Writer/ creator Aji Slater, of San Francisco’s Sourdough Productions, brings “Geek Life” to the stage at the Victoria Event Centre. “Geek Life” is a look into the life of a geek, though the title of geek does not necessarily limit itself to those of the comic book or Dungeons and Dragons variety. Instead Aji, a former performer with The Ringling Brothers Circus, views being a geek as someone who is passionate about something. It is Aji’s passion to become an entertainer and it is through that journey that he derives the stories of “Geek Life”.
Martlet: How would you sum up your show in a sentence or phrase?
Aji Slater: It’s been described as a John Cusack movie meets TED talk…with juggling.
M: Where did you get the idea or inspiration for your show?
A.S.: They always say, “write what you know.” So I wrote about being a huge
geek. A geek about geeks, preaching about finding passion, loving what you
love.
M: What is the most interesting experience you’ve had while performing?
A.S.: We partner with a charity or cause when we do our shows, this time the
cause is suicide prevention. Every show we put out a hat to donate to the
Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP), and I’m continually amazed by
the generosity of our audiences to give to a good cause. [We’ve raised] over $1,000 so far.
We chose that group in memory of a close friend of ours we lost just before we left on tour. In each city, we donate 50% of our profits from ticket sales from one of the performances to the CASP. In Victoria, that show is Thursday August 29 at 6:30pm.
M: Is there a message or a moral you’d like audiences to take away from your show?
A.S.: Most importantly, people will laugh and enjoy the show. It’s about having
fun for an hour. It’s a comedy about having passion, liking things, and
being unafraid to demonstrate that affection.
M: If your characters could live in any era other than their own, what would it be and why?
A.S.: That’s easy, it would be the turn of the 20th century and the height of
vaudeville. When there was no television and performers would crisscross
the globe to bring live entertainment to the people. Not unlike our Fringe
Festival Tour this summer.
Geek Life at Victoria Fringe
Victoria Event Centre, 1415 Broad St
Sunday, Sept. 1 @ 5:45 p.m.
$11 Regular, $9 Student/Senior (plus $6 Fringe Visa Button)
