Chris Trew (a.k.a Terp2it) is a nationally touring comedian, rapper, actor, and improv comedy teacher. He's performed at almost every comedy festival in the country, and is a founding member of Megaphone Comedy. He is the owner and operator of two comedy venues in Texas, and on a more serious note, is the international ambassador of the Air Sex World Championship. Chris spoke to UWeekly on the nature of his art, his relationship with his facial hair, and his favorite sport, wresting.

UWeekly: What is your relationship to your beard like? Chris Trew: It's important in that I see it almost every day. We chat about love. It understood when I had to shave it last November, because it knew it would be back. Also, we sleep together.

UW: A lot of your art seems to ride the fine line between performance art and comedy. Do you think there is a big difference between the two? CT: I think Performance Art is probably pretty awful sounding for a lot of people, but my answer remains: this shit is Performance Art. I started calling it Performance Artcore so it sounds less painful and more badass. There's been plenty of shows/events I've been asked to be a part of that aren't in traditional comedy clubs and the people in the crowd aren't necessarily there to laugh, but it's a wonderful opportunity to give people something fun.

UW: How has Andy Kaufman influenced Terp2it or Chris Trew? CT: Not much that I know of at least. It has influenced me to do some research on Andy Kaufman since people keep bringing this up. I should probably be flattered, right?

UW: What are the five funniest things you have ever witnessed? CT: 5. Using a banana for a phone. (um...hello?) 4. Guy tries to board bus with incorrect change (also he is wearing tiny shorts) 3. Kid trying to parallel park (can't see over the wheel!) 2. Men being sensitive. (men are dogs!) 1. Dog farting.

UW: It seems you can't swing a dead cat without hitting an improv group in Austin these days. How is The New Movement Theater changing the Austin comedy scene? CT: It's easy to start an improv group, take a silly photo together, get a facebook account, and perform all over Austin. What's different about TNM is this: our training center is so specific and targeted to people truly becoming a comedy group (as opposed to an improv group). We don't shy away from "making the funniest choices" and our classes are really hands-on. We bend over backwards to make our people's dreams come true.

UW: It sounds like more of an institution than merely an improv workshop. CT: Exactly. You want to start a comedy magazine? Let's do it. Wanna go on a tour? Okay, tell me how many cities, and when you want to leave. The Austin comedy scene is a good one, and we're taking it to another level with maintaining a presence in other cities (collectively we did over 70 shows outside of Austin last year), doing cool shit locally (FunFunFun Fest, SXSW, Austin Film Festival, Alamo Drafthouse, etc), producing big events of our own (Megaphone Marathons, Hell Yes Fest, Air Sex Championships) and embracing the Internet with a whole host of content in the form of video (we had a pilot on Comedy Central last year), blogs and podcasts.

UW: With the success of Terp2it, what sort of advice would you give to any upcoming rappers trying to make it in the game? CT: This one is simple: you should record a tribute album to Terp2it, and I'll post that shit on someone's message board somewhere. I can't spill the beans on how I made it in the game, you gotta learn that from the streets.

UW: Do you think there is a connection between wrestling and comedy? CT: Wrestling should be taken very seriously because it's the most badass thing an athlete can do. No offseason and these beasts are maintaining a character 24/7 while getting beat up and traveling 75 percent of the year. Comedy can be like that too, I guess, but I don't see anyone else wearing wrestling gear to a comedy show. If I ever do, we'll have a boiler room brawl, and I'll put my belt on the line.

UW: Is a comedian's job always to make a crowd laugh? CT: Yes. Unless they aren't funny to begin with, then their job is to pretend like they weren't trying to be funny. Example: Man tells jokes and people end up crying (sad crying, not happy crying). After the show, that Man person re-writes his bio to say something like, "A tender comic who finds that the best moments sometimes happen when he doesn't go for the joke. He appreciates when an audience cries." Example 2: Lady tells jokes and people end up leaving the venue. After the show, that Lady girl re-writes her show description to say something like, "This comic isn't scared to take it up a notch. If you can't handle it then I guess you can't handle a strong female perspective." Seriously though, I think the comedian's job is to perform material that would make themselves laugh.

Like your comedy in the flesh? Chris teaches and performs every week at The New Movement Theater. More information on performances and classes can be found at newmovementtheater.com. Prefer it online? Check out his own sketch comedy website at Studio8.net. Last, but not least, go cop his new album Terp2it: Half man, Half Beard at Terp2it.com.

Exploring and experiencing with Terp2it

Chris performs every Wednesday at The Megaphone Show at the TNM Theater. An Air Sex world champ will be crowned by Chris at The Highball on February 26th Chris discusses sports, wrestling, and entertainment all in one breath at blogtalkradio.com/theprosofeverything Keep an eye out for TNM Theater's new magazine Lowlights.