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“Comedy is tragedy plus time.” |
Finally, for those out there that don’t like to laugh, they might be best served by a quote from another lady of show business, Julia Roberts:
“Show me a person who doesn't like to laugh and I'll show you a person with a toe tag.”
In the course of performing comedy, there is a question that comes up time and time again. “What kind of comedy do you do on stage?”
I’ve always had trouble being concise with my answer to that question. “Umm, I don’t know, stuff I think is funny I guess…”
I always wished I could sum up my act as perfectly as Damonde Tschritter is able to do with his. On stage he often tells the audience that he’s kind of like a guy who you meet at a house party who’s grabbed a beer and is chatting in the kitchen. It’s just about perfect.
I’ve seen Damonde win back audiences that have had their playoff hockey games turned off to start the comedy show and once I was witness to him steering an audience back to attention after a fight had broken out during the show.
Tschritter does it all through telling stories. Sometimes he’ll tell an audience about his dashed dreams of being a fireman or a hunting trip gone poorly. Sooner or later, everyone in the crowd will realize that the guy at the party in the kitchen is telling some pretty great tales.
It’s not easy to be a storyteller in the comedy club world, but it hasn’t slowed Damonde any. He’s performed on a gala at Just For Laughs, had his own special on the Comedy Network and was the first Canadian ever to win the Seattle Comedy Competition.
He travels all over the continent telling stories and picking up new ones as he goes. The greatest thing about knowing him and getting to work with him is that he’s great at recounting tales both on stage and off.
I suppose Tschritter could answer the question of “What kind of comedy do you do on stage?” with “The same kind I do off…”
If you want to know more, you can go to: http://damondetschritter.com/
Damonde was kind enough to answer some questions for Vancouver Is Awesome.
When was the last time you laughed until you cried?
About a month ago. It was over a container of raisins.
What is one myth about live comedy you’d like to dispel?
That we don’t write our own stuff. A lot of people seem to think there's some comedy God out there that writes our stuff and we just perform it. Maybe it's a Bob Hope thing. Oh and that not all comics are broke.
What would be your idea of a perfect venue?
A place with a low ceiling and a crowd that's right in front of you. Oh and the waitresses should be hot.
You have a story telling style, is there any appeal for you in the one-man show or story telling format?
Yeah, I keep thinking about writing a one-man show. Something you could do at a theatre off Broadway. I've done a couple of story telling shows it just seems weird to have to get all serious before it goes to funny again. I'm also writing a Stand-Uprah. Like an opera only telling the story with jokes.
You do a fair amount of road work as a comedian, what are the advantages of playing to different cities as opposed to your home town crowds?
You can't just rely on your local references. it makes you write stories that any crowd can relate to but I try not to make it generic. You know like those guys who just sub in the rival town and tell the same joke in every place. Plus if it works everywhere then you know the joke is good.
You often say on stage that stand up was not your first choice of career, what brought about your choice to pursue comedy?
Comedy kind of found me. I was always a funny kid and could get laughs and people kept telling me I should be a comedian. When I moved to Vancouver I went down and watched an amateur night and I thought “I can do better than that guy”. After about 10 shows someone offered me a $100 dollars to open a show and the rest is history.
You write screenplays in addition to your stand up, is there any overlap in the skill sets required for either?
I'd say the only thing similar is commitment. You really have to go all in to write comedy and you have to be just as focused to write a screenplay.
Why is Vancouver a good place for comedy?
I think because it's away from the rest of Canada. You can really hone your skills. Also Vancouver is known to have tough crowds. When a comic comes in from Toronto to do a show in Vancouver for the first time he usually gets his lunch handed to him. The first time a comic from Vancouver goes to some place like Calgary or Edmonton it's a cakewalk because in those places they laugh at everything, even shitty jokes, plus it's always good to do comedy close to an ocean.
Who is one performer/group of performers you think everyone should see at least once?
Iron Maiden! Greatest live show ever. As far as a comedian I think everyone she see Louis C.K. funniest guy out there. As far as I'm concerned he's the champ.
The Flight of the Concords is a pretty good live performance too.
Every article about comedy has to have a pun in the title. What would you like yours to be?
Is there a person Damonde can't make laugh? Nun.
