New day, new challenges. Yesterday it was making it to the ship on time. I did. Barely. Today it was finding my way around it. Again, I knew not one soul on the entire ship and had to be very resourceful. This ship’s interior is totally different from the other one I was on, and I was completely lost as soon as I walked out of my cabin. This is all new to me.
Everything is in a different place, and I wandered around for over an hour trying to get a handle on what was where. Last time the comedy club was in the rear of the ship and easy to find. This time it’s in the middle, directly under the main show lounge. It’s tricky to see the staircase leading down to where the shows are, and I missed it three different times.
This ship seems to be a little older and a little smaller than the other one, but not all that much. This is still one big bad hunka hunka floating steel, and I’m still in awe of how this much metal can float. It’s a techno-miracle, and I’m glad I have a chance to experience it first hand. Not only that, I’m getting paid to see places on the planet I’ve never ever seen.
Anything new can be intimidating, and this totally is. I’ve been in all kinds of situations in life where I’m the outsider or the rookie, but this is up there with anything I’ve faced as it’s so large and so far from home. This has to be what newbie soldiers feel like. It’s a big boat in a foreign land, and everyone else all seem to know what to do and where to go.
I finally found my way back to my cabin and when I walked in the phone was ringing. It was the other comedian, a guy named ‘Big Tony’ Esposito. He’s from Orlando, FL and in his mid 30s. He’s been doing the ships for about eight years, and we hit it off right away.
He’s a big sports fan, and knows some of the same people I know in the comedy world. I could tell he’s laid back and easygoing, and I think he sensed the same in me. There’s an inner sense that comics have that can tell if another one is a good person. I know I have it, and can pick up on someone’s vibe pretty quickly. So does Tony. We’ll have no trouble.
The shows tonight were also a little different than the last time. This was my day to get three shows, and tomorrow I’ll have two. They rotate us so people can come back and see comedy two nights in a row at the same time and see different acts. That’s how they do it, and I’m not complaining. It’s just that I’ll have to get used to this style if I work on ships.
My early show went a lot better than both of the last ones I did on the other ship. These people were into it, and I was able to knock a couple of bits out of the park and get a nice applause break each time. I felt a lot more confident, and can tell I’ll eventually be able to figure this out. It’s a little different than most comedy clubs, but I can see where to adjust.
The last two shows were fine, but still a little choppy for my tastes. I did exactly as they instructed, and didn’t repeat material from early to late shows. I did a lot of different stuff in the last show too, even though I didn’t have to. I wanted to give the audiences all I had, and tonight I didn’t embarrass myself. I can see where I need improvement, and I’ll do it.
No comments:
Post a Comment