NYAPRS NOTE: Comedy Volunteers Wanted! Renowned comic David Granirer, founder of Stand Up For Mental Health, will be training people with psychiatric disabilities to do stand-up comedy at our Annual Conference this year! David, a counselor and stand-up comic who has done over 250 shows, has successfully trained hundreds of people to create and perform a comedy routine; you can watch (hilarious) clips of past trained comics on David’s website: http://www.standupformentalhealth.com/videoclips.shtml. We only have two spots left, and we would like to offer these special spots to you – first come first served! Below, please find all of the details regarding the experience and specific training information.
If you are interested, call Mary at (518) 436-0008 today!
“We use comedy to give consumers a powerful voice and help reduce the stigma and discrimination around mental illness” says Granirer. “The idea is that laughing at our setbacks raises us above them. It makes people go from despair to hope, and hope is crucial to anyone struggling with adversity. Studies prove that hopeful people are more resilient and also tend to live longer, healthier lives.”
Comedy Volunteers wanted for
STAND UP FOR MENTAL HEALTH!
Stand Up For Mental Health and NYAPRS are looking for a few volunteers to be part of a Stand Up For Mental Health class where people with mental health issues do stand-up comedy all about their mental health journeys. Stand Up For Mental Health was featured in the Voice Award winning documentary Cracking Up!
Led by David Granirer, a counselor and a stand-up comic who himself has depression, Stand Up For Mental Health aims to reduce public stigma around mental health issues and spread a message of hope and empowerment.
For more information go to http://www.standupformentalhealth.com
HOW DOES IT WORK?
We will have 6 weekly 2-hour classes beginning August 7 via Skype, plus David will work with each comic individually via phone and email. He will help you figure out what to write about, help you write your act, and give you general coaching. Your final act will be between 3-5 minutes.
And don’t worry if you have a problem memorizing because you can use cheat-sheets on stage.
WHEN IS THE SHOW?
At the NYAPRS Conference in the evening of September 18.
HOW DOES THE SHOW WORK?
The show will be 60-90 minutes in total. David will run and MC the show.
Criteria: Participants must:
- Be in Recovery
- Have access to a computer
- Have a support system of both peers and professionals
- Be able to read and write in English. Don’t worry – grammar and spelling don’t count! 🙂
- Have access to email, phone & SKYPE
- Have the motivation and desire to create healthy change
- And above all else, have a desire to do stand-up comedy
BUT I’VE NEVER DONE STAND-UP COMEDY!
Don’t worry. David has turned dozens of mental health peers into stand-up comics and he will do the same for you. Got to http://www.standupformentalhealth.com to see testimonials and video footage of them.
Also, David’s guarantee to you is: I will do whatever it takes to make sure that you succeed!
You’ll not only have an amazing experience, but you’ll also get to reduce public stigma around mental illness and have some great laughs.
People with mental illness are always being told what they can’t do. In this show, they get to prove what they CAN do!
“There’s something amazing about having members of your community take the stage at an event and rock the house,” says Granirer. It’s incredibly empowering and a great way of fighting public stigma. Most so-called normal people would never want to go anywhere near stand-up comedy. Seeing people with mental illness do it forces the audience to re-evaluate their perceptions of and prejudices against people who have a mental illness.”
David Granirer, Founder, Stand Up For Mental Health P: (604) 205-9242 F: (604) 205-9243 david@standupformentalhealth.com www.standupformentalhealth.com