One Man Show LESSON PLANS TO LATE NIGHT Opens in DC: Interview with former teacher and comedian Lucas Bohn

Lucas Bohn, a former grade school teacher at Rolling Ridge Elementary School in Sterling, Virginia, has taken his experiences with his students and created a multimedia one man show that’s getting rave reviews and pushing him to the top of the comedian A-list. He’s now bringing his show to D.C.’s Drafthouse Comedy Theater. Since he’s from this area, Cinema Siren thought a chat with Lucas was in order. We asked him about his inspiration for the show, and how he found the courage to step away from his teaching career to reach for his dream of being a full-time comedian.

Cinema Siren: Specific to “Lesson Plans”, how do you decide which material to use, and how did you tweak the show while you were developing it?

Lucas Bohn: When I created the show “Lesson Plans to Late Night” it focused around my transition from full-time public school teacher to stand up comedian. Most of the slides are school-based examples of student work and funny signs that I've encountered while touring. If I know I'm going to be performing for a group of people that are involved in education, I include a lot of education related material. When I'm performing at a theater or performing arts venue I can replace some of the educational themed slides with others that cover a broader range of material. A lot of the show was trial and error. I would add a slide and then try it out that night. If it went well I included it. If not I replaced it with another one.

CS: You worked in the school system in Virginia. Is that where you got most of your material? Has there ever been some you realized was too over-the-top or inappropriate? Is your show G, PG, or racy?

LB: I taught in Loudoun County public schools for six years. There were definitely some examples of student work that I could include in my show. However, the beautiful thing about this show is that it can be customizable. I have had venues say "you can do an adult show". (rated R) and that's when I add those slides in.

CS: Do you remember the exact moment you realized there was a show in the using of your students’ answers, if so, can you talk about it a bit?

LB: I did a welcome back performance for a group of teachers in Loudoun County. I did mostly stand-up, however included a few examples of student work in the show. It went over really really well, and the teachers came up afterwards and told me what a great idea they thought the pictures (slides) were. I thought the show would only appeal to educators so kinda put it on the back burner. A few weeks later I was performing on a cruise ship and was asked to do a second show. I included some of the slides in that second show and the results were amazing. I remember walking off stage after the show and thinking "I might have something here”!

CS: Were you the class clown, and as a teacher, how did you respond to class clowns in your own classrooms?

LB: I was a class clown. So I get it. Most children act out because they want attention. I was the same way. I just had to find ways to engage them so that they got the attention they needed and then could focus on school. There was a lot of laughter in my class. We would joke around a lot, but the students knew when it was time to get serious and focus on school work. It was also fun because students saw me actively pursuing a dream. They saw me struggle and fail and then try again. They would ask about my tour schedule and any new material I was working. When I told them I was leaving teaching to pursue Comedy full-time they were very excited. Many of them knew that this was something that I'd been working on for a very long time.

CS: Is there, from your experience, an age that you think kids are at their funniest?

LB: I think right around the age of 9 or 10 kids start to develop a sense of humor. They begin to understand sarcasm and can read between the lines. A lot of comedy is based on over-generalizations, sarcasm, and misdirection.

CS: Can you talk about the transition from teacher to full time comedian?

LB: It was stressful but very exciting. I walked away from a traditional job into a career that I was totally in charge of. I was my own boss. You have to be ready for that type of transition. I did a college showcase in 2010 and essentially replaced my teaching income with college shows. I was nervous about leaving a safe job ( teaching) to pursue comedy full-time . My wife told me "you have to do this, you're only going to regret it if you don't". I took a risk, and took the next year off to pursue it a full-time, and I've never looked back. The hardest part is getting used to not having a traditional 9-to-5 job.

CS: who were your role models as a younger comedian? Or being a teacher, was it other comedians, or a mix of them and writers? (from what I’ve seen, I’d guess, beyond Foxworthy, you’re inspired by older comedians like the Smothers Brother.)

LB: I was very influenced by comedians Henny Youngman and Rodney Dangerfield. Both of them were great joke writers. Henny Youngman was an one-liner comedian. I would write his jokes down on notecards and study them. His jokes were quick, but very very effective. I liked that. Also my grandpa was a huge influence on me. He loved comedy and always had a joke ready to tell. He was the life of every family gathering and party I ever attended with him. He was very charismatic, funny and a born showman. I loved telling him jokes when I was young and making him laugh. It was an amazing feeling to make someone laugh, and one of the first experiences I ever had with comedy.

CS: can you describe why you think your show is so successful?

LB: I think my show is so successful because it is so relatable. Everybody's been to school. Most people have children, or at least work around children. For the first 18 years of our lives, most of us have the same educational experience. I simply use those experiences, along with my own story, to create a show. It's also a very simple show. There are no scene changes or costume changes, which allows the audience to focus on the funny. I'm also pretty good at standup. I perform all over the world for audiences that range in a variety of age groups.

LESSON PLANS TO LATE NIGHT opens at The Draft House Comedy Theater May 3rd, and plays through May 13th. For more information or to buy tickets, CLICK HERE.