Joel West, Comic

So where did I leave off? As I recall I was telling you all about my JFL experience and promised to drop some names. Hmmm...

So, I did chat briefly with Harland Williams. And Mike Wilmot. And Derek Edwards. And Angelo Tsarouchas. And Derek Seguin.  I had a photo taken with Orny Adams. I schmoozed some with 'Mama' Jo Anna Downey and Cal Post. I shook Andy Kindler's hand. I got a hug (swoon) from Kristen Von Hagen. I also met some comedic actors. And one thing I will say for absolute certain: Stand up comics, real bonafide stand up comics are generous with their time. Not so much comedic actors. Not so much at all. And agents, managers and talent scouts will talk to anyone as long as you are willing to listen. And you might ask yourself, why the difference?

The answer is simple. Stand up comics, real true blue 100% stand ups, rely on being able to communicate. They need to be able, in as few words as possible, to talk to anyone. It's a skill. Within the first minute of a stand up performance they need to be able to get to you. Not so much a comedic actor. Their job is to communicate with a camera. With a director. And with Regis Philbin. Period.

Also a comedian has different worries. A comedian is contantly deconstructing conventions. Taking things apart. Looking to make funny. A comedic actor is worried about giving a good reading. And by giving a good reading, I mean learning to swallow. A comedian is creating a full performance. A comedic actor is usually reading someone else's words. And an agent, essentially a business person, takes 10% and who knows what the next big thing might be?

So, Just for laughs brings those elements together. And also, Just For Laughs attracts clubs owners. People from the studios. Guys and gals like me. And regular members of the public.

And it all comes together, for me at the Saturday night Alternative show.

Why the Alternative show? Why not, you may ask yourself, one of the galas? First, I like my comedy gritty. I like it real. At the Galas the big name performers put on a longer show. There are some wonderful acts, but remember, the galas are also sanitized for your protection. You may hear one or two naughty ripostes. But you will not see down and dirty stand up. The kind that goes for the jugular. So then you may ask, why not the dirty show?

Because I am not interested in a dirty show, per se. It seems to me that a lot of 'dirty' comics try too hard to just be dirty. I wanted 'cutting edge' comedy and that's what I found at the Alternative show. Andy Kindler the host of the Alternative Show is a comic's comic. He has written the 'Hacks Handbook' a great guide on how NOT to perform comedy which is also hilarious. I fell in love with Natasha Leggero. And Neil Hamburger. Garfunkel and Oates are two of the most talented women in the world. Mark Little. Just Mark Little. None of their acts was a standard 'What about that airline food, what's the whole deal with condoms. I'm half irish and half pekinese'. All original cutting edge but not to everyone's taste. For me, this is what Just for Laughs is all about.

And after the alternative show is when the real party started, Back to the Hyatt. Up in the main lobby bar perhaps 300 or 400 or the top comic talent in North America, their agents and managers and hangers on all schmoozing and drinking and on the patio smoking until 6 AM.

And tomorrow: What did I learn?