| On April 17 of this year, the Calgary Flames were having one of the wildest rides in their hockey history. They had come back from a four-goal deficit to tie an important first-round playoff game with the Vancouver Canucks. They then battled through two deadlocked overtime periods before going down to defeat early in the third OT session.
While the Flames were locked in this fevered on-ice struggle, Global TV news reporter Paul Kuster wasn’t out interviewing local fans or covering some other story of note in our hockey-mad city. He was at Barclay’s Wet Lounge in the Sheraton Eau Claire hotel in the midst of his own playoff struggle.
Kuster was one of nine amateur comics that had qualified to compete for one of three available spots in this year’s FunnyFest performance lineup. Each contestant had to perform an eight-minute set in front of an unruly audience who at times made it clear they’d rather be watching the hockey game.
"It was totally nerve-wracking," says Kuster of the stand-up showdown. "I was really scared – in fact, I think I was shitting my pants the whole time."
With a shaking hand holding a comedy cheat sheet, Kuster worked through his anxiety and delivered a powerhouse performance that included a hilarious take on Lethbridge alderman Dar Heatherington’s alleged Las Vegas misadventures.
Kuster got the top marks from the judges that evening and is indeed a part of the eclectic program of performers at this year’s FunnyFest, running through May 15.
Kuster says his television work has really helped him as a stand-up comedian. "I have had to do some live on-camera stuff, like reports from crime or accident scenes, that’s definitely a good training ground," he says.
When it comes to putting his act together, Kuster strives to keep things balanced. "It’s great that I am an aboriginal doing aboriginal material," he says. "But I don’t want to pigeonhole myself either."
For Kuster, the best way to have fun and be comfortable with race-related material is to hit it head-on.
"There’s been some awful stuff that has happened to native people in the past in this country," he says. "But I think it’s good to be able to poke fun at it and to play on stereotypes, which is what I most like to do. I don’t think audiences expect to see a native guy doing jokes about alcohol abuse but whenever I tell a joke like that I always get a laugh."
Kuster went into this year’s FunnyFest both excited and nervous about the challenges it presents for a babe in the comedy woods. But as a TV news vet now battle-hardened by his comedy playoff experiences, he seems primed to take the next step in his budding part-time comedy career.
BETSY CRACKS WISE
"When I was practising law, the support staff in the firm used to always tell me, ‘You don’t really belong here; get out before it’s too late.’"
That’s how Betsy Wise recalls the beginning of her career transition from lawyer to successful stand-up comic. At her former law firm, she says, "I was always goofing around. I would walk into file cabinets and do stuff just to make the secretaries laugh."
Having worked and studied as a performer in New York and in her hometown of Miami prior to receiving her law degree, it didn’t take a big push for Wise to abandon legal wrangling for joke telling. On stage she delivers laughs through autobiographical musings and more than a little social commentary.
Having toured extensively, Wise says she particularly enjoys playing to audiences in the American Midwest, Montreal and anywhere "my comedy – which tends to be a bit edgy and about challenging the status quo – is appreciated." Considering the anything-goes attitude often attributed to local comedy audiences, Wise should have a comfortable temporary home in Calgary when she performs at FunnyFest from Thursday, May 6 through Monday, May 10.
For the complete FunnyFest performance schedule, check out www.funnyfest.com. Festival information is also available by calling 228-7888. |
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