A couple of weeks ago I presented at a business conference on the subject of “Stress Relief Through Comedy”.  Within that presentation I made some suggestions on how to bring comedy (well: how to bring “humour”) into the attendees’ workplaces.  One such suggestion was something that I do everyday and that’s to read a couple of thought-provoking, funny, or inspiring blogs every morning.  By using an RSS reader these posts are sent directly to you and (in most cases) are waiting for you when you first to get to work.  (In my case: when I wake up and get to the computer.)

The specific example which I gave during the presentation was a blog called “Garfield Minus Garfield“.  Every couple of days there is a new post made on this site with a very simple concept: remove the character Garfield from the comic strip Garfield and leave Jon Arbuckle there on his lonesome.  It’s an existentialist’s dream… I haven’t seen a disappointing cartoon yet, and don’t suspect that I will.

In the weeks that followed this presentation, a friend of mine, Ryan Pilling, launched his own daily blog that I am getting a big kick out of.  It’s funny, quirky, and does a good job of getting the creative juices flowing for me.  It’s called “LSNED: Learn Something New Every Day“ and lives up to its name: every day you will discover some new (and quite interesting) fact presented in a fun way.  Actually: it would be a great method to train for a trivia type game show.

I say that is gets my creativity going because of the sheer randomness of the facts that are presented.  It’s impossible to anticipate one day to the next and, as such, is a great way to jar my brain out of patterns (and I think we all have such patterns).  I do hope you will either check out the LSNED website or Facebook page to get your daily does of interesting facts!  (I’ll also be including this site in my future “Stress Relief Through Comedy” presentations because I truly do believe that it is a great way to start the day.)

There’s good news and more good news: One of the hottest comedy rooms in Calgary is opening back up AND I’ll be making an appearance on the grand re-opening shows this Friday and Saturday night. Daryl Makk’s Comedy Detour is returning to its original location now known as Fat Jacks (formerly Kit’s Pub). The room has the same great intimate feel and still pulls in great comics.

This Friday, July 24 and Saturday, July 25 will be the first shows back in the room with Daryl Makk himself as the headliner and James Moore as the MC.  I’ll be in the middle spot for both shows and relish the opportunity to work with these two gentlemen again.  (It’s been a while since I’ve shared a stage with either of them.)

So, if you’re looking to escape the heat (the room is underground), I would pick up some tickets by clicking here.  Show time is 8:00PM, but I would arrive early enough to grab a drink and a bite to eat.  Fat Jacks is located near SAIT on 16th Avenue.  The exact address is: 720 16th Ave NW, and you can click here for a map.

Daryl is working hard to make this a regular comedy room so I’ll be pulling out all the stops to give my best show possible.  (To be fair: I always give the best show possible… I’m now just now making that a publicly stated goal.) If I don’t see you this weekend, I should have some more public shows coming up this fall… stay tuned to this blog for more information.

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UPDATE (July 23, 2009): Daryl just sent me a spiffy flyer for the opening.  (How can you not attend now?)

Open mic nights are the birth place of new comedians.  It is where comedians step on the stage for their very first time, make their first mistakes, and learn a LOT in just five minutes (or less).  The truth is, that even professional comics need a stage to practice their new material or stay sharp in between paid shows.  While you’ll often see professional comics on stage at amateur open mics (making it more a pro/am experience), many open mics have decided to go “pro only” to better cater to the needs of the full-time comedian.

Despite Calgary’s wealth of comedic talent we have yet to see our own pro only open mic.  That all changes in the fall.  That’s when Red Carpet Comedy will be having it’s opening night in Calgary.  The rules are simple: professional comics on stage trying out ONLY their new stuff.

The audience will be in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience as the comedians share material with them that is being heard for the first time.  There are no guarantees as to the quality of one joke or another (it’s all new stuff), but you will be guaranteed a great time and a memorable night!  (And, yes, there will be a lot of laughs – they will just be in surprising places.)

All the details are forthcoming, but I do know that I will be the MC of the evening (also having to perform only new material), and that it will be occurring on a Wednesday night in September or October (heck, maybe even one show each month).

In the coming weeks I’ll be searching for all the professional comics that I can find (as well as the amateurs… they will be invited to attend, just not on the stage) to join the email newsletter of Red Carpet Comedy so that they can be the first to know about the show when the date is confirmed.  We’re also hunting for fans of stand-up comedy (they can also join the newsletter) so that we can let them know when the show will be and which of Calgary’s comedy celebrities they will see perform.

A full website with a rundown on the show and what each event will look like is available by clicking here. The date of the show will be confirmed in early August – at this point, we’ll start booking the comedy guests and making tickets available for sale.  (They’ll be cheap: $10 or so.)

I know I’ve already started to think about some new comedy to share with the audience that night.  Hopefully I will see you there where your reaction will decide if it stays or if it goes.

One of my best friends, Steve Nagy (mentioned on this blog before), embarked yesterday for a trip to Rwanda.  Now, a LOT of people’s knee-jerk question is: “Why?” The knee-jerk answer from myself is: “I have no idea.” After spending a week on a road trip to Vancouver and Tofino he decided that Rwanda was right for him. (That decision was made about a month ago.)

To be fair, he’s wanted to volunteer at a hospital in Rwanda (and work for other NGOs in and around East Africa) for quite some time.  His travels to other parts of the world (Hungary, China, Nepal, etc.) have set him up with a number of different contacts in the humanitarian sector, and he’s now taking advantage of them.  Since signing on to be a part of the trip his skills as photographer and videographer have been enlisted and he’ll be producing a “promotional video” for the hospital as well.

I’ve spent the last few weeks helping him get online and ready to start feeding information (stories, photos, and videos) back to us here in Canada and around the world. The final product is pretty spiffy, and there are a number of ways to read about and see what he is up to:

• A full-length blog with photos and video.
• A shorter blog through Tumblr.
• Twitter (for the most frequent updates).

I know that I’ll be watching intently.  Bon voyage, Steve!

The two of us on a train. On top of a train that is.

I had a TON of fun this past Saturday and Sunday taking a “Weekend Voice Over Introduction” presented by WCS Voice Spot and facilitated by the very talented Jonathan Love.  I’ve had a bug in my ear for quite some time about getting involved in voice over acting and this was my first step to pursuing it.  Number one lesson from the weekend: I’ve got a LOT to learn.  (But that is pretty exciting on it’s own… I love learning new skills, especially when they involve performing of some kind.)

The main benefit of pursuing this new “career”, or at least adding it to my existing one, is that it allows me to flex my acting muscles with less time commitment than a full stage play.  As I mentioned in my blog post from a few weeks ago, I do very much enjoy the opportunity to work with other people to produce creative work, and “on mic” opportunities often allow for that to happen.

Two days of working in the “classroom” (well, in the hotel boardroom) culminated in a brief stint in a studio here in town recording a commercial that would have originally aired sometime in the 90s.  I’ve included a couple of takes of the same script here – these are exactly as read with no edits. If you have a trained ear for the industry you’ll notice some areas for improvement.  If you don’t… well… you may still notice areas for improvement.

For now I’m casually hunting for any opportunity to work “on mic” and will see how it goes for the next few months before making any final decision on whether or not to include this skill in my regular repertoire.

On a personal note:  It was great to work with Jonathan again!  He’s also a part of a great music group called The Heebee-jeebees and they are playing the Coke Stage during Stampede.  (Click here for the showtimes.)

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PS:  Happy Birthday, Canada! I was going to get you a card with some money it, but then realized that I paid taxes again this year, so we’ll call it even.

Comedians everywhere are very lucky to be performing at the time that we are.  We can step on stage any night of the week and say whatever we want and not be arrested, fined, or otherwise charged for obscenity or indecency. It was trailblazers like Lenny Bruce and George Carlin (among many others) that led the way for my profession to be free of fear when performing.

This luxury is not limited to comedians. Every North American (and, yes, many other places in the world as well… but not all of them) has the right to speak as they see fit.  I cannot count the number of people that have died to ensure us this freedom, but it is NOT something to be taken lightly.  This is a right guaranteed in Canada by The Charter of Rights and Freedoms as follows:

Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:

(a) freedom of conscience and religion;

(b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication;

(c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and

(d) freedom of association.

Source: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/charter/1.html#anchorbo-ga:l_I-gb:s_2

It is the word “expression” in point (b) that is important for this post.  That means, you guessed it, freedom of speech.  There is one exception to this freedom, and that pertains to speech that is considered to be “hate propaganda” (more information by clicking here).  I understand, and acknowledge that limitation, but it does not apply to what has motivated me to write this.

This is what has motivated today’s post:  A new bylaw in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, that gives peace officers the ability to fine people for swearing in public. Without doubt (and regardless of their motivation for passing such a law – which I’ll discuss in a moment) this is an infringement on the freedoms of every Canadian citizen as guaranteed through The Charter.  This bylaw is an insult to the sacrifices made by countless millions.

Yes, this bylaw also creates new fines for activities such as vandalism – which is all well and good.  That is one thing that laws are supposed to do: protect property (public and private).  I would have no problem with this law had it not included the elements that make swearing “fineable”.

Now it seems as though common sense is trying to prevail as stated by one of the Sylvan Lake City Council members, Richard Backs:

“Obviously we’re not talking about some guy who says oh s***, oh eff, or whatever,”

“We’re talking about somebody who gets really quite loud and boisterous and just point-blank refuses to be quiet — if we’re dealing with someone who is obviously being consistent and obnoxious.”

Source: The Edmonton Sun.  Article: Sylvan Lake to pass law against profanity.  Written by Dave Dormer.  Published on June 7, 2009.

The transition in these few sentences is telling.  Mr. Backs quickly changes the issue from cursing into a matter of “loud and boisterous”.  If it is loud and boisterous behaviour that they are trying to eliminate then there are already laws in place to do so. Fines for disturbing the peace or public drunkenness already exist.  This $150 fine for cursing does not curtail loudness… it curtails freedom of expression.

His use of the word “obviously” also troubles me.  Is this (or his) interpretation of the law “obvious” to those enforcing it?  If it is obvious then why mention cursing at all (especially when loudness seems to be the main issue)?  This wide breadth of interpretation should be of a major concern.  Inaccurate laws create problems later when they are misinterpreted or abused.

It appears as though the intent of the law is to create a more affable environment for vacationers and the argument could be made that cursing in public hurts this environment.  The rebuttal to this argument is simple: too bad.  You DON’T have the right not to be offended.  In fact, you’re likely going to be offended by something or someone everyday.  You DO have the right to freedom of expression.  You DO have the right to leave when being offended.  Exercise the rights that you DO have, and let me, your neighbour, and that f-bomb-droppin’ punk in Sylvan Lake do the same thing.  Our freedom of expression is more important than your social comfort while wake-boarding.

My friends have questioned why I have attacked this topic with such gusto.  They lament that, “it’s just Sylvan Lake.”  While this individual bylaw is a mere pebble in the landscape of our society I urge you all to remember that societies (like people) trip over pebbles, not mountains. The rights of people are not always taken away with one fell swoop… but sometimes by the culmination of “acceptable” changes over a long period of time.  So while, yes, Sylvan Lake is a mere pebble, this particular topic warrants a mountain of our attention.

Saturday night was the closing night gala of Tuesdays With Morrie and since then I haven’t been quite sure what to do with myself.  Yes: I get back to being a magician, comedian, and speaker, this weekend… but the last couple of weeks have been so dominated with the play that there are now lots of hours in a day.

Several friends have been asking, “Are you sad it’s over?” And, yes, I am.  There is nothing quite like working with other performers and creating something special to share with an audience.  So much of the performing that I normally do is solo work.  I write by myself, I rehearse by myself, and perform on stage by myself (even when there are other acts on the show).  The opportunity to “play” with like-minded (and ridiculously talented) people is a rarity that I will surely miss (and already do).

Fortunately, the memories of the experience will last a very long time… and the skills that I learned and developed will last even longer.  Speaking of memories (how’s that for a segue?), there is now an online scrapbook of the show available with pictures, newspaper clippings, and some other “souvenirs” of the event.  You can see everything that is online by clicking here.

I look forward to my next venture into acting (whenever the opportunity arises) and am using these few days off to switch gears back to my work as a solo performer.

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Oh, and I would like to point out that I achieved my goal of making this week’s blog post “on time”.

In the past when a blog post was delayed (from posting on Tuesdays) for some reason I would make an apology… that time is past!  It is my blog – it’s my decision.  (It’s not like anyone has ever complained about the delay.)

The reason for the “two days late” post today is the run of Tuesdays With Morrie.  We opened on Sunday night to a sell-out crowd and have been performing nightly ever since – with no break until after Saturday.

I must confess that I am enjoying the process of going to the theatre nightly.  It is a very different atmosphere than the normal venues that I appear in and it is a wonderful experience and a great change of pace.  That said, I did decide to take off to the mountains yesterday for a coffee, some lunch, time with great friends, and a short hike.  It refreshed me and I’m ready to go for our final three shows this week.

If you haven’t made it the play yet, tickets are still available tonight through to (and including) Saturday.  (www.CalgaryTickets.com)

Next week’s blog post might actually be “on time” – but no promises.

We’re now less than a week away from the opening night of Tuesdays With Morrie.  Rehearsal yesterday was smashing and we’ve got just a few left to put the finished touches on the show.  There are still tickets available online here:

www.CalgaryTickets.com
(there are no service fees)

It has been an absolute pleasure working with such amazing and talented people for this show including my co-star Richard Michelle-Pentelbury and our director Christopher Hunt.

A big thanks also goes out to my friend Andrew Delong for stepping up and stage managing the show.  He had a lot to cover in the last few weeks here and he has done a marvelous job.

And, of course, none of this would be possible without the generosity of M&M Meat Shops – providing the sponsorship necessary to make this show happen and ensure that we raise the most money possible for The ALS Society of Alberta.

I do hope that if you are in Calgary you’ll be able to see the show one night from June 7 to 13 (that’s this Sunday to Saturday).  There’s a Facebook event page also created, click here to view it.  And tickets are all sold through this site.

Happy Birthday to me! Yep, today is the big day and I’m looking forward to receiving a pile of Facebook wall posts as a gift.  (In fact, those have already started to roll in.)  I shall do my best to respond to them all… but if you have had a birthday whilst on Facebook you know it can be an intimidating proposition.

I know there are people out there that view their birthdays as a major event.  I’ll tell you right now: I’ve never really done that.  This birthday in particular has snuck up on me and with a busy schedule of performing and preparing for Tuesdays With Morrie in under two weeks (have you got your tickets yet?) I won’t even really get a party in.

As with most North Americans the time surrounding my birthday is filled with questions about gifts.  I consider myself very lucky; having want or need of very few material things.  (But thanks in advance for the socks, Mom!) So these questions are tough to answer.  When I think about the things that make me smile I am far more focused on experiences.  Events that give an audience (even an audience of one) a sense of joy.  The more remarkable, the better.  I suppose this is what I see as the true value of entertainment, and the reason that I do what I do.

A few weeks back (maybe going on a couple of months now) my friend Cory Mack shared this YouTube video with me and it is a perfect example of what I am talking about.  Imagine being one of the people to witness this event as it happened.  How could you not help but smile for the rest of your day? I just watched the video for the up-teenth time and I know that’s how I’ll spend the rest of my birthday.