The Latest from
Donovan Deschner

June 27, 2018 | For more than a few years now, I've been attending the Calgary editions of a speaker series called PechaKucha. The premise is straightforward, keeps the presentations concise, and the evening fast-paced. Each speaker has exactly six minutes and 40 seconds which is the total time that it takes their 20 slides to display for 20 seconds each. The Calgary "chapter" (just one of over a thousand worldwide) also chooses to give each night a simple theme. While I have been an audience member many times, this past season I was also involved heavily in the production side through my work with RocketHouse. Of all the work that the position required, I'm... (read more)

January 8, 2018 | Now that we're just over a week into the New Year the annual "resolutions cycle" has fully run its course. You've probably seen your own versions. The posts made on social media tend to follow this pattern: Blaming a calendar year for all the personal troubles. Stating that the next calendar year will definitely be much better. Admitting to already failing at achieving the resolution. Twelve months from now the cycle will repeat. Hope quickly turns to disappointment. Somewhere between now and then we all seem to forget that we'll be pretty much the same people on January 1 that we were on December 31. I've always tried to steer... (read more)

November 8, 2017 | My longtime friend, Marcus Beaubier, has started a new podcast and he invited me to record an episode with him last week. The episode was released today and you can listen to it on SoundCloud or it's embedded at the bottom of this post. The series is called Citizencast and my appearance marks its fifth episode. (For another listening treat be sure to check out another longtime friend, Lori Gibbs, on Episode 4 by clicking here.) On our episode, Marcus and I talked about many different topics including dogs (specifically my dog because I talk of little else) and the nature of taking offence. We talked a lot about how stand-up... (read more)

October 25, 2017 | My last week was jam-packed with a lot of great shows with even more great comedians. Thanks to everyone that made it so spectacular. Here's a quick recap... It all kicked off with a spot on Comedy Monday Night. While I have performed there many times this was made even more special by the fact that this was part of their YYComedy Festival show (and the first night of the fest!). It was a great way to start the week - a packed house ready to have a great time. Next up, and also part of YYComedy, was An Evening with Steve Patterson & Guests. I was one of the... (read more)

June 30, 2017 | This past weekend I had the pleasure of opening for the hilarious Trent McClellan on two shows on his 2017 tour. Thanks to him and to the Jake Hirsch Entertainment Group for the opportunity! I had a great time both on- and off-stage in Edmonton and Grande Prairie. Trent is about to join the cast of CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes so it was great to get a couple of more shows with him before he moves to Halifax. Starting this fall, be sure to check him out on TV every week. While Trent and I were on stage, Jake was busy snapping photos for us. Some of the... (read more)

March 24, 2017 | After shows some comedians sell albums, others sell their specials (No Backup Plan is just $5!), still more sell t-shirts. In almost every case the item is a reflection of their act, their persona and perhaps, most importantly, a way to get gas money. I stumbled into my own new merchandise item and I think it's safe to say that no other comedian is selling anything like it. If you've seen any of my recent shows you know that I talk a lot about my dog, a corgi named Molly. She's become a big part of my life given her demanding nature and my being a pushover. I'd hoped to find a... (read more)

February 27, 2017 | I'm pleased to have a launched a brand new website (well, a new website design) today! Much of the site content has remained the same and a couple of important things have moved around a bit. Some of the key changes are as follows: The web pages concerning No Backup Plan (its sale, production and the like) have been combined into one location. You can now see all the behind the scenes details and purchase your copy for $5 all on this page. The 260 Minutes video archive can be seen on this page. That includes all 52 original sets and the nine Overtime sets. If you'd like periodic updates... (read more)

December 28, 2016 | Before the holiday break I sat down with Jake Hirsch for an appearance on the latest Yuk Yuk's Comedy Podcast. We, of course, chatted about 260 Minutes and No Backup Plan as well as starting comedy in Calgary. (read more)

December 10, 2016 | Daybreak Alberta has been running a great new feature called "Daybreak At Night." The host of the program, Russell Bowers, visits a community in Alberta and puts on a full evening show with music, comedy and more. Proceeds from the recording go to a local charity and the captured audio plays on the CBC during his weekend morning show. I was asked to be a part of his December 7, 2016 edition of the show taking place at Yuk Yuk's Calgary. As part of the appearance I performed some stand-up comedy (which didn't quite make it to the CBC airwaves) and sat down for an interview centred largely around my... (read more)