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| Dave McConnell |
A popular art form in the western nations, especially in the Americas;
Stand-up comedy is not only about presenting humorous stories
or one-liners but also it is an art of creating an ambiance of happiness. It is about an hour or two of sharing laughs, to discover the funny side of human nature.
A few days back I had the opportunity to have a chat with Canadian stand-up comedian
Mr. Dave McConnell who shared some remarkable features of this comic form. He is associated with it for many years now and creating comic is in his passion.
1. How will you explain the present Canadian stand-up scenario?
Dave- Comedy in Canada is the same as comedy in the US.
Lots of people are associated with it. The US does have the advantage of a more dense population so comedy clubs are easier to reach for comedians. More and bigger cities in the US
so more clubs. The larger the population, the chance for more “would be” comedians is on the chart. In essence, comedy is generally a hobby for most, a career for few.
2. How do you choose your theme?
Dave- I just write whatever pops into my head when I’m walking around or specifically writing.
3. Is this the best way to gift people ‘a smile’?
Dave- I think that comics love to make people laugh and obviously people come
to clubs because they want to laugh. There is a selfish component to it because comics
feed off of it. We need it.
4. How current issues or happenings in our surroundings help creating a joke?
Dave- It depends on the comic, not everyone does topical news humor. If you watch me it is irrelevant.
5. Who are your favorite stand-up comedians?
Dave- That’s always a tough question. Doug Stanhope is the comic I love to watch the most. Carlin and Pryor, both gone but never forgotten, are legends. But Doug’s the best. There is nobody better to me right now.
6. Comedian Will Ferrell once said that stand-up comedy is “hard, lonely, and vicious”. What you’ll say regarding that?
Dave- To be good at anything is hard. It is lonely because you are up there alone but comedy has it's community so I think you are alone by choice. I am because I am not a social animal. The vicious part, sure, there are clubs or rooms where you can be eaten alive. No matter how you try and blow it off, a bad set hits you hard. Comedy is also competitive. We support each other but we all want to be better than the next guy.
7. State the importance of public interaction in this art form?
Dave- I don't know how interaction is important. Obviously for a comic who works off a crowd it is. For one like me who does not, it isn't. However, comedy can be done without it as far as the stage is concerned.
Well we all need a healthy laugh in our daily life...so keep smiling and make others smile.
Enjoy a performance by Dave McConnell:
Interview by: Shib Shankar Nandi
