The State of Millennial Art: Tin Lorica

Want to know a joke? I don’t have one, but, Tin Lorica has many to provide Vancouverites. SAD’s Sarah Amormino sat down with the local comedian to talk industry. While it’s an undeniably hard one to crack into, Lorica holds key pieces to the comedic success puzzle. Their undeniably cool and funny personality is rooted in hard work and an entrepreneurial attitude. Lorica says the reason they co-created the comedy show Millennial Line was because, “I’m POC and not male.”

Sarah Amormino: How did you start out in comedy?

Tin Lorica: I got into comedy through poetry. I’ve always written poetry since I was young, but I didn’t really pursue it as something that I could perform or read in front of people until I did a creative writing program through The Frank Theatre. Most of the people in the program were aged 18 to 25—I was 23 years old— and a lot of them also identified as queer and POC. We did a bunch of workshops and writing prompts and got to really bond, because a lot of the work was formed from our experiences. We all put our individual work together as a devised piece that we performed, and so the launch of me performing anything was reading poetry. I know that I have a humorous voice, but when it came to the live show, I remember my mentor for the program approached me after and said, “Did you hear how many laugh breaks you got?”, I wasn’t expecting that, so in the back of my head I was thinking, ‘Maybe I should try comedy.’

SA: Do you feel like you have to change your voice in creative writing for comedy writing?

TL: No, I don’t think I do. My voice in poetry and in comedy are pretty similar. I’m pretty direct. Just one is sadder than the other. 

SA: What do you think about the arts community in Vancouver?

TL: People are flakey. I try really hard not to be flakey. I’m a type of person who likes to be on time to things and commit to social things… and I hate when people are late. I think it’s partly because we’re all tired and we don’t want to spend energy that we don’t have. 

Lorica performs at the Fox Cabaret. Photo by Tatum MacLean

SA: Does Vancouver inspire your writing?

TL: It does impact what I write about, mostly when I’m talking about white people because Vancouver is really white. 

SA: What do you think Vancouver’s perspective on comedy is?

TL: I don’t have a good feel for mainstream comedy in Vancouver… I don’t do YukYuks very often, I go there every other month, and I know I should change that because I know it’d be good for me. YukYuks is an institution where you can mingle with other comedians, but I’m a little intimidated by it because it’s very normy and it might not be exactly my crowd, but it’d still be good for me. 

SA: Networking with those normies?

TL: Yeah, networking with those normies… to get something out of that for myself. Just as a comedian, being able to adapt to audiences that aren’t necessarily my people, but I should obviously try to go after them.I have my own thing, I have my own space where I feel comfortable and I can be myself, but I want to become more polished as a comedian.

SA: Do you write every day?

TL: God no. I mean, I’m thinking about bits every day. Maybe it’s not the same thing as writing but I mean, it’s there, it’s just backed up.

SA: Where’s your favourite venue to perform at in the city?

TL: I’m kind of biased, and there’s more than one, but… my show.

SA: How do you think comedians in Vancouver can make each other feel more comfortable?

TL: Um… I don’t know… be nice?I think it could be more inclusive. I think maybe it’s all comedians everywhere, but we all just have like, bad personalities, which is why we all just do this thing.I really trust comedians and appreciate those who don’t schmooze and just keep to themselves and do their own thing. But also, I think it’s because I could be more sociable when it comes to networking.

SA: Do you have any advice for young comedians who are just getting started in the industry?

TL: I mean, like, I would love some advice. But basically, just go to the shows. I guess that’s really important, because as a comedian you’re constantly taking in other people’s work all the time. 

SA: How do you deal with nerves?

TL: In my first six months of going on stage I would just dry heave. 

SA: But on stage, how do you keep it together?

TL: I just have to start saying the words, and it doesn’t matter how anxious I get on stage, once I say all the words and hit the punchlines, the work is there, and people will absorb the information. Most of the anxiety is in my head. When I go up to people afterwards and tell them I was freaking out they say, “Woah you looked so calm and collected up there”. Anxiety doesn’t translate necessarily. 

SA: Do you ever experience a really annoying laughter in the audience?

TL: Never. I love to hear an extreme response like that. I’m honestly just grateful for an audience. 

SA: Do you ever feel like you’re not taken seriously because of your age?

TL: Totally. I don’t think it’s something that people will vocalize. I’m not that worried about the age thing, because I like letting my work speak for itself. If you don’t take me seriously because of my age, that’s your problem. 

Lorica is the producer and host of Millennial Line – a comedy show that’s on every third Thursday of the month at Red Gate Arts Society on Main Street. Check out the details for October’s show here.