Comedian Iliza Shlesinger brings tour to Cedar Rapids

Dating deception apparently is running rampant. Iliza Shlesinger talks all about that in her new Netflix film, “Good on Paper.”

The veteran comic, now 37 and happily married, turned lemons into lemonade after experiencing a nightmare of a relationship with an ex-boyfriend, who was a total fraud.

Shlesinger met a man on a flight, who claimed to be a Yale educated financial executive. However, Shlesinger, who has six comedy specials on Netflix, was duped.

After discovering that her boyfriend's story was a sham, Shlesinger wrote the “Good on Paper” script. The film debuted last month on Netflix.

“I didn't write Shakespeare,” Shlesinger said by phone from her Los Angeles home. “The story is based on something that I experienced. I kept it grounded, honest and we had a blast making it.”

Shlesinger's ex not only lied about his education and his job. He also claimed that his mother had cancer, which was a another lie.

“That was the final straw,” Shlesinger said. “It was evident that he is just horrible.”

Opening doors

However, many people can relate to Shlesinger's situation since so many are fooled when playing the dating game.

“Some people think it's something that is only happening now with dating apps, but I think this has been going on since the beginning of time,” Shlesinger said. “Thousands and thousands of people are fooled by people they are dating.”

Why would someone attempt to fool a potential partner in such a manner when the truth will eventually sink them?

“I think it's a good sign that you ask that question since that proves you're not a crazy person,” Shlesinger said. “But people do it. It's awful but it inspired the film.”

The entertaining “Good on Paper” might be a jumping-off point for Shlesinger.

“I'm hoping that the film opens some doors for me,” she said. “I'm always writing pilots for myself and I would like to write another script.”

Back in Action Tour

Shlesinger details the difference between crafting a screenplay and stand-up material.

“The thing that I have to do while writing a script is making sure that not all of the characters sound like me,” she said.

“It's clearly a different process than what I do as a stand-up. I put a lot of effort into making the characters sound like their own person,” she noted. “But I really enjoyed the process and the finished product. It's going to be interesting to see what happens next.”

However, potential productions will have to wait, since Shlesinger is focusing on stand-up. She’s bringing her “Back in Action Tour” to the McGrath Amphitheatre in Cedar Rapids on Friday night (7/23/21).

"This new hour is all about being happy," Shlesinger said. "It's about getting back together. It's about holding a mirror up to ourselves and seeing what it's like to be human today. I make fun of TikTok and other things that are happening right now.

“I just can't wait to see the country. I miss touring. I can't wait to see all of the states like I did before the pandemic,” she said. “After all that we've gone through, I'm in a good place. I'm very fortunate since I get to do what I love, which is comedy.”

Unlike many of her peers, Shlesinger didn't grow up idolizing comedians.

“When I was a kid I loved sketch comedy,” she said. ”I loved ‘Kids in the Hall,’ ‘In Living Color’ and ‘Saturday Night Live.’ I love sketch comedy, but my thing is stand-up and I enjoy writing scripts. It's the best of both worlds.“