Marty Younge Reflects on Covering JFL Without Sara: Just for Laughs Day 1
As the press request and coverage arrangements started to roll in I thought about sending Sara a message. Then I realized I couldn’t. I had cried and grieved her in April yet I still forgot in this moment it jolted me. Grief is weird. I had everything packed for the 40th anniversary of the just for laughs festival I had everything arranged it took me around 2 days. Yet something was still missing.
I had a moment in the mirror before leaving. I was sad about my mentor and friend. I developed an affinity for Sara’s writing long before we ever met. I met her here in the streets I was headed back to. Up until right this moment looking at myself in the mirror I felt like I wasn’t allowed to acknowledge that this year it wasn’t pure joy.
We would cover the festival together. We would have our own state of the industry comparing notes and having conversations about style. I really developed integrity in these short interactions you can feel however you want but your name is on what you write forever. She wanted to come to JFL42 in Toronto one day. We loved writing for the Interrobang because it allowed us to write about comedy like art. We had wild one day plans for a Skankfest.
Many cultures have this idea of embracing the darkness and negativity and pressing on. Looking in myself in the mirror I couldn’t act like the streets wouldn’t be a little bit haunted. Especially in that spot we first met and I didn’t realize it at the time but she discovered me as a writer.
Breaking my gaze with the mirror I resolved to do it up big. To sees shows to laugh be kind to everyone. I debated wearing my hair in her signature curls but decided against it as it would surely cause me to miss some unmissable show.
I placed a picture of her from 2018 in my television locket. I hope the right person will see it and in a way she will be introducing me to a new friend and we’ll cover the festival together one last time. I put on my locket and headed to the first night of the festival. Dave Merheje at a venue so hidden my Uber driver didn’t even know it. He was wild really on a Pryor groove yelling and dancing literally climbing the walls.
I felt like an only child at the first night of summer camp tired unfamiliar and yet all too familiar excited to get going and meet new friends.
This was followed by The Alternative Show hosted by notorious Canadian Grump comic Mark Forward an odd choice to welcome people the first night. He was tired, grumpy and didn’t do any material about the very obvious body transformation he has undergone. The highlight was a set by Pete Holmes that way late night and far from squeaky clean and Phil Wang who is poised to have a huge breakout moment at the festival.
As I was leaving I fell into conversation with someone about my work and they offered me Gala tickets that they couldn’t attend. I felt Sara.
As a walked back to my hotel. I just started to laugh in the darkness it guides the way.
Read more comedy news.
Marty Younge
Latest posts by Marty Younge (see all)
- 10 Great Artists Crushing Canadian Comedy in 2023 - December 27, 2023
- Midnight in the Woods with Bonez Poley - September 23, 2023
- Just for Laughs New Faces - July 30, 2023
