Stigmas around mental illness were joked about, laughed at and disproved at Stand Up For Mental Health, a two-hour show at the Heritage Playhouse featuring 10 comics poking fun at their own experiences with mental illness.
The audience at the show last Sunday was kept in a steady state of laughter while nodding along to some of the references made to the flawed mental health system.
"One counsellor told me I should say I love you to a pillow I thought I should develop a relationship with the pillow. So I took it out to dinner and I thought, this will be good for my self-esteem because I know this date is going to end up in bed. But it didn't last long. It turned out she'd sleep with anyone," said comedian and counsellor David Granirer.
Granirer is a counsellor and a "consumer" of the mental health system as he's been diagnosed with depression. But he doesn't let a little thing like that get him down.
"I've found a great way to overcome depression. I find someone really happy, and I suck the life force out of them," Granirer said.
Obviously Granirer uses humour as an emotional outlet. He's found stand-up comedy to be a healing art form.
"I started teaching stand-up comedy at Langara College eight years ago but not for therapeutic reasons. However, I would see therapeutic breakthroughs in those groups and I thought it would be a great idea to have the classes for therapeutic value," Granirer said.
He set up the course Stand Up For Mental Health. The resulting comics were too good to keep under wraps, so they went on the road. Critics have been raving about the show and the course ever since."I teach people suffering from mental illness to use humour as a way to decrease stress, increase wellness and cope with change," Granirer said. "We've also done this with cancer patients and drug addicts. It is empowering for the marginalized to come out of the closet and speak about their experience through comedy to audiences that are laughing and applauding."
At the Heritage Playhouse, Granirer did bits of his own stand-up between his student's sets and even worked a ringing cell phone into his opening bit. The call set the tone for the show that let us know nothing was off-limits for Granirer and his crew. It also proved an interesting moment for the CBC film crew to catch. They were in the audience filming for the upcoming Passionate Eye documentary on Granirer.
Local comedian and graduate of Granirer's course Rose D'Vilano opened the afternoon performance making fun of her mentor Granirer. "At 18, David made it his life's goal to move out of his parents' basement by the time he was 50," she said.
D'Vilano's humour was rich with sarcasm, and the audience caught on quickly.
Jennifer Steel was up next. She had some interesting insights into her patient/counsellor relationship.
"He told me I had a hard time letting go, so I released my grip on his neck," she said.
Robbie Englequist came up next with his raw and angry musings about life as a schizophrenic who spent most of his childhood in psych wards.
"I'm not a graduate of high school, I'm a graduate of Riverview, and being locked up can drive you nuts. There are insane people in there. But the doctors won't leave," he said.
After the show Englequist was outside recruiting more people for Granirer's course saying, "It's absolutely amazing; it changed my life."
Next on stage was Joan Stone, who lamented wearing her sibling's hand-me-downs while growing up in a poor family.
"I had to go to P.E. class in my brother's jock strap," she said.
Comic Jacquie Johnston had mothers in the audience spellbound as she stood well presented in her tailored blue suit and started a rant that ended in a scream and eruption of laughter from the audience. "You probably wouldn't know it to look at me, but I'm a separated, bankrupt, under-appreciated single mother teetering dangerously on the edge of a complete breakdown," she said.
Lee Benewith took the stage next. You could tell this was a woman who could get in trouble speaking exactly what's on her mind: "So I live in Chilliwack which is on the Bible Belt and we have this sign at the entrance to Chilliwack that says 'Open for business. Call the mayor.' So I did. I figured we could combine the two biggest industries; we could put a grow op in a church," she said.
Comedian Michael Warren talked about his desire to be admitted to the hospital shortly after he was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder.
"But there was no room at the hospital; they told me they didn't have the space. So I told them I was a psychiatrist and they locked me in for a year," he said.
Paul Decarry was one of my favourite comedians at this show. His humour was quick and to the point and he could get a laugh before he even finished his joke.
"I'm a man of many hidden talents I can't find any of them. I like spaghetti because it's cheap and easy, just like me. I carry a condom in my wallet that's called wishful thinking. I'm not very computer literate I keep hacking into the Pentagon when I'm trying to download Internet porn." And the one liner's just kept coming.
Next Eufemail Fantetti lamented about her relationship troubles: "I tend to gain weight. Last time he was a real jerk," she said, followed by: "I met my soulmate at the SPCA. He's smart, he's handsome and he's neutered so there's no way he can run out on me."
Finally D'Vilano was back on stage to do her stand-up bit, and her nerves were showing. "I've performed all over the place and I've never had any problems, but I'm more nervous here. I'm going to see you again," she said.
She managed to gain her composure and deliver more of her sarcastic humour.
"My therapist said I should have more compassion. But I just can't feel sorry for Tom Cruise," she said. Nearly two hours of hilarious entertainment was at an end and I felt like begging for an encore.
The comedians were available to talk to people after the show and the meet and greet proved to be a bit of a therapy session in itself. Many felt more at ease talking about mental illness in an atmosphere where labels were ripped away and laughter could replace tears.
For more information about Granirer's program or dates and locations that Stand Up For Mental Health is playing, go to www.standupformentalhealth.com or phone Granirer at 1-604-205-9242.His course runs on Tuesdays in Vancouver. The cost to register is on a sliding scale of free to $500. Granirer said no one is turned away for lack of funds.
