Legion of Laughs Improv and Stand-Up Comedy Show

Legion of Laughs Improv and Stand-Up Comedy Show

L-R: Donovan Workun, Graham Neil, Chris Borger.

(Rosanne Fortier/Photo)

Rosanne Fortier - News Correspondent

Vegreville Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 39 presented the Legion of Laughs Improv and Stand-Up Comedy Show on Feb. 18 with more than 50 people in attendance.

This event offered cocktails, a delightful lasagna dinner catered by Diane Fausak and crew and a tasteful comedy show by Graham Neil and Donovan Workun with Chris Borger joining them for some sets.

When asked about his journey in comedy, Workun said he wanted to start performing comedy because he has funny relatives who were amazing and hilarious. “As a kid, I remember watching my family make jokes and watching people laugh and how much I enjoyed that. Then I realized that I could do it too. So, I started doing more and more of it and magically it became my job.

I think to be a professional comedian, a person needs to do a lot of hard work. You have to do a lot of trial and errors. You have to try hard and put in the 10,000 hours. It is also a talent.

The show was an improv show which means we got suggestions from the audience. I know what type of people are in Vegreville because my dad lived in Vegreville in the late 40’s. My aunt and uncle lived there in the 80’s.

The best parts about being a comedian is making people laugh and seeing people crying because they are laughing so hard. Also, I get to do different things all the time and go to different places.”

Some of the attendees enjoying the show.

(Rosanne Fortier/Photo)

Former television reporter Graham Neil said, “I decided to become a comedian because when I worked for CTV, I was always asked to host stuff. They would give me a script. I thought at the time that wouldn’t it be to my advantage to have two or three minutes of jokes when I hosted something because sometimes people’s scripts are just to the point? I would then work as a MC and tell more jokes. People would tell me I had a knack for doing this and I really liked it. I always used to like to write my stories on CTV with a bit of a twist and a joke is like that too.”

When Graham was asked if it was more challenging to be a journalist or a comedian, he said at the heart of it, they were the same thing in the way that you are trying to entertain, inform and get people to think in both professions. “What I like about being a comedian is the energy you get in front of a large crowd. You don’t get that even if you are live on television. You just know how people react to it the next day.”

Chris Borger is an Edmonton based comedian who has been doing this work professionally for over 10 years.