The Tale of Insensitivity
Part One: A Tale of Two Scotts
One dark, dreary evening, in a dark dreary tavern listening to dark, dreary karaoke, a light pleasant deal was made. Scott Goldman enquired to tavern operator "Big" Scott if he would consider having a comedy night.
"Yes! For the love of hops and barley," exclaimed Big Scott. "That's just what this place needs. When can you start? How about this Sunday? Four days is enough time to put together a show right?"
Goldman got Big Scott to calm down. Goldman told Big Scott he would have a show ready in three weeks time. Goldman knew that Greg Rankie and Matthew "Big Game" Sloan would immediately be involved. During the three weeks in between the initial agreement and the first show, Big Scott harassed Goldman to start doing shows and to have a name for the show. Much at Big Scott's incessant insistence, "A Night at the Bytown" was born.
Part Two: A Rocky Beginning
On the last Sunday of April, 2007, the first improv show held at the Bytown Tavern in years was underway. Scott Goldman hosted, Big Scott was nowhere to be seen and a third Scott entered the fray. "Little" Scott was the the all important man behind the bar. For months Little Scott would keep both performers and audience in good spirits (and large bottles of beer). Greg and Big Game were on hand, as well as noteworthy appearances by "Polish Power" Karol Czarny and the original king of comedy, Adam "the" King.
Within the first few weeks, Greg, Goldman and Big Game were the only consistent performers. Despite their own individual roundness, the boys knew they needed to round out the show with more performers. A call was put out to improvisers in the Ottawa region. In a very staggered manner, the call was answered.
The first to answer the call was Bonnie Gunn and the finest 300 members of her English Improv Troupe. Unfortunately, 300 was a number to great, so we kept one: Mike Kosowan. Bonnie stuck around for a little while too. Also during this time, Goldman was constantly working to recruit one man, a Frenchman at that, Michel Sauve. With Goldman, Rankie, Sloan, Kosowan and Sauve in place, there was only one thing missing: a host.
Part Three: One More Frenchman
An improv show is dependant on a liaison between performers and audience to make sure that everyone is on the same page. In the early days of our show,our troupe was oftentimes reading "Calvin & Hobbes" while the audience was reading "Crime & Punishment". At least we were reading the funny pages.
Goldman was the host for the first several months, but the allure of performance was entirely too much for his brain to handle. We enlisted a man named Sticky. However, Sticky's penchant for badgering the audience was not entirely conducive of a collaborative relationship.
We needed someone that knew how to improvise. Someone who could encourage an audience and not demean them. We needed someone with long, pretty hair like a girl. We needed Phil Genest. And we got him.
With all of the pieces of the puzzle finally in place, Phil Genest, Greg Rankie, Matt Sloan, Michel Sauve, Mike Kosowan and Scott Goldman ceased to exist as individuals, and were born anew as
insensitivity training.