Diversity through laughter

Laugh track: Local promoter Joe Greene believes that “the cultivation of diverse audiences can create positive exchanges and foster equity for all community residents in Asheville.” After a yearlong break, he’s back with a comedy show featuring Tyler Craig. Photo by Jon Farmer

Asheville likes to celebrate diversity, and we’ve got the bumper stickers to prove it. But when it comes to actually experiencing diversity, that’s another story. “I come from Miami, and I’m so used to seeing a diverse group of people, all kinds of people, hanging out,” says Tiffany Gill of The Color ME Brown Project. “I’d like to see more of that here in Asheville.”

Victoria Blount, the nonprofit’s creative director, puts it this way: “If you’re in a certain demographic, there’s a ton for you to do. But if you are not, it’s hard to get out there, so you have to make your own way.”

Sheneika Smith of Date My City, a local initiative to encourage cultural diversity, says: “Diverse entertainment in Asheville is essential for the overall well-being of the community. I believe if we offer opportunities to unite, even through arts and entertainment, it will eventually give way to opportunities for civic engagement and improved community involvement.”

Happily, promoter Joe Greene has a plan. “We’re promoting diversity through laughter,” he says of the vision behind his production company, KJG Enterprises. Specifically, “KJG Enterprises is built upon the belief that the cultivation of diverse audiences can create positive exchanges and foster equity for all community residents in Asheville.” This goal grew out of his experience with what he calls the social, economic and cultural isolation of the established African-American community.

“That’s my whole focus,” says Greene. “To break down walls between people; to get everyone together.”

KJG Enterprises’ next event, “Funny ’R’ Us,” will be held Saturday, Jan. 18, at Asheville Community Theatre. The show will feature urban comedians Tyler Craig, Fredo Davis and Terrell Marrow. All three are based in Atlanta. Craig, a native of that city, has performed on the BET network’s Comic View and worked with Chris Tucker; Davis, aka Fdstmp, has also worked for Comic View and the TV series Who’s Got Jokes?; Marrow is a standup artist. Asheville musician Lyric will open, and Blunation Films and Go Diva Photography will document the evening.

A portion of the proceeds from “Funny ’R’ Us” will go to support My Daddy Taught Me That, a development program for 12- to 19-year-old males, run by local author and social worker Keynon Lake. The mentoring program supports participants in character building, academics and career preparation. There’s also an emphasis on “morals and being accountable for your actions,” says Lake.

Greene says both he and Lake “want to show people that we can come together … that everything a young black male presents is not negative.” Lake agrees, saying he wants to send a message to “bring our different entities together to focus on one common goal.”

Unfortunately, says Greene, “coming from a minority man’s point of view, it’s hard. I’m fighting every day to do something the right way, but I’m already put in that category and limited by that stereotype.”

The Asheville native spent his childhood in the Klondyke public housing complex, then moved to West Asheville. He attended college in Greensboro, playing football for N.C. A&T State University. During that time, he got into event promotion. After college, Greene moved to Charlotte, where he continued working as a promoter. “I stayed away from Asheville for 10 years, because I thought there wasn’t anything for me here,” he says.

When Greene finally did return to his hometown, he was disappointed by the lack of entertainment options that appealed to him, so he began putting on events. His first Asheville comedy show was at The Rocket Club in 2007. This was followed by events at venues like The Magnetic Theatre, Asheville Music Hall, Haywood Lounge, Diana Wortham Theatre, YMI Cultural Center, the Asheville Civic Center and Hole N Da Wall.

During the past year, Greene took a break from putting on shows to focus on building his business skills. “I had to take a step back to learn,” he says. He participated in the Eagle Market Streets Development Corp.’s BLOCK Academy program and Mountain BizWorks’ Business Boot Camp.

“This show,” says Greene, “is to introduce everyone to what I’ve been doing.” With an early start time (8 p.m.) and a classy venue, Greene says “Funny ’R’ Us” is for “people who want to dress up, go out, relax and have a laugh.”

If things go as planned, KJG Enterprises will branch out into other types of events. Greene says he’s considering plays, R&B vocalists and old-school rappers. Greene says the latter is a strong possibility, since he hung out with Doug E. Fresh in New York City recently, thanks to connections made through KJG.

“I’ve been doing this for a long time: I’m, like, 15-plus years deep in this,” says Greene. “I’m fighting for it. I am fighting to break the barriers down.”

Also this week: Improv with Kevin McDonald

If Saturday Night Live and Monty Python’s Flying Circus rendezvoused in Canada, you’d get The Kids in the Hall. That sketch-comedy-troupe-turned-show was founded in 1984 by Kevin McDonald and Dave Foley, who met in Toronto at The Second City Training Center. The TV show (with comedians Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson) ran from 1988 – 94 on CBC in Canada, and from 1989 – 95 on CBS and HBO in the U.S.

But you don’t have travel back in time to benefit from McDonald’s unique brand of comic genius. He’ll be in Asheville at Toy Boat Community Arts Space on Saturday, Jan. 18, for a comedy improv workshop and performance.

The eight-hour workshop leads participants through the process of creating sketches and a comedy show in a single day. That same evening, workshop attendees will perform before a live audience. The evening show will include standup comedian Minori Hinds, an improv set by McDonald, and Asheville locals Nina Ruffini, Sadye Osterloh, Ingrid Johnson, Rigel Pawlak, Kristen Aldrich and Ryan Travers. Stay for a question-and-answer session. McDonald promises Kids in the Hall anecdotes — “Too many stories. You will have to shut him up,” predicts a press release.

On the TV show, McDonald portrayed several popular recurring characters, including the King of Empty Promises, Sir Simon Milligan and Jerry Sizzler. Since the end of The Kids in the Hall in 1995, he’s played various roles in movies and TV shows and appeared in the music video for “Roses” by Outkast.
The Jan. 18 improv workshop will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. $175 per person. Performance at 8 p.m., $22 per person (free to workshop attendees). Space is limited, reserve tickets at toyboatcommunityartspace.com. — A.W.