Porter
If you could have any celeb do your voicemail message, who would it be?
Carol Burnett. She is a legend of comedy and versatility. Since my company is Happy Faces Entertainment, I think her message would bring a smile to everyone who heard it. She has been a great inspiration for me, being a variety entertainer.
Her show had everything I love: Comedy, over-the-top characters, amazing cast members, a wide variety of skits, and, most importantly, a live audience. I don’t get star-struck, except for Carol.
Which character on Dynasty speaks to you the loudest?
All the women rolled up in one. And they can all come out when my drag character Ruby is ready to play. Classy, big hair, big ideas, sickeningly sweet, although also mischievous, and ready to protect herself in a swimming pool brawl if needed.
(PS. I have vintage 80s dresses, shoulder pads, and a hairdresser that can make anything happen. I’m ready for my close-up ABC.)
Courtesy of Dennis Porter
What’s something collectible that you could potentially hoard if given the opportunity?
I would follow suit with Monsters Inc. and collect laughs to energize the world. There can never be too many laughs in the world.
Well, there was that one time during a wedding that my friend and I couldn’t look at each other because we knew if we did, there would be too much laughter during a very nice version of “Sunrise, Sunset” that was being sung. It shouldn’t have been that funny to us, however it was.
Bonus 5th Question: What movie has made you laugh the absolute hardest?
The movie I remember with the most laughs was Noises Off. I first watched it in college with fellow theater friends. We knew a real-life person that we worked with for each character in the show. The all-star cast took each bit to the funniest.
We had to pause the movie multiple times—including one laugh that sent my friend Jana’s beaded necklace exploding all over the coffee table and floor. A close second is Clue, which I will watch starting from any point in the movie when I stumble onto it on TV.
