Alberta comedians adapt to industry post-shutdown
Posted October 19, 2020 11:05 am.
CALGARY (CityNews) – From crowded rooms filled with laughter to a shutdown and now limited capacity venues, the comedy industry has been forced to adapt to a new reality.
“My idea was never to be stuck in a room performing to 30 people, but then the world kind of forced it and it’s a different muscle and you gotta get better at your crowd work,” said Brett Forte, who’s been performing in Alberta for years.
He and Todd Ness, who has also spent years performing in the province, host a weekly comedy podcast called “Two Meers.”
They saw something they never thought they would–the comedy industry come to a complete halt.
“You start telling jokes to items in your house, pets, anything you think might listen. Your fridge,” said Ness.
Following the shutdown, Alberta reopened its comedy clubs, some of the first in Canada. Now, Todd said performers are flocking here to get time on stage.
“[It’s a] perfect mix of us opening first, showcasing the robust scene we already created, the community we already had. It’s at the point where this is one of the spots in Canada–maybe North America–for stand-up comedy. There’s the most work.”
RELATED: Comics keep laughs coming even with clubs closed by COVID-19
When comedy clubs were first closed, comedians got creative, many taking their shows to places like Zoom or Skype, though they admit nothing compares to a live show.
“Virtual shows, Skype shows, there was comics doing backyard and front yard shows,” said Ness.
“I was in the parking lot of West Ed, there’s no speakers,” added Forte. “It’s a mic hooked up to an FM transmitter, so you’re on stage for 45 minutes to gridlock, interrupting you the whole time. People’s batteries were dying, they’re turning on their car halfway through, I’m getting hit with high-beams.”
Despite the hardships of being a live-audience comic during an economic shutdown, it’s shown these comedians exactly why they do it–to make people laugh when it can seem impossible.
“In their words, they say ‘this is cheaper than therapy,” said Forte. “They come here to laugh, get over whatever they’re dealing with in their lives, and that’s a huge compliment.”
