Comedian Brian Copeland to Perform in Tri-Valley

Las Positas College announced today that multi-talented performer Brian Copeland will present his highly acclaimed one-man show “The Waiting Period: ‘Laughter in the Darkness’” at the College on Wednesday, October 1. The performance will be at 7:00 PM in the College’s Mertes Center for the Arts, Building 4000.

“The Waiting Period” is Copeland’s hard hitting, yet comical, look at his personal struggle with chronic depression. The show focuses on a 10 day period. That time was the mandatory waiting period before he could receive a newly purchased gun, with which he planned to end his life. Copland will stress how his wonderful sense of the comedy of life served him insidiously well as a buffer against the grim reality of his intention. His is a story both powerfully inspirational and life affirming.

Praise for Brian Copeland’s performances has been remarkably strong. Among many praising reviews, The New York Times said that he is “engaging.... [He] knows how to spin a dramatic yarn.” “The Los Angeles Times called Brian “a GENUINE discovery.” After viewing Copeland on television, the legendary Steve Allen called him “The brightest comedy mind I’ve seen in years.” Brad Kava of the San Jose Mercury News wrote, “Brian Copeland is the Black Howard Stern. He’s so far over the edge, he comes back around the other side....”

Brian Copeland’s performance will be open to students and the general public. Admission is $15 for General Admission and $12 for students. Tickets are available atwww.brownpapertickets.com. Visitors are reminded that the campus has a $2 parking fee. Daily parking permits are available from vending machines in the campus parking lots. The College is located at 3000 Campus Hill Drive, Livermore 94551. For more information, contact Professor Ernest Jones at (925) 424-1217 or atejones@laspositascollege.edu.

The Las Positas College Department of Psychology regularly presents world-renowned speakers and events for students and Tri-Valley residents. A frequent Las Positas College visitor was the late Kim Peek, the super-savant who inspired the Oscar winning film, “Rain Man,” starring Dustin Hoffman. Other past speakers have included “The Father of Modern Sleep Science,” Dr. William Dement; Stanford University Professor, bestselling author and leading authority on stress and health, Dr. Robert Sapolsky; Dr. John Ratey, bestselling author and associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School; and Dr. Temple Grandin regarded as the world’s most accomplished and best-known adult with autism who has been portrayed in an award-winning HBO movie.

Las Positas College currently enrolls approximately 9,000 students and offers curriculum for students seeking transfer to a four-year college or university, career preparation, or basic skills education. The College provides university transfer classes, retraining classes for those in need of employment or career advancement, a first-time educational opportunity for many adults, enrichment classes for those seeking a broader perspective, and career and technical training for those entering the technical and paraprofessional work force.

Las Positas College is a learning-centered institution focused on excellence and student success. It is fully committed to supporting Tri-Valley residents in their quest for education and advancement. Las Positas College faculty and staff are distinguished by their energy, creativity, and commitment to making a difference in the lives of the students they serve and the future of the Tri-Valley region.

—Information, photo submitted by Las Positas College