What led you from the Ontario Science Centre to performing absurdist comedy on stages with a sketch troupe?
I have a degree in physics and in some ways physics is a lot like comedy. It’s about exposing the truth underneath. It’s about expecting one thing and finding another. Physics fascinates me and I have a tremendous interest in it. But I knew I didn’t have the personality to be a physicist. All of my demonstrations at the OSC were full of humour. I found humour to be a powerful teaching tool. The OSC had a 40-foot long carbon dioxide laser; a million dollar machine used to burn holes through anything in six seconds flat, and its power was astounding. This was around the time of Star Wars and after I demonstrated the laser, there would be silence. Then I’d say to the class, “The only thing preventing this laser from becoming a weapon is not just its length, but the fact you’ll never find a holster big enough to hold it!” And this would be followed by laughter. I really found humour useful in clarifying, demystifying, and removing fear. I demonstrated for school groups and it was always th
