Comedian, facilitator and event producer. I love jokes and how they can help us move through hard stuff.
Sign up for the Cathartic Laughs newsletter for tips on how to joke about the curve balls life throws our way.
Over the past two months, I have been learning how to drive a bus. I got my Class 2 license and trained up how to give bus tours around Vancouver to tourists. I have given walking tours previously, but when walking, you can stop at a building, talk about it's history and move on. In a bus, you have 10 seconds to tell a story before the landmark is hopelessly in the rearview mirror.
This is forcing me to get concise, which is admittedly not my strength. I love a ramble, but as it turns out, it has no place on a bus tour.
The entrance to Stanley Park around the 1890s. Photo from Vancouver Archives.
Bus tours are shaping how I think about imparting tricky information to audiences as well. While walking tours usually attract curious guests who want to learn deeper stories about the place they are visiting, the demographic who take bus tours are often older folks off of cruises who are frequently from America's deep south. Not my usual demographic for comedy.
While I have the ability to talk about whatever I want on my tour, I've learned that there have been past incidents where guests were displeased hearing about Pride sidewalks on Davie St, the Downtown Eastside, Chinese worker mistreatment in building the railway or learning about Indigenous culture.
August Jack Khahtsahlano. Photo from Vancouver Archives.
An example of an important local figure is August Jack Khahtsahlano who was a Squamish Chief, medicine man, logger and local historian who lived from 1877-1967. A fun fact is that he and his brother Willie Jack helped Scottish land developer George Grant Mackay engineer the first Capilano Suspension Bridge, which now hosts over 1 million visitors per year.
A less fun fact about his life is that he was born at Sch’ílhus (Chaythoos), near Prospect Point. His home was damaged when road crews put in the main road around Stanley Park. Eventually his family was displaced to Sen̓áḵw (Snauq) (near Burrard St. bridge) and displaced again in 1913 to the Capilano Reserve. Source: Hastings Mill Store Museum. My project for this season is to find ways to sandwich truth between lighter observations and jokes so that guests are gently introduced to stories that might differ from their worldview, but that they still get exposure to those stories.
These days, when we can all hear things that we already agree with on on algorithms, it seems fortunate to get to interface with people who think differently. Here's to figuring that out while not turning the wrong way down one of Vancouver's many one-way streets!
Clips from the last show
Last month's Am I The Asshole Game hit some new highs for wild energy as the experts included a Post-It Note with an important password on it (played by Carla Mah), a Bit of Green stuck between your teeth (played by Rebecca Wass) and Temu Winnie the Pooh (played by Rae Carson). The audience found Gina Harms to be the A-hole for not sharing her deodorant with her best friend while on a trip, but we suspect that they just wanted to see Gina lead us in the karaoke CanCon Singalong as punishment, which she did.
With the sun out this week, it's a wonderful time to go see some comedy and not need an umbrella.
Who Wants to be Decolonized?
I am lucky to get to help out behind the scenes with this funny and informative show. Come to Gastown to check it out!
Wednesday May 6th, watch comedians in the hotseat at LMG!
Anishnaabe comedian Brenda Prince hosts an Indigenous take on Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Comedian contestants Liron Amdour, Amber Harper-Young and Adam Jacobson try to answer questions about Indigenous culture. If they don't know, they might have to Ask Aunty, Call Kookum or Ask the Audience.
Show is Wednesday May 6th at 7:30pm upstairs at Little Mountain Gallery, 110 Water St.
Use code DECOLONIZE50 at online checkout to get half off $15 ticket price (not valid at door).
Catch The Am I The Asshole Game this Friday May 8th at 7pm sharp at Little Mountain Gallery.
This all-new cast brings wild energy and clowning chops!
Featuring Nate Naniers telling a true story of a time they may have been an A-hole and three of our wildest 'experts' to date played by Deirdre Morgan, Heather McLean and Randy Myers aka Weirdo Hero. Our experts bring extensive backgrounds in performance art, clown, sketch comedy and wrestling. We can't wait to see who they show up as.
Comedian, facilitator and event producer. I love jokes and how they can help us move through hard stuff.
Sign up for the Cathartic Laughs newsletter for tips on how to joke about the curve balls life throws our way.
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