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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.”
It is this reason that someone like Melanie Rose is so refreshing. Entering the comedy game later in life gives you some real experiences to dig into. Melanie has battled bi-polar disorder, gone through the experience of raising three children on her own and survived a marriage with a person who thought the best way to make a living was to steal someone else’s… he was an unsuccessful bank robber.
Melanie started out in a class put on by a therapist named David Granier in 2008. The course is called “Stand Up for Mental Health” and is aimed at turning problems into comedy while boosting self-esteem in the performers.
Since graduation, Melanie can be seen on just about every stage in town, making material out of her life, her pain and herself.
Rose is a memorable stage presence. She is taller than most of her contemporaries (a favorite bit is about someone saying she’s a giant and her saying “what?” before miming picking the person up and holding him close to her ear in order to hear him better) and is often clad in tie dyed shirts. Her soft delivery stands in contrast to the loudness of her attire.
For me, it is not only her presence that is memorable; it is the fact that with each set she does, she continues down an unsure road of reinvention and bravery. She is a living, breathing testament to the power of comedy and reminder not to take it for granted.
If you’d like to know more, you can go to: http://www.melanierose.ca/
Melanie was kind enough to answers some questions for Vancouver Is Awesome.
When was the last time you laughed until you cried?
It has happened over the years with friends. It’s great when you can laugh so hard your tummy hurts. I recall a time when I saw a man in a bar wearing a visor with hair attached to it. From far away it looked like he had a full head of spiked blond hair. He was dancing and the visor came off and he was bald. I couldn’t stop laughing.
What is one myth about live comedy you’d like to dispel?
There is nothing “funny” about comedy….it’s very serious business.
When I was in my 20’s I would go to Lafflines in New West. Back then all the comics would sit at a table in the back. You would have to pass the table to get to the washrooms…(that’s funny in itself). I would pass them and think to myself…omg! These guys must haves such great lives…they are so cool. I remember the first time I ever did Lafflines, and I was told to go sit at that table. I knew all the comedians there and it was then that I realized then that I hadn’t “arrived”. People are just people, the gift that separates us (comedians) from them I believe is the ability to get up in front of people and be funny.
Also comedians can’t be funny on command. Tell me a joke isn’t as easy as it sounds.
What would be your idea of a perfect venue?
I love doing comedy in any room that is full. Laughter is contagious, but ultimately Just for Laughs and the Craig Ferguson Show right now would be my dream stage.
What do you think is a comedy premise that needs to be retired?
I don’t know if it’s a premise…but I don’t like when guys refer to being so drunk they didn’t realize they were in bed with a fat chick. That bugs me…
I don’t like graphic sex jokes either. I like when comics allude to it, but I don’t need to hear graphic deets.
You started comedy through a comedy course, how did that help you in the beginning?
It helped me with 2 things. Writing, getting it out of my head and on to paper. It also provided “safe” environments for me to practice. I don’t write the same way I learned to now, but it certainly helped me to put what was stuck in my brain onto paper.
Is your comedy more the result of looking outward or inward?
Definitely inward, it seems only now in the past few months have I started to do jokes about what I see on the outside. I think comedy has helped me to get out all the “stuff” I needed to, now I am not so self-absorbed…oh wait, maybe I am still a bit.
What can you do on stage as a woman that a man cannot?
I think a woman can get away with a lot on stage, much more than a man. I am not a good person to ask this question, as I am still not a huge risk taker on stage…I am still working on trusting my gut…But it is cool when I say something risky and if I have the right smirk to go with it…it usually goes over great.
Why is Vancouver a good place for comedy?
I have heard comics say that if you can make people laugh in Vancouver, you are probably funny. I think this statement is quite true. I have divided types of people into 3 categories: Wine & Cheese, Pizza & Beer, and Pop & Chips. I am personally a Pop & Chip person, I fit in with the Pizza & Beer people, but the Wine & Cheese people…um not so much. Depending on the area in Vancouver, sometimes depends on how well I do. I do learn a lot from audience reactions, and it is fun to try to make everyone laugh.
Who is one performer/group of performers you think everyone should see at least once?
That’s a tough question. Before starting stand-up 4 years ago, my life was very small. I had forgotten how much music, art, theatre there actually was here. I have seen more in the past 4 year than I have ever seen. There is so much to choose I wouldn’t be able to say; although, I had my first opportunity to see a drag show recently. I thought it was fantastic, the make-up, show tunes, sparkles…it was fantastic. I also think people should check out spoken word, storytelling and improv.
What is your favourite joke (street of otherwise)?
I have to say my favourite joke was from my daughter Myah, she wanted to help me with my comedy, so she said “I have a joke for you that I learned at school”.
What did the big shovel say to the little shovel? I dig you. Then she laughed and laughed and said ”You can use that one”.
Every article about comedy has to have a pun in the title. What would you like yours to be?
Melanie Rose is a funny bud.
Sometimes I want to punch comedy in the face. I hate the way it makes me feel sometimes.
I don’t know. I think I should step away from the puns.
