Although only one person laughed at his first-ever performance years ago, that was enough to convince comic Eric O’Shea to keep cracking jokes.

O’Shea, who performed at BU Central on Saturday for 20 students, now tours to almost 75 to 80 schools per year with his routine.

Voted Comedy Performer of the Year in the 2007 Campus Activities Magazine, O’Shea said he incorporates dirty jokes into his act because it appeals to his college audience.

O’Shea used his surroundings as props to give the performance an improvisational feeling, even though he had rehearsed his act thoroughly.

“You must be disciplined, but be able to abandon that discipline once on the stage,” O’Shea said in an interview. “I understand now that it’s about having fun.”

O’Shea impersonated Elmo and characters from “Everybody Loves Raymond” and “Family Guy,” topping them off with his version of advertising campaigns for popular products such as Viagra.