"Hilarious laughter, number one."
That's Damonde Tschritter's response about what the audience can expect from The Best of the West in which he's appearing with fellow comedians Paul Myrehaug and Toby Hargrave.
The Vancouver resident said he's has got about two hours worth of Rolodex material but also plans to write some new jokes for the Coquitlam show at the Evergreen Cultural Centre on Friday.
One joke he's been telling lately is about his grandmother's visit when he rescued her from a heroin junkie. "It's a true story," he said, "but it's slightly embellished. To make the story work, you have to add.
"It's like an uncle who tells you a story and the first time it's funny but by the tenth Christmas it's changed and has got a whole new ending," he said. "It evolves. And that's what comedians do to keep the story going. We're all bullsh-- artists."
Tschritter, a Parksville native, enjoys the fast-paced, stand-up routine of comedy clubs but the theatre venue allows more time to weave the yarn or to set up jokes, he said.
"In a comedy club, you have to give them a punch line every 20 seconds," he explained. "They tend to fade because there's so much going on. You have to work hard to keep their attention but in a theatre you can take the time for the audience to get to know you and you don't have to make them laugh all the time."
Tschritter has been friends with Myrehaug and Hargrave for about eight years. He met Myrehaug at a poker game and Hargrave on his way to a gig in Saskatchewan - a trip that lasted seven hours from Edmonton.
"That's the way you meet a lot of people in this business," he said. "They send you out to do a show. You get in a car for hours and, hopefully, by the end of it, you're friends."
The Best of the West: A Comedic Extravaganza runs on Friday at 8 p.m. For tickets call Evergreen (1205 Pinetree Way) at 604-927-6555.
