You’d think that I had a high school reunion coming up in the next few weeks with the amount that I’ve been flashing back to those days. Not the entire experience (reliving it would be as awkward as the first time through), just one particular part of those three years. I have long considered the drama courses that I took to be my most beneficial education. While I can no longer do calculus or intelligently debate the historical theory that “World Wars I and II were the same conflict”, I can easily recall which parts of the stage hold the most “power” and how to properly project my voice. Recently one quote from those classes has been stuck in my mind: “Entertainment is never enough.”
Hearing that said at the time I can’t recall fully grasping the meaning. Making people laugh or providing them a bit of amazement was something that I did every week (even in high school), and hearing that those reactions were “never enough” was unpalatable. Add to this fact that I was being thanked on occasion for providing that sense of escapism and it was hard to understand my teacher’s intention. It took two conversations with two of my favourite comedians late last year for me to start to realize that “entertainment” is really just a starting point.
Providing a laugh to someone who needs it is an admirable goal, but that result does not eliminate the ability to also share with an audience member a new and unique point of view. It’s that potential shift in perspective that can hold the most value during a performance of any kind. Most theatrical shows, while entertaining, also comment on larger issues. Plays have been used to provide commentary on countless topics, from political to societal to economic. Including such commentary means that you are no longer just entertaining. What I’ve come to realize is that stand-up comedy (and, yes, even magic) can have the same depth. (Some stand-ups already have such an impact.)
This is why, if you’ve seen some of my new material over the past five months, you’ve heard me talk almost exclusively about ego and narcissism. It’s my new “theme”. It was not arbitrarily selected. I had been writing about my own ego for some time before this conscious change in my perspective occurred. Thankfully this topic is very current. Egotism has become a cornerstone of our culture so much so that its effects can be felt almost every day. Furthermore, one of the inside jokes amongst my group of friends is about my (potentially) inflated ego, so to borrow from an age-old adage; I’m writing what I know.
The goal will be to give my stand-up sets even more of a framework, structure, and objective. The next time you hear me trying to make fun of my own ego or pointing out ego in others during my stand-up comedy sets, it’s not because I’m out of premises… it’s because entertainment is no longer enough.
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The “two of my favourite comedians” mentioned above are Bengt Washburn and David Crowe. I’ve been honoured to work and converse with both of these performers and am grateful to them both for their time and advice.
