Education/training
Funny business is no joke in this comedy courseClass clownsHumber College takes funny business seriously. |
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 [ 2008-03-19 ] |
(Photo by Marc Lappano, Humber School of Creative and Performing Arts)
The Humber School of Creative and Performing Arts knows that aspiring comedians face fierce competition when trying to crack into the world of cracking up audiences.
So, Humber spends a full two years teaching would-be stand-ups how to tickle people's funny bones.
"ONE-UPPING EACH OTHER"
"It's exhausting," says Jake Labow, who graduated from the Comedy Writing and Performance Program in 2003. In class, "Everyone's one-upping each other."
Not that he's complaining. After finishing the course at Humber, Labow worked at a variety of comedy jobs, including a stint as Rick Mercer's assistant, and spent three successful years as a stand-up. He then formed Jake Labow Productions, working as a booker for comedians, a personal manager and manager of the Laugh Resort clubs.
"We make funny people funnier," says Andrew Clark, director of Humber's comedy program.
Although Clark receives "hundreds and hundreds" of applications for the course annually, he's only able to take 60 to 65 students each year.
Pupils come from all walks of life. The program has mentored many teenagers right out of high school, a Bay Street tycoon, a police officer and a woman in her seventies.
In order to make the cut, applicants have to display their sketch and improvisational comedy skills; perform a stand-up routine; hand in funny material they've written; and then pass an interview.
"We hold fairly intensive auditions," Clark says.
Those who don't get the hook then learn about such topics as humour writing and the history of comedy. Students practise stand-up, sketch comedy, improvisation and physical comedy.
Tuition is about $4,340 a year.
That's money well spent, according to Mark Breslin, founder and boss of the famous Yuk Yuk's comedy clubs and head of the Humber program's advisory board.
It's a "fabulous atmosphere" for the fledgling comics, Breslin says.
But, he cautions that Humber graduates shouldn't expect fame and fortune right after leaving school. While a few students might be ready for Yuk Yuk's soon after graduating, most should expect to work about seven years to get established and 15 to 20 years to become well known.
Those who do become famous will be well rewarded, Labow says.
The "ridiculous" pay for big stars of comedy will have them laughing all the way to the bank.
Do you have you a bad boss?