Changing How People Look at Mental Illness One Laugh at a Time-The King of Comedy Entertains at Mental Health Fundraiser...
When comedian Mike MacDonald was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder 12 years ago, his first worry was whether it would impact his comedy career.
“I was terrified by all the negative stereotypes I’d heard about people with mental illness, about how they couldn’t function at all. I was so thankful to be able to continue in my career.”
That’s why MacDonald, the “King of Canadian Comedy,” is thrilled to be the headliner for Stand Up For Mental Health’s comedy fundraiser at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday April 13 at the Arts Club Granville Island Stage. Stand Up For Mental Health’s 2008 class will also strut their stuff .
Founded by Vancouver counselor and stand-up comic David Granirer, Stand Up For Mental Health, the subject of a recent CBC Passionate Eye documentary Cracking Up, teaches stand-up comedy to people with mental illness as a way of building confidence and fighting public stigma.
MacDonald, who has appears on Just For Laughs, Comedy Central, Showtime, and A&E’s An Evening at the Improv states, “It's important to show that conditions such as mine, when dealt with properly, can allow a person to function normally in their jobs.”
Comedy has also helped MacDonald, one of Canada’s most recognizable comics maintain his mental health. “It keeps me balanced. Either you laugh or you cry at a lot of the world, and I’d rather laugh.”
According to Granirer, who himself suffers from depression, “Mike is an inspiration for all of our comics. It’s great to have someone of his stature willing to talk about his mental illness and help prove that people with mental illness can achieve incredible things. And he’s been incredibly generous. He took this gig on the condition that he’d be able to meet with all the comics the next day and give them advice on how to further their comedy careers.”
Stand Up For Mental Health is now in its fourth year. Granirer states, “I’m obviously nuts because I started the program with no funding. But I knew that if I waited for funding, nothing would ever happen. And we still run on a shoestring budget, so this event is a make or break one.”
Despite the lack of funding, Stand Up For Mental Health performs over 30 shows a year throughout B.C., spreading their message of hope and empowerment...not just for the comedians themselves, but for the very audiences that they entertain. They have even started a Chilliwack and Courtenay-based version of the program and Granirer has trained Stand Up For Mental Health comics in Ottawa and Toronto. Edmonton is about to start its own chapter. We also hope to work with Aboriginal and Metis Nation communities in the near future.
“This program saves lives,” says Granirer. “My dream is to have it running throughout North America.”
Please visit our website www.standupformentalhealth.com to order tickets, or for more information.
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