“I see myself as very off the wall, kind of outspoken, slapstick, but very sarcastic,” says Christian Shirm over a cup of coffee at Claire de Lune, the location of her revamped comedy show, The Comic Stand Underground.

For nine months now, Shirm has been providing San Diego with some of the hottest (and most affordable) comedy in town. Her original production, The Comic Stand, won over audiences at 6th@Penn theatre, before Shirm decided to “go underground” and move the show to the basement of Claire de Lune in North Park. After a successful opening night on April 24, Shirm is right where she wants to be – ready to take the next step in her career as a stand-up and, as always, ready to make people laugh.

“I think The Comic Stand Underground will be a big hit in North Park,” says Shirm. “Not only is the new space dynamic because it is located in the basement, but I think stand-up comedy will only add to the coffee culture that already thrives at the Claire de Lune.”

Shirm developed an appreciation for laughter at a young age, by watching comedy television with her father. “I was obsessed with Jim Carrey, Gilda Radner and In Living Color. I used to tape it and then my dad and I used to watch it together. But I was always too afraid, always so terrified of the stage,” she explains. “Finally, when I hit 24 and I wasn’t happy doing art, and I wasn’t happy doing regular jobs, I was like ‘Christian, you’re not getting any younger. It’s now or never.’”

Shirm learned to channel her nervous energy into her performances, and began hitting open mics at venues such as The Comedy Store in La Jolla.

“The first time I went up there, I was shaking,” says Shirm. “But everyone kept coming up to me and saying, ‘You have such a great stage presence. Don’t stop doing this.’”

She also received her fair share of criticism from members of the San Diego comedy community who weren’t ready for a talented, proud, lesbian stand-up. The criticism, Shirm explains, only fueled her fire to succeed, and led her to develop the project that is now The Comic Stand Underground.

“I truly believe that I was handed it for a reason – to start a healthy, professional place,” she says. “And so many [comics] have told me how much good I’m doing by giving a nice, sober place where drunk people aren’t screaming at you. I pride myself on having a professional show.”

Shirm also prides herself on providing comics with a warm environment in which they can feel free to try out new material and grow as performers.

“I want it to be a room where good comics come. But I want people to understand that there is going to be one out of three that isn’t the best and I want to give them a place to work out their stuff,” she stresses.

Shirm understands that, like anything, perfecting one’s comedy routine is a growth process.

“What you start out doing, you’re not going to do later,” she explains. “And it’s really cool and really fun and sometimes really painful to look back. You start off and you start trying all this stuff. And when you finally become you, it’s like you tried all this to come back to you. In the end, I think it’s all about a journey into yourself, and bringing out what’s really funny about you.”

If Shirm looks up to anyone as the epitome of funny, it’s the new queen of daytime television, Ellen Degeneres.

“Ellen, to me, changed the world and continuously breaks every taboo. There are very few comedians who can talk that low and make people laugh hysterically. She is so professional, she is not mean-hearted, she is in it to make people feel good, and she’s in it for the comedy. And she’s a fighter,” adds Shirm.

So what’s next for our local funny lady?

Right now Shirm’s plan is to make The Comic Stand Underground the best comedy venue in town. By moving venues, she is now able to begin the show earlier in the evening (9:00 p.m.) and keep admission down to an affordable $5 suggested donation. Claire de Lune is also on board, and dedicated to providing patrons with the best in coffee, tea and more.

“Great food and tasty beverages can only add to a quality theater experience, but I think best of all is the time change,” says Shirm. “The show will now be starting at 9:00 p.m. instead of 10:30 p.m., which will help attract the younger crowd who can’t get into the bars but can’t stay out that late either. It will also help attract the after-dinner crowd who want to come laugh and still have the option to go out for cocktails afterwards if they so desire.”

Shirm is driven and passionate but, most importantly, she’s funny.

To see for yourself, check out the next Comic Stand Underground production, featuring Strong (best of the OC) and Curtis Husband (best of L.A.) on May 1, 9:00 p.m. Claire de Lune is located at 2906 University Ave.