MY BULLSKIT EXPERIENCE

Last Saturday marked the final performance of the year for the Red Deer Comedy Troupe Bullskit. This marked the second year of Bullskit which was started by my good friends Jenna Goldade and Amy Erlandson. This year marked my first appearance with the troupe although I have been involved with their improv workshops almost since the beginning.

My first time appearing on stage for them came last June when Bullskit was invited to perform for Nestfest in Edmonton. I came in sort of as a pinch hitter, I performed in sketches that were already originated by other actors, but it was fun to say the least and I like to think I put my own spin on it.

I actually thought that experience was going to be my one and only time performing with the Bullskit group, I'm someone who doesn't think too far ahead as to what my next gig will be. When September came around, Jenna sent me a message saying they were starting improv again, and that always interested me so I came back to the workshops.

On the first day back, Serge Belliveau, our workshop leader and troupe member thought I might be interested in writing for the group. I was very interested, I always like to find new ways to write different things and I though sketch comedy could be fun.

Suddenly after the first workshop of the season, I was on board as a writer. The first sketch I pitched for the season was an infomercial for "The Laughtrack 3000", a device that attaches to the television which has a built in laughtrack for sitcoms like "The Office" or "30 Rock" that don't have any. It was fun to write the sketch, and see it performed, I must say I think I learned a lot from that experience just to hear what sort of jokes did or did not get a response from the audience.

The first show for Bullskit was in November, I still wasn't a troupe member, but I was in the improv portion of the show. Jenna approached me with an idea for me to do a little filler material. She had this idea of a CHCA newsman (CHCA was Red Deer's local news which was cancelled back in October). The idea was the newsman was out of work but still sticking around Red Deer to get a bunch of news stories that didn't really matter. Jenna said I only needed about two minutes of material and like that the character of Lawrence Cameron was born. I spent the first show as Lawrence Cameron interviewing Chip the teacup from Red Deer College's production of "Beauty and the Beast", and then I interviewed Jenna who was a nurse afraid of contracting swine flu.

It was fun, and suddenly I was asked to be a part of the comedy troupe, this way I would be performing and also writing and directing some of the sketches.

After a brief hiatus in December, I joined Bullskit back in January and performed in each month of their shows until the final one this past week. I wrote 7 sketches in total, some of which I'm not entirely proud of but I loved the process.

I think the thing I loved most about Bullskit was working with an ensemble, we all worked together, we put our egos aside and took suggestions. Sometimes there were disagreements with what the show should be, but I don't think we ever had arguments, we all were trying to achieve the same goal, to make the best show possible.

But I suppose the best thing about it was Bullskit was always fun, sometimes I would come into rehearsals not wanting to be there, but it always ended with us having a lot of laughs, and forgetting our troubles. I remember in February and March in particular where I had many money problems, going into a Bullskit rehearsal would cheer me up and forget about my problems for just a little while.



Because of Bullskit I was able to let loose more than I was used to on stage. I can honestly say I got to do and say things on stage I never I would. I think I'm a stronger actor because of Bullskit, I was able to experience a type of fearlessness I never had before. It's that fearlessness of not worrying about looking like an idiot, or not worrying about whether or not the audience will laugh at you, and once you can get past all that you're just having fun, and for that I was reminded why I wanted to be an actor in the first place.

I'm not sure if I'll be doing Bullskit again next year, who knows, but if last Saturday was my last time on stage doing it, I would say I was grateful for the experience and I thank the people responsible for releasing my inner clown.