SAK in a Pandemic

Posted on by Thor

Pam’s niece was visiting from the mid-west in August and she wanted to treat her to an evening at SAK Comedy Lab.

SAK strongly encourages all non-vaccinated students to wear a face mask while in the class area.

An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is a contagious disease that can, in some instances, lead to severe illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), senior citizens and people with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable.

Pam, her niece and I wore masks the entire time. Under this situation I wore a KN-95. I noticed that ushers also wore masks but as the audience filled in the seats there were no masks in sight. None. When the audience had filled in I turned around and saw that one lone woman also wore a mask.

The SAK seats up to 60% of their pre-covid maximum capacity. They provide one seat open between groups. That is a full two feet of social distancing. They advised online that, if you are uncomfortable being in a venue that feels somewhat dense with people, now might not be the best time to attend their shows. They politely request that all guests wear a mask in the venue regardless of vaccination status. It can be removed when you are seated with your food and drink. If wearing a mask while at a live venue isn’t your thing, they completely understand. I can vouch for the fact that veeeeery few took this advice seriously.

The performers are all vaccinated and are not masking while on stage. The performances consisted of some of the cast belting out some amazing show tunes. Chase Padget whose work I have admired from past Fringe shows was among the cast, and he did a stellar job. They all killed it. If you want to laugh yourself to death, this is the place to do it.

A few weeks after this performance, on August 20, 2021, a member of SAK’s Front of House staff reported a positive Covid-19 test. Because the staff work closely together, they decided to take their shows down for the weekend out of an abundance of caution. This was the first time since the pandemic began that they took a show down.

In August 2021 alone, more than 9,000 residents died in Florida from COVID-19, making it the most deadly month of the pandemic in the Sunshine State. Yet looking around this audience you would think that COVID was a thing of the past. Florida is way ahead of the nation’s other five largest states in a race no one wants to win. In the last six months, Florida has recorded nearly 90 deaths for every 100,000 residents, by far the highest among the six largest states. Florida’s death rate over that period is more than three times higher than in New York and more than five times higher than in California. In fact, only Texas has a rate that is at least half of Florida’s.

 

Pepe’s Truth or Dare Dating Gayme

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To celebrate Pride Week here in Orlando I arranged with Rob Ward to sketch one of Orlando’s favorite Fringe and SAK Comedy Lab performers, Pepe!

Pepe brings an over-the-top performance and interactive LGBT Version of the classic Dating Game show, as three sexy singles play Truth or Dare to win an all expenses paid date. The tickets to get into the show at the Savoy (1913 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL) were rainbow wrist bands.

Pepe stood like a giant in his huge platform shoes and bright pink mow hawk. Even before the game got underway, he shouted out, “FREE JELLO SHOTS Beetches!” He instructed us on the proper way to rim the cup with our tongue or finger and then suck down the shot. Pam informed me that apparently I did everything wrong trying to rim the edge with my tongue and also scoop it up like an ant eater. The end result was that much of the jello remained in the cup. I was so anxious to sketch that I didn’t go back into licking the half full cup. My hands were busy on the page.

The lead contestant wore a blue t-shirt that said simply, “Send Nudes.” Pepe put a blindfold on him and then introduced the three contestants who would compete for his blind attention. Pepe played up the notion that the contestant was a hunk, not a Rhodes scholar. When the three other contestants came out I recognized the center contestant as a dancer and Fringe Performer. When he was asked “TRUTH or DARE!” He picked the dare. He was tasked with slipping a condom on a semi-large dildo the lead contestant was holding in his lap. He however could not use his fingers to unroll the condom. He managed to convince the lead contestant to to the hard work of getting the condom unrolled with his mouth as he thrust the condom deep into his mouth. It was hilarious but not as sketch worthy as someone on their knees doing the job with plenty of head bobbing.

Another contestant took a dare built around an iconic scene from Lady and the Tramp. He wasn’t a fan of Disney movies, but he had to eat a meat stick at the same time as the lead contestant until their lips met. The resulting meat mouthed kiss that followed was impassioned. Another contestant had to talk dirty while his mouth was stuffed full of cotton candy. The resulting muffled mumbling sounded more like he was grunting into a pillow. One woman in the front row must have had too much to drink since she nodded off while her friend shouted, “TRUTH OR DARE!” so loud that Pepe had to dial he back a touch to get the desired subtle effect. AS he said you don’t just shove it in you have to have some gentle foreplay.

Lisa donated a bandanna for the next dare that involved some sexy dancing that the lead contestant couldn’t see but the audience hoots and hollers must have peeked his curiosity. The bandanna was used to hide any dangling bits when the pants came down. When the red bandanna was passed back through the audience to Lisa, she gave it a healthy sniff and clutched it to her heart.

The show was over before my sketch was complete so I rushed to finish up as the audience filtered out into the bar. This was an over the top fun night that was a great intro the the Pride festivities. The Pride Parade is TODAY from 3:30pm until 5:30pm at Lake Eola. Pride is celebrating 15 years in the Central Florida community, as well as
50 years since Stonewall – a half-century of LGBTQIA+ liberation.

One of the most eagerly anticipated events of Pride Week, this year’s
festival and parade will feature more than 100 groups spanning a 1-mile
route through downtown Orlando. Throughout the day, guests can enjoy
live entertainment at multiple stages around the park, including
celebrity headliners.

The Agony and the Ivories at Fringe

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Grown Man Productions, Chicago, IL, presented Bill Larkin behind the piano in the Brown Venue. I have to say right up front that this was the funniest show I have seen so far at this year’s Fringe. Bill was from Orlando working at the SAK Comedy Lab before he moved to Chicago. He is an actor, musician, and most defiantly a comedian. He feels the music and he feels your pain.

He sang a song about his twin brother. It was the first song he ever wrote when he was just 8 years old. The beautiful chord progressions that followed lead me to believe a Disney ballad might follow. Instead the ballad was about how the family only wanted one child. Then followed his dreams of killing his brother and how the world would be such a better place once he was gone. It was hilarious and unsettling all at once, a viscous and crazy childhood dream.

Another song about his childhood involved the lengths he had to go to to see some porn. It involved a long trip into town on his trust bike. His destination, six miles away, was the magical Davidson’s Pharmacy that carried a special type of magazine. Way in the back of that den of drugs were the magazines, from Time to Woman’s Day, but up above those behind an orange, plastic screen were the objects of his dreams – Playboy and Penthouse magazines. He was able to reach the forbidden fruit and he hid it inside a Life Magazine. Lost in the splendor of what he saw, his cover was blown when a proprietor tapped him on the shoulder. He ran for his life and biked home in the rain.

He then explained how easy children have it today. He asked a member of the audience to set the timer on their iPhone to see how long it might take him to find some porn on his phone. The timer was set and his fingers flashed across the screen. Within 14 seconds he found a site and screamed. It took 14 seconds. He shouted it out for all to hear. He then walked over to the outdoor stage door, opened it, and sunlight streamed in. “14 seconds!” he shouted.  I laughed so hard my sides hurt.

This is just a dry sampling of the hilarity that ensued. His songs tackled subjects such as aging, homosexuality, self-esteem, and social media.  Weird Al Yankovic himself is “a big fan.”

The Agony and the Ivories is in the Brown Venue at the Orlando Shakes, 812 E Rollins St, Orlando, FL 32803. 

Tickets are $12 plus a $10 Fringe Button needed for every show.

Remaining show times:

6:15 PM

8:15 PM

10:45 PM

5:30 PM

7:00 PM

Orlando Strong: A SAK Benefit Show.

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SAK Comedy Lab (29 S Orange Ave, Orlando, Florida) offered a free comedy benefit in the wake of recent events in Orlando. The core values at SAK have always been “Truth, Excellence and Joy”, so wanted to use their strengths as a comedy venue to share those values in support of the community (especially the LGBT and Latino communities) who could really use some joy. This show will featured SAK performers in a variety of fun acts. Admission was free, but donations were encouraged at the door. 100% of proceeds from the door will go to the “OneOrlando” campaign helping the victims and families of victims of the Pulse attack.

The Fringe superstar and fashion diva Pepe acted at the MC to open the show. He wore a gorgeous rainbow feathered boa that looked like, could inspire love, the most hate for person. As he said it was a sexy sold out house. All the mammies and poppies held each other dose as Pepe announced the first acts. Every seat in the venue had a sheet of colored paper. Bob Kodzis invited every member of the audience to write down a message for families of the decided survivors and first responders. There was an artist sketch! in the row in front of me. He held two fingers to his neck like he was checking his pulse. I believe he was sketching one of the 49 who were killed using a photo on his phone as reference.

A video set to the song, “Carry on” opened the evening. It showcased what people used to imagine about Orlando, with photos of Disney theme parks,and I-4 traffic. Then shots taken outside Pulse of the evening of the attack were replaced with photos of crowds coming together in grief an love culminating in the huge 50,000 strong Lake Eola vigil. The point of course is that we must carry on and let the work see that we are more than a tourists cliche. It was an inspiring vision of we could be without ever forgetting.

We were all ready for some laughs and the huge crew of comedians delivered. What the show real I delivered besides laughs, was joy. The comedy lab only held two other benefits in it’s 25 year history. The first was after 9/11 and the second after hurricane Charlie and his two other companions. The founder of SAK told us about his visit to the memorial outside the Dr, Phillips Center for performing arts. He was seated at one of the tables and there was another woman seated at the same table. He didn’t know her. She reached out her hand, and he took it.  They sat holding hands for 5 minutes an then she left. They never spoke a word. What if this was our everyday Standard behavior? What if we all loved more then we have ever loved before? The world would certainly be a better place.

During the auction, Pepe and another performer said they would match whatever was bid on a dinner for two. The item went for $100 after heated bidding. The event raised $4384.00, SAK matched that amount bringing the total to $8,768.00. After the show, all the performers got on stage for a spontaneous dance party. “I wanna dance with somebody“of course we all got up and joined in. Laughter and Joy bring healing.

Punslingers livened up SAK after the Holidays.

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Punslinges is a game show for word nerds held at SAK Comedy Lab (29 S Orange Ave, Orlando, Florida). Diana Rodriguez Portillo the theater operations manager at SAK Comedy Lab arranged to get me in to do a sketch. The audience was full of poets who I recognized from other poetry readings around town. The two hosts were soon to be married, and the coup seated in front of m snuggled during the show. 

Character and personality see just as important as slinging just the right puns. On the back wall of the stage, was a plastic gun which was the prize for the best punslinger. A pun is defined as a joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the
fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings. After the first few bouts the audience quickly warmed up with groans and laughter.

The next rodeo of Punslingers will be on Memorial Day, Monday May 30th!  Punslingers is a comedy game show where contestants come up with puns
to win the favor of the audience through laughs (and groans)! The
winners walk away with the title of Champion Punslinger and a mystery
prize!

Lovers of poetry, wordplay, Shakespeare, and
good-old-fashion ‘dad jokes’ will love it! Strap on your best western
clothes, saddle up, and be part of history at Orlando Punslingers!

Questions / Comments?
shammers@gmail.com or call (317) 426-6372

TICKETS: can be purchased at the door, or reserved online: *TICKET LINK COMING SOON*
TIME: Sign-Ups start at 7:00, show is at 7:30 so get there early!
PLACE: SAK Comedy Lab 29 S. Orange Ave. Orlando
PARKING: Bring your ticket from the Plaza Parking Garage and have it validated to bring the cost down to $4!

Art in the Chambers & Sculpture Lighting Party.

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Terry Olson invited guests for light refreshments to celebrate the Judy Albertson–Louis Peterson Galleries Art in the Chambers opening, part of Art Legends of Orange County.  Art Legends is remembrance of distinguished artists and patrons of the arts who made
their mark between 1932 and 1982, critical years in local development of
the visual arts. The chambers show features Judy Albertson and Louise Peterson all year, with others like
Grady Kimsey and Steve Lotz being featured for shorter exhibitions. Later that evening there was a lighting ceremony on the lawn for the Temporary Sculpture Exhibition at 201 N Rosalind Ave, Orlando, FL.

I arrived as the sun was setting and wanted to catch the orange glow on the Christian condominium or retirement home. I found it ironic that the was a red light on top of the cross. Perhaps they were worried it might get hit by a low flying aircraft. In the foreground was a wooden sculpture by Julia Ousley titled Skyline I I. As it grew darker, the lights came on to illuminate the sculptures. One artist, walking y the Chambers Opening joked with me saying ” You could get arrested for doing that.” I laughed, but as a matter of fact he was right. I could be mistake for a panhandle outside my designated blue box. It was a cold night for Orlando, so I had on my wood cap and put up my hood to conserve heat. the tablet processor helped keep my fingers a bit warm.

I never did get inside, since capturing the light in the cold was challenging enough. Gradually people wandered outside to take pictures. Then everything went black for the official lighting ceremony. Banks Helfrich and his wife stopped to say hello. They asked if I as going to SAK Comedy Lab after m sketch, and ironically, I was. I’ve been bumping into them all over town. My plan was to meet Terry for a night out, but she had to work late. The huge blue wind chimes remained silent.

Hip Hop Night at Austin’s Rocks the House

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Mondays are usually pretty slow event wise in Orlando. On June 2nd I discovered Hip Hop Night at Austin’s Coffee (929 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL). The event runs every Monday and starts at 10pm. I got there early and ordered diner and a Yak iced coffee. The staging area was still set up for hipsters consuming food and information off the Internet. Eventually the stage was cleared so the DJ could set up his beats and a lone microphone was set up for performers.

This is an open mic night meaning anyone could perform. I met a comedian from SAK Comedy Lab who brings aspiring comics to the open mic to test their improv chops. A young woman stepped up to the mic and her first line of rap confessed that this was her first time. As the lines and rhymes fell into place the crowd cheered. With no script, this really was a tight rope walk with no net. Some performers were incredibly polished but the sound system and the rapid fire stream of lyrics made it difficult to keep up with the performances.

Mark Your Calendars! Hip Hop Night is every Monday night from 10pm to 2am at Austin’s Coffee. Be a voyeur like me or step up to the mic and see what happens. Regardless it is a fast paced inspired night.