Would you be surprised to learn that the top five degrees in demand in the US are in healthcare, technology, engineering, business, and mathematics? Probably not.
But as AI is introduced into nearly every facet of the workplace, college admission managers and HR directors are increasingly pointing to the importance of soft skills, the personal attributes and interpersonal abilities that define how you interact with others in the workplace. In the workplace of the future, they say, employers will seek out employees who demonstrate superb communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities.
Yet, our nation’s best colleges and universities don’t offer degrees in active listening or collaboration, do they? So what is an incoming freshman to do?
My two lunch guests,Travis Noote of Boomerang Comedy Club, and Terence Delaine of NO Show Comedy, would say take a class in improv. Or explore stand up.
Travis Noote, Owner of the BoomerAng Comedy Theater, doesn’t claim to be able to teach you how to be funny, but he can teach you improv, and that’s pretty much the same thing
Travis Noote fell in love with comedy in 2013 and became a devotee to improv, a form of live theatre in which the plot, characters, and dialogue are made up spontaneously by the performers at the moment of performance.
Travis took improv classes in South Carolina, Atlanta, and Savannah before moving to Baton Rouge to be closer to family. As he’d done in other cities, Travis signed up for and was taking classes at the Latco theatre, which he learned was going to dissolve soon. So, acting a bit on a whim and with a good deal of spontaneity, in 2022 Travis took the reins of the Latco venue and founded The Boomerang Comedy Theater, effectively turning a hobby into a 9-5 job.
Terence Delaine is a comedian who everybody agrees is talented and funny, and that’s not just our hometeam supporters, Terence works in Los Angeles too
If you are further in your comedic studies and perhaps pine for larger audiences on the West Coast, then Terence Delaine of NO Show Comedy is your man. No Show is a live production company operating in Los Angeles and Louisiana, hosting a monthly show at Squeaky Pete’s in downtown Baton Rouge, as well as frequent shows at The Station.
A native of Lake Charles, Terence has degrees in political science and public administration and a full-time job at the United Way. He’s been working as a stand up comic for more than a decade. Terence recorded a comedy special album that will soon be released on all streaming sites, including YouTube.
Amy Irvin enjoys the benefits of having comedians as guests on Out to Lunch at Mansurs On The Boulevard in Baton Rouge
Living in Louisiana, when it comes to entertainment we often think of Baton Rouge as playing second fiddle to New Orleans. Well, that’s the role people put Chicago in for years, in relation to New York City. But it might be worth pointing out that some of the nation’s most famous and memorable comics, like Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Steve Carell, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Bill Murray, Catherine O’Hara, and Joan Rivers got their start at Chicago’s Second City, which recently celebrated 65 years of business. It will be interesting to see who comes out of the Baton Rouge comedy scene in the next 5 or 6 years.
Out to Lunch is recorded live over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard. Photos by Ian Ledo and Miranda Albarez.
