To New Beginnings! Laughter is back on the menu.

On Stage at The Comedy Bar East, Toronto, Canada - Oct 22-25... developing my "Excuse me but, I have a dream to catch" one man show - featuring excerpts from my life "Through The Arch Way" - such a rush creating your own material, story ideas, observations, sense of humour, timing, delivering your story, getting stage time and placed in front of paying (comped), audience members.... and take your ideas for a test drive. Laughter? Priceless.

Well, it was Showcase time at The Comedy Bar East in Toronto Canada last night. Nervous much? Right up until it's time to go to the mic. Then? Well... you just go into automatic and start your set as groomed, and recalled. Did I lose my place, my thoughts, did I stall, did I entertain the audience, did I hear laughter...

I have learned what has kept me off the stage. My racing mind. My inability to "slow it all down" and hit every required word, losing my place, forgetting a line, or walking right off stage without completing your set thinking you were done. OMG! How embarrassing.

Paralyzing stage fright as a result of not being able to I recall material unless on a power point presentation. Or worse. Have notes and put them on a stool... and stare at them while delivering your lines. Hahahaha. I have nightmares and shrills of terror running through my memory banks of my first OPEN mic comedy set, downtown Toronto, over Christmas holidays. I brought up an notebook of power point slides... a guy I asked to come and watch me and give me feedback heckled me mercilessly as I left the stage. It's like laughing at a first time golfer learning how to hit a golf ball at the driving range. Cruel. And ignorant of the person heckling a beginner.

I never again performed stand up comedy in Toronto, vowing not to do so until I'm at least good at it.

September 11, 2001, Yuk-Yuks Barrie location held a newest funniest comic search for Central Ontario... it ran for 6 weeks. I was eliminated week 5. My funniest bit? My Top 10 Signs She's Too Young To Date... It's on tape.... as well is Halloween With The Kids.

Thank you all for the courage and support to help me move forward with this goal. First, thanks to the Comedy Bar East and staff. To Rebecca Reeds for her guidance, coaching, and long, long, long, very long creative leash she had me on. 16 minutes to perform a 5-7 minute set in Week 8 class. Now that is coaching. My apologies to the class. Being so unconscious of my time. It was impolite of me and discourteous to others. It was also not intentional... but my fault.... which is as I discovered - my fault is to cram 30 minutes of material into a 5 minute set. Fear of not having enough material???

Next... to my classmates; Scott, Jennell, Chris, Dave S, Anne, Seonaid, Leslie, Elizabeth, and Jack Z.

"Other's may say that what you want in life is ridiculous, they may even laugh right in your face. But if you want it badly enough you will find a way to get it. And before very long there will be no more laughter, only looks of amazement and envy for all it takes is; Self Belief."

Here's To Those Who Dare To Dream!

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