How To Start a Comedy Career On Craigslist

Chances are it's been at least a few months since we had a chat-chit face to face. If we have seen each other recently, hooray for us! Either way, I wanted to reach out and connect with you.

First of all, I hope you and your loved ones are managing to remain healthy, happy & hopeful through the Covid-19 outbreak. Between the pandemic & the global fight for civil rights, this has been a period of rapid change & upheaval for many of us.

Simply put, these are challenging times and I hope you are finding ways remain positive, energized & inspired throughout.

We can & will be a better for all of this turmoil. It's clear that our "normal" was not cutting it and 2020 will be a massive pivot year for society to create a better normal for everyone. 

Please know that if there is anything you are struggling with, feel free to reach out and connect with me if you think I may be of service. One thing our isolation has taught us is that we all need human CONNECTION. 

So let's connect!

Reply in the comments or on social @LarsClassington or @LaughingVikings and let me know if there is anything I can do to help you! Questions I can answer? Connections I can help you make? Resources I can help you find? Collabs we can create? Whatever it is, large or small, reach out...maybe you just need a good coconut oil guy? I know one!

So try me. I can't promise to solve all your problems, but I can promise I'm wiling and able to lend a hand.

Ok?

So I'll go first!

To start, I’d like to tell you a story...

It’s about WHY I do what I do, and why I’d like to help YOU take a brief break from the stress of our world.

In 2009 at age 31, I left a well paid corporate career after 10 yrs because I wasn't in love with it.  I made the decision to follow my passion for comedy and pursue a career in entertainment.

First, I made a couple of goofy comedy raps on YouTube (6 months later they aired on Comedy Network). A few weeks later I answered an ad on Craigslist that said "So, You Wanna Be A Comedian?". That ad led to my first standup performance at YukYuks amateur night in London, Ontario in October 2009.

I vividly remember walking downtown to the club with Eminem's 8 Mile  & B.I.G's Notorious soundtracks in my earbuds, knowing that my life would never be the same.

In a big way I owe the start of my comedy career to hiphop/rap culture. That's another story for another email, but in a nutshell I watched 8 Mile & Notorious and those movies inspired me to act boldly and step on stage to share my voice.

I get goose bumps just thinking about it. It sounds weird, but as I walked to the comedy club, still having NEVER stepped on a stage, I KNEW with ZERO DOUBT that I had found my new lane in life. 

Before that night, I had spent a ridiculous amount of time daydreaming about my showbiz life before it ever existed. I'm a lifelong fan of nearly every comedy show on TV: SNL, SCTV, Monty Python, MadTV, In Living Color, Mr. Show, Pee-Wee's Playhouse, Looney Toons, Kids in The Hall, Tom Green Show, Trailer Park Boys, Human Giant, The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Family Guy & South Park. All of the comedy! 

Growing up I was never the typical class clown type. Both my parents were teachers, so I was always well-behaved in class and mostly a straight A student.

Despite not being the class clown, I always spent a ton of time laughing with family & friends. Doing little act-outs, impersonations, skits & sketches. We'd burn hours, before, during and after school watching comedy shows & laughing our heads off creating our own entertainment for each other.

By stepping on that first standup stage in October 2009, I made the decision that I was gonna take a big swing at comedy & entertainment.

I knew that if I didn't take that plunge, I'd wonder "what-if?" for the rest of my life. I decided I couldn't risk being on my death bed with the regret of never going after my dreams.

That first show was a whirlwind of exhilaration and ten years later I am still going strong. So many of my dreams that were once just scribbles on a scrap paper bucket list have already come true. 

I've headlined sold-out comedy shows across the country. I have performed for packed theatre houses. I have been cast as supporting, ensemble & lead roles in major tv & film productions plus dozens of fun commercial shoots.  

Most important of all, I have had the extreme pleasure of working with hundreds of brilliant comedians, actors, artists & filmmakers who I'm also thrilled to call friends.

If for some reason I never worked another day as an entertainer, I'd already consider myself one of the luckiest dudes on earth to have lived a life full of amazing opportunities and experiences.

So many people have supported me along the way with amazing words of encouragement and thank-you messages from fans, friends, family & supporters. 

If for some reason it all went away and I never worked as an entertainer again, I'd still be full of gratitude for the charmed life I've been lucky to live.

You see like most artists, I am an addict...

Fortunately, my addiction isn't to any substance or drug. 

Thankfully I've never fallen too deep down that path (ok fine, maybe protein bars & some good ganja, but both are medicinal right?) 

Truth is, I am addicted to creating.

I am addicted to performing. 

I am addicted to laughing.

I am addicted to sharing.

Anyone who knows me well can tell you that my inner monolog is constantly filled with phrases like "ohhh, that's a great sketch idea" or "wow, thats a funny bit" or "man, we gotta make that into a movie!". 

It is to the point where I know my comedy obsession has driven friends & lovers crazy. It never ends. It never shuts off.

I eat, sleep and breathe creativity.  I am obsessed with it and I'll never stop...  

Or at least that's what I thought until Covid-19 came along! 

With recent pandemic shutdowns, approximately 95% of my usual income streams from live shows and tv/film gigs are on indefinite hiatus.  

In an effort to remain positive & productive I've chosen to turn lemons into lemon meringue pie by shifting my focus to releasing my debut comedy album SILLY GOOSE!  

As the name implies, SILLY GOOSE is just pure fun & silliness.  

No hate, no bad news and ABSOLUTELY ZERO COVID-19.  

In times of stress, sometimes we just need a good laugh for laughter's sake.

SILLY GOOSE was recorded live in front of a sellout crowd in my hometown of Orillia, Ontario (Pre-Covid) which makes this debut release even more special for me.

The reason I wanted to share my story with you is because I want you to know me.

And I want you to know that I can help you relax & enjoy some laughs.

So do me a favour?

Pre-order a full copy of Silly Goose HERE.

As you’ll see, I'm helping people forget about their problems for a few minutes and have some straight up goofy laughs being a SILLY GOOSE!

Can I really help YOU take a brief break from the serious?

GRAB A FREE DIGITAL COPY OF MY STANDUP COMEDY ALBUM HERE

Enjoy the album & please let me know what you think.

Stay healthy & happy ya SILLY GOOSE!

- Lars 

PS-Don't forget to reply in comments and connect on social @LarsClassington or @LaughingVikings. Let me know how I may be of service during these turbulent times. Looking forward to hearing from you! :)