Dani Gonzalez

Dani’s path through comedy wasn’t a straight shot—it looped through a number of Texas cities, high school theater, teaching, and, notably, her struggle with depression. One of the most powerful impressions Dani left me with wasn't just her sense of humor—it was her candid honesty about her mental health. She captured her past’s essence by choosing the single word "tumultuous".

As you listen to this episode, you can hear Dani wrestling with how the emotional turbulence of her personal life wove in and out of her early efforts on stage. But, she doesn’t characterize the past as only hardship: “I'm kind of entering this self led decade in review, because, you know, starting comedy almost 10 years ago, and then also that's when I really started grappling with my depression in a huge life altering way.” She found improv in college and took classes at ColdTowne Theater. The improv community that took her in as a student and fellow performer would become a lifeline of sorts.

After an intervention to take Dani from Austin to Dallas to stay with family, a return to Austin was all but inevitable. Dani’s return to Austin was more than just a physical move; it was an emotional homecoming, amplified by the support of her friends and the local comedy scene. She describes how leaving Austin felt like losing the “one shining light” in her life, saying, "I was so dependent on the community and my friends, that was obviously the only thing keeping me going.".

The move to Dallas was marked by mental health struggles and attempts to find her creative spark—her community became her lifeline: “But yeah, God bless the community," Dani tells us, punctuated by the revelation, "I was also meticulous of like, how do I personally stay alive? That's people.” While being with family was one part of her healing, so was the other vital part.

After her return to Austin and the return of stability, Dani’s creativity blossomed—on stage, as a coach, and even as an aspiring children’s book illustrator. She lights up talking about her current endeavors. She's a part of two weekly shows - Come @ Me and Fuck This Week (both at Fallout Theater). She's part of several monthly shows (Guts! and How High Are You?). She teaches improv and coaches improv troupes.

The project that makes her light up the most in our conversation is the Big Fart sketch group. “What I love about Big Fart is, yes, it was like a grouping that hadn't come together in that one intentional way. And every time it's so much fun, like, Big Fart is just, to me, synonymous with, like, the best time.

Looking ahead, she’s fueled by hope and her community’s affirmation. For all the throughline of mental health throughout our conversation, talking with Dani wasn't somber. There's light and feeling of optimism that were evident the whole time. For that, we can thank medication, lots of hard work (a.k.a. therapy), and the community that finds joy in everything Dani does. For her part, “I'm on new antidepressants and Adderall, that's right, my episode is starting to leave, so I feel hope. Ask me again in a year, ask me again in a year, we'll see what happens.” Feel free to ask her before then, too. That's what community does for its family.