OK, so this is mysterious. Who is this unidentified man? What does he look like? I’ve looked at his website, all his social media profiles but it was all a complete waste of time. I’m pretty sure he exists. He does have a name: Steve Chang. But I need to know more. So, grab a drink, settle in and find out what I discovered.
Disclaimer: It may or may not be a waste of your time…
SAT: I suppose that the first question has to be, “Do you exist?”
SC: If a comedian performs at a Fringe Festival and no one is around to hear it, do they exist? I’d say not for long. I’d probably end myself if that happened. But I definitely exist. And there’s only one way to find out for sure – come to my show. If I don’t exist, I’ll refund your ticket.
SAT: A Complete Waste of Time is a stand up comedy and storytelling show. “Ayahuasca, hookers, and gay conversion camp.” Not your average storylines – please tell us more!
SC: This show is about true stories from my life. Some of my experiences may sound outrageous and I’ve cherry-picked some of the most provocative moments. But I believe that everyone has incredible and interesting stories if you dig deep enough. Of course not everyone is willing to share their best stories and not everyone is a good storyteller. But if hookers are the oldest profession in the world, there’s gotta be tons of great hooker stories. You don’t always hear about them and I guess because people hold back. But not me – I’m like a hooker. Come to my show and pay me and I’ll put out.
SAT: You’re quoted as saying, “I figured out that everything in life is completely meaningless. So you should spend your time wisely and not waste your life doing things you don’t care about.” Was there any one poignant moment or event that inspired this profound insight?
SC: Taking Ayahuasca changed my outlook on life. Ayahuasca is a psychedelic drug made from plants in the Amazon jungle. So my experience in Peru was really intense and it made me question what is real in this world. Then you have to go back to your normal life and try to make sense of what happened. I came to the conclusion that life is meaningless. And maybe that’s the truth or maybe it’s bullshit and the ayahuasca was meaningless. Either way, I feel that most people are stuck working in jobs they don’t care about. And when you’re not working there’s all this other crap that takes up your whole day. And that’s a shame, that people are spending most of their life on things that are meaningless.
SAT: You are premiering this show to the southern hemisphere for the Adelaide Fringe. How was it received by the northern hemisphere audiences?
SC: Shout outs to the northern hemisphere. NoHem is so fucking tight. Audiences love the show, but the hard part has been getting people to come out to see it. I guess some people don’t want to take a chance on a blank face or something. At any rate I’m excited to premiere in the southern hemisphere. I love everyone and I’m hemisphere agnostic.
SAT: Is this your first time in Australia? The way you look at life and your experiences inspire your creative work and your storytelling. Do you think there will be some Aussie experiences woven into your next show?
SC: Yeah this is my first time in Australia. I’ve always wanted to visit so the Fringe festival was a great excuse to make a trip. My comedy is inspired by everything that happens in my life so I’ll definitely be looking for Aussie experiences. In fact, I’ve already started swiping on Tinder with an Australian location, so we’ll see how many Aussie “experiences” I can fit in.
SAT: You’re a well known comedian in the US and have had a very successful tour in the Edinburgh Fringe. What are the creative challenges in staging a show to new audiences and also on the other side of the world?
SC: I may be well known in the US but I want to be well known worldwide, and it’s always interesting to see what works for different audiences. When I did the show in Edinburgh, there were certain references that got lost on the UK crowd. So I swapped out the name of a US celebrity for a UK celebrity and it got a better reaction. There’s stuff like that but I think my comedy is universal for the most part. The other thing for this run is when I start talking to the crowd, I hope I can understand the audience when they respond in that wacky Australian accent.
SAT: Logistically it must be difficult sourcing a venue when you can’t just pop in to view it and talk to the manager. How did you locate A Club Adelaide and how have you found working with Kerry Marsh and the team?
SC: I didn’t know much about any of the venues but I’m happy I stumbled onto A Club Adelaide. One thing about sourcing venues is you can look at pictures and the website but you can’t always get a feel for the staff. Fortunately, the manager Kerry Marsh has been fantastic. You can tell he is really invested in the Fringe and wants all of the artists to succeed. He can also confirm that I exist.
SAT: What are you looking forward to most about the Adelaide Fringe and your time Downunder?
SC: I’m really looking forward to performing for new audiences. It’s great to be able to travel and connect with new people and I’m grateful for this opportunity. Besides the festival, I’m looking forward to toilets that flush in the wrong direction.
“Ultimately I hope audiences will come away thinking this was a complete waste of time.”
Only one way to find out!
A Complete Waste of Time is playing Feb 15-24 at:
Loft at A Club Adelaide 109 – 111 Waymouth St, Adelaide, SA, 5000
Tickets and more information here
Follow Steve – a good use of your time 😉
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