Local comedians
will take a stand
■ Twenty stand-up comics
are scheduled to perform
in Eugene’s fifth annual
Laff-Off this weekend
By Rory Carroll
Oregon Daily Emerald
Everyone’s a comedian — in
their dreams.
That’s Comedy Workout direc
tor Leigh Anne Jasheway’s princi
ple behind Laff-Off 2000, the am
ateur stand-up comic
competition slated for Saturday
at the Actor’s Cabaret in Eugene.
“Many people harbor this
dream of doing stand-up,” Jashe
way said. “I think people see it as,
‘If I can do this, I can do any
thing.’ It’s very empowering.”
For the fifth consecutive year,
20 comics will be chasing their
dream of bringing home first
prize. All proceeds will benefit
Greenhill Humane Society’s Do
mestic Violence Prevention Pro
gram.
Twenty comics will vie for the
title of “Eugene’s Funniest Per
son.” Each comic has five min
utes to impress a panel of celebri
ty judges, which includes such
local stars as Comic News pub
lisher Don Kahle, Slug Queen
Carmen Slugana, Register-Guard
columnist Bob Welch and Stone
Soup cartoonist Jan Eliot.
The competitors are aware that
the Laff-Off is serious competi
tion.
“The Laff-Off is different be
cause of the time limit,” said
1999 champion Jason Kronholm.
“Because each comic only has
five minutes, everyone has to use
their best stuff.”
The victor owns bragging
rights, a plastic crown and em
cees the following year’s event.
Kronholm will emcee Saturday
night.
Variety is a strength of the Laff
Off. Comics ranging in age from
16 to 65 will attempt everything
from music to puppet shows to
gain the favor of the judges.
“Nowhere else can you see 20
comics at a time," Jasheway says.
“The beauty of that is that if there
are three you just can’t stand,
you’re bound to find seven who
you think are fabulous.”
The Laugh-Off originated
when professional comic Mike
Jenkins did a comedy benefit foi
a food bank in Portland. He want
ed Laff-Offs across Oregon so the
winners could compete for the ti
tle of “Funniest Person in Ore
gon.” To Jashaway’s delight, Eu
gene’s first Laff-Off sold out — a5
it has every year since. Other Ore
gon cities, however, were not aj
taken by the Laff-Off as Eugene
was, and a state Laff-Off compete
tion flopped. Jasheway decidec
to continue the Laff-Off in Eugene
independently.
Jasheway attributes the succes;
of the annual Laff-Off to Eugene’;
diversity and oddness.
“Unfortunately Eugene is no
ethnically diverse, but we’re di
verse in other ways,” Jashewa]
says. “I think Eugene is the typi
of place where people live for <
while and then move on, so wi
have a lot of geographic diversity
One of our comics is from Nev
Jersey, and he sounds like a mem
ber of the mafia,” Jashewa;
added jokingly.
Jashaway follows Jenkins’ ex
ample by continuing to donat
Laff-Off proceeds to charity. Th
Greenhill Humane Society’s Do
rnestic Violence Prevention Prc
gram is an organization that prc
vides a home for pets whe:
domestic violence breaks up a re
lationship. According to Jashe
way, women will stay in a rela
tionship out of fear of what will
happen to the animal if it is left
behind. Greenhill allows her to
make her decision — stay or go —
without having to worry about
what to do with the pet, Jasheway
said.
“I chose Greenhill because they
are one of the best humane soci
eties in the country, and at the
same time they benefit people,”
Jashaway said. Greenhill has
been their charity ever since.
Sally Sheklow, a member of lo
cal improv comedy troupe WYM
PROV!, is one of this year’s
celebrity judges. She sees the
benefit as a positive aspect of the
Laff-Off.
“Because it’s a benefit, there is
a spirit of, ‘We’re all here because
we believe in something,”’ she
said. “It creates an automatic ca
maraderie within the audience.”
Jasheway believes the Laff-Off
will continue to be a success be
cause of the support of both par
ticipants and audiences. Many
competitors who have never
placed in first return with hopes
of taking the crown, she said.
“People keep coming back un
til they win,” Jashaway said,
adding that the Laff-Off will con
tinue to elicit aspiring comics.
“How many people would
even entertain the idea of, say,
taxidermy as a hobby? But a lot of
people want to try comedy,” Jash
away said. “Also, it allows the
people in the audience to think,
‘I’m funny too,’ and look at how
many funny people there are and
how different they are.”
Tickets are $12.50, and reserva
tions are recommended. Call 693
4368 for reservations.
007653
wow cog
Community
Center for the
Perfuming Arts
8th &
Lincoln
■ Tonight ■
Prince Paul,
The Visionaries featuring Di
Rhettmatic, Boom Bap Project
Hip-Hop
$13 advance, $15 door, 9:00 pm
■ Friday ■
Groove Juice
Special,
The McKenzie Project
Funk
$7 door, 9:00 pm
■ Saturday ■
April Fool’s Ball with
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Nectar Way
Bluegrass/Rock
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■ Tuesday ■
The Melvin’s
*2x^ Tour - Two Sets x Four
Guys’ with special ?uest Leif
Garrett
Heavy Rock
$8 advance, $10 door, 8:00 pm
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