Beyond Sketchoff!#$%!!

Many of the groups who perform at VACT's Etch-Your Sketchoff!#$%!! sketch comedy shows also perform outside of VACT, for shows which most of the time, have less "ethnic" audiences. The Yangstzers mentioned that they once used the same material on a crowd at the Fringe Festival, to very different results. Simon thinks that the Asian specific jokes don't go over as well with a non-Asian crowd because perhaps they doesn’t feel comfortable laughing along, or might have missed certain culturally specific references altogether.

The Yangtzers are a good example of a Sketchoff!#$%!! crew that obeys the one Asian-specfic rule of the show - that the team must consist of greater or equal to 51% self-identified Asians. In this case, Roberto, though not at all of Asian heritage, is still an integral part of the team.

VACT specifically targets the Asian Canadian community where often Asian Canadians are performing for an Asian Canadian audience so they will explore themes more focused on Asian Canadian matters and issues, as this forum is not readily available elsewhere.

*Photograph: The Yangtzers at the interview, April 2010