Production of Applause and Ideastream Public Media is made possible by funding by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

Coming up, a former Mormon missionary finds his calling in comedy.

Clevelanders.

Hop on board the funny bus and just like that, Bob's your uncle.

Welcome to another round of Applause.

I'm your host, Kabir Bhatia, right now.

We're here at Playhouse Square, which you might know is where our studios are located.

And this has been home to numerous comedians over the years George Burns, Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle, oh, Martin Short, and I guess the banjo player, Steve Martin.

Even David Sedaris is coming as well.

So this has been home to numerous comedians.

We're going to share some stories of Cleveland comedians created in partnership with students from the Cleveland State University School of Film.

First up, a former Mormon missionary figured out that he was hanging out with the wrong crowd.

And ever since then, he's found a home on stage.

I'm going to head inside while you get to know Cleveland comedian Bill Squire.

Put your hands together for Bill Squire!

Im Bill Squire I'm a comedian and podcaster, and I've been doing it for over 20 years and I love it.

It's so fun.

If someone tried to assassinate me.

What?

Before I started comedy, I didn't really know who I was.

I knew I liked making people laugh, I knew I liked attention, I knew that I liked to, you know, make people feel good about themselves.

But I was coming out of a religious upbringing that tried to put me in this box, that I wasn't really feeling a good connection to.

It's cool to do comedy.

I've been doing it for 21 years, and yeah Early on in comedy The challenges that I faced was just people thinking it was a hobby and thinking they're like, oh, he's just going to do this for a little while and not really develop, an actual career out of this the kids in my neighborhood oh my god, I hate all of them.

There's actually one I like, and this is why I like em.

Last year we got a pool from Walmart.

Not bragging.

And, was filling up with water.

As I'm filling up, all the kids neighborhood start creeping over to my house like the undead.

They're all.

It's all going to.

They come up and they start talking.

Me.

They're asking me questions like, hey, that's a pretty cool pool.

Could I go swim in your pool?

Hey, like, your pool could go swimming in your pool?

Hey, can I have a popsicle?

My mom tried to enroll me in a class for, auctioneers.

She's like, it's still talking into a microphone and still talking in front of a lot of people.

And so she signed me up for the class, and I went to the first class.

And like the first break that we took, I went to the instructor of the class.

I'm like, hey, this class is not for me.

My mom told me to come and do this because she was worried about me having like a way to make money for my life.

And my mom was very upset that I left that class, and just continued to pursue comedy.

So my name is Bill Squire.

I'm kind of a fat guy.

And, that's why I dressed like this.

Because it kind of hides it.

Got to wear the tie so a button doesn't shoot off and hit one of these people in the face on my early comedy was still pretty autobiographical, where it's like telling stories or like kind of using my real life experiences to try and make people laugh.

And, I remember the first joke that I ever wrote that would work pretty much anywhere.

I talk about how I wasn't good with women and how I got this one girl flowers was that she freaked out on me.

She's like, Bill, I don't think of you that way.

I don't even think of you as a friend.

You're like an acquaintance, a decent acquaintance.

So why did you get me flowers?

And I was like, well, you know, it was Mother's Day.

And I was like, well, you know, it was Mother's Day.

And you're my mom.

And so, like, it started with a lot of self-deprecating humor, because that's also how I like, deflected from bullying and stuff like that when I was younger.

And then it kind of shifted into, like, more of a, you know, I still do some self-deprecating stuff, but I like, a narrative of kind of explaining my point of view of the world and trying to help people, like, laugh at some stupid situations that we have in the world, or just find a new way to talk about things that have been talked about so many times, like relationships or your relationship with your parents or just whatever.

So it started real self self-deprecating and then kind of grew from there until like, what I think is like a pretty well-rounded, voice in comedy.

I was raised Mormon, and it's a big deal in the Mormon community for young men to go on a mission.

And it's two years.

You're very isolated from your family.

During those two years, you can only talk to them through letters or email.

I did that in 2002 to 2004, and one thing that I did like about it was I would get to prepare these lessons, and I'd put my own little spin on them and try to make them funny and engaging and creative.

And I do it in a, in Tagalog, another language.

And I was able to make people laugh and feel good in another language.

So I was like, oh, I can do it in another language.

I can definitely do it in English.

Took those skills that I learned while being a missionary and applied it to stand up comedy.

Once I got home from the mission in 2004, because I was bullied for being dumb as a kid, like I remember in, school, we're learning all the states, and I had to we had to read all the states out loud in the class, and the first day that I had to read out loud was Arkansas.

And so I was like, oh, I got this R-Kansas.

I'm so committed to being in comedy all these years because I have no other way of making money.

I've been doing this for so long.

I didn't go to college.

I was a bad high school student.

I technically have a diploma, but I didn't earn it because my mom did a course for me that made it so I could get my high school diploma.

So I don't count it really, unless I need to in certain circumstances.

But like, I'm, I'm I really have no other way of making a living than just going out and doing comedy.

So I, you know, I've figured out a way to, to make an okay living for 20 plus years and, pretty proud of it.

I did go through a lot of depression during all the, the pandemic stuff.

I was depressed a lot.

And the one of the ways that I dealt with my depression is, I would say, funny words about my marriage to therapy.

I just said funny words that, like myself, that's how I cheered myself up.

If I go out and about, I get a little bit sad.

I just say a funny word and I had to say out loud or it didn't make me happy.

So I just be out and about around people.

I'd say something like, jambalaya from the first time I walked on stage.

I did an open mic at a place called the Rose theater in Medina, which used to be like our theater growing up, like our local movie theater.

They turned it into a, live event venue.

And I went on stage, and I didn't even do that well, but I loved the laughs that I did get, which were few and far between.

But I was like, I can, I can do this.

I can get less nervous.

I can hone my writing, I can I can figure this out.

And so that was May of 2004.

And right, right from the get go, I was like, this is it.

This is what I'm going to do.

And it's been what I've done ever since.

Bill Squire tours frequently, but if you miss his appearances here in his hometown, you can see him on his self-titled YouTube channel.

for.

Our next comedian is also always on the move because her stage is on four wheels and headed directly for fun.

It's Sarah Vulpio, your tour guide on Funny Bus.

Cleveland.

All right.

Welcome to the funny bus everybody.

How are we doing?

my name is Sarah.

I am your comedian today.

This is our driver, Keegan.

Everyone say hi.

Keegan.

Hi Keegan!

So there's three different comedians.

You're always going to get a different show depending on which comedian you have.

Everybody has their own style and how they do things and the music they play and which stuff they talk about.

I cannot emphasize enough how much I had never thought about doing standup in my life.

Like I was always like, very funny and like silly, like growing up.

Like I'd make up songs with my sister and like, I was a theater kid and I did choir and like, I was very much like, I love to perform.

I love to be the center of attention.

Duh.

So this is perfect for me.

But like, stand up or just telling jokes in general.

That was me talking about like, I watched a friend go do stand up at Euro Giro.

And then I was like, let's get to work.

And I practiced this set religiously.

I would say it in my sleep, I would say it in the shower, I would say it.

It's like to myself walking to class, I remember my friend Dylan came up to me after and he was like, you need to like, take a breath because you're not giving people time to laugh.

And I was like, right?

But in my mind, I'm also not giving them time to not laugh.

So my whole thing was like, if you just, like, speed through everything you have to say, you don't give them a reaction.

And but I loved it.

And it was so much fun and I really just thought I was like, I'll try it once and then that'll be it.

And then comedy became like my whole life and anybody been on the funny about before?

No.

Oh my God, I love virgins.

Okay, so if by some chance you're cold, we do have blanket.

For an extra fee, I will sit on you and for an additional charge, I won't fart.

So that sparks your interest at any point, let me know.

Okay.

Well, I was maybe a year into doing stand up, and Kent State had Amy Schumer coming to perform.

And at the time, she was like, my favorite.

And I messaged the events people at Kent State.

And I was like, can I open for her?

I was like, I was a year into stand up and I had no business doing that.

I wish I had the delusion that I did when I was that young, but I'm not saying I live now.

It's small hands.

Ladies, and nobody's ever bothering you in a bar.

Put your hand up.

It is crystal clear, like my hand is so much bigger than yours that, well, a woman has life.

It's an hour and a half.

And you are.

It's not like a stand up that we're on stage for five, ten, 15 minutes, and then you can go.

It's like you're stuck with these people on a bus for an hour and a half, sometimes two hours.

You have nowhere to go, like you need to, like bring it and you got to figure it out.

All right?

So we had it to our one time, and we drive by this church and everybody is outside, like, dressed really nice, like black tie.

And I was like, oh my God is so funny.

We'll go by with the windows up.

And I'm like, all play bites the dust.

With this wedding, it was not a wedding and it was a funeral.

And they did not find it as funny as you guys did.

Luckily, the thing that the bus has that stand up shows now is we have facts and we have music you can play and there's people, you know, in the summertime when we can have the windows up, you can interact with people on the street.

So it's a lot different than stand up, but you have to have stand up experience to do it, because some people get on and think that I'm just doing stand up for an hour, half and a half, which is psychotic.

We're coworkers, but we actually became good friends.

I mean, her tours are amazing.

He's a great person.

She solid.

She knows what she's doing.

She's on top of it.

Sure.

What is my favorite part about performing on The Funny Bus?

Literally everything it is.

I'm such a nerd when I talk about it, but it is like my favorite job that I've ever had in the history of the world.

I love to do crowd work because you get to meet so many different kinds of people.

Do you want to like it?

Yeah.

You sure?

Because this is, you know, I'm just making sure.

Okay.

Oh, you don't like it?

Oh, the face was the candy corn.

Oh, yeah.

There's jokes that I've been telling since I started, which is now almost two years ago.

To the audience, they're like, oh my God, that's so funny.

I've never heard that before.

But to me, I'm like, I've told this joke 87 million times, but the crowd work aspect is fun because then it pushes you to like, you have to be funny on the spot and riffing and proud of it.

And it.

That is probably my favorite part.

I love when people on the street film us.

I'm like, why are you showing this dude?

He's like, look at all these people having fun.

And I don't know, but it's it's just so much fun and making people laugh and, and having people come up to you after and they're like, you are so funny.

Like, we want to book this again.

It just feels good to like, love something so much and then have people compliment you for it and like, be really excited to like, have you again?

Like, I've had repeat people come on the bus who have been on my tours like five times and they're like, today I brought my husband and his family and the next time we brought this because they're like so excited and they love it.

So much, which is like the biggest compliment because it's like they've seen, like I said, you know, they've seen the same jokes a million times, but they're still excited to come back and like show other people what it's all about.

The Funny Bus is terrific.

I've never been on the funny bus, so I was surprised.

And the comedian is excellent.

She's subtle.

She's improv.

She has all of the things that you would want to see in a comedian, and that would make you have an enjoyable time.

I think comedy does make the world a better place, because we'd all just be crying all the time.

Like, where would the world be without laughter?

You know, that's probably the cheesiest thing I've ever said in my life, but I don't care.

It's true.

It's like, you know, look at the world today.

It's like people make jokes about it and you're like, you got to if.

Because if we don't laugh, we cry.

So I think comedy is very important.

Is it the most important thing to me?

Yes.

But in the world of things, probably not.

But I think it it does impact the world in a positive way.

All right, you guys, that has been our tour.

Did you have a good time?

Yeah.

Thank you guys for hanging out with us today.

You are so much fun.

Let's give a round of applause to Keegan and.

You can hitch a ride on Funny Bus Cleveland on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year.

Now, it's one thing to perform on a bus, but how about at a courthouse?

Allow myself to explain myself in this edition of what it was.

Behind me is the current home of Akron's Municipal Courts for justice, not for basketball, but a long time ago on this site.

What it was was the home of entertainment downtown.

In 1918, the Akron Armory opened as a training site for National Guardsmen.

That same year, it served as an emergency hospital during the Spanish flu pandemic.

However, the large auditorium was perfect for symphony orchestras, wrestling and boxing matches, expositions, theater and even political rallies.

It was a welcoming stage for both black and white musicians, including vocalist and later Akronite Dolores Parker.

When she toured with jazz master Duke Ellington in 1968, Summit County began eyeing the property as a potential site for a new administration building that kicked off a decade of negotiations.

And in that time, most of the shows moved to E.J.

Thomas Hall, and the guard moved out as well.

The armory was finally demolished in 1982, making way for a new government office building named for Ohio State Senator Oliver Ocasek.

Today you can still see this statue, which used to be in front of the old armory, now in Charles Goodyear Park, just down the street.

Honoring veterans of World War One.

I don't think he ever played a former courthouse, but our laid back friend, Ramon Rivas did get his own Comedy Central special a few years back.

Go behind the scenes with Rivas, who's now an elder statesman of Northeast Ohio's comedy scene.

hello, my name is Ramon Rivas.

I'm from Cleveland, Ohio.

I used to live out there with my sister because it was super duper free I like comedy because I can say whatever I want, when I'm on stage.

Because sometimes I don't get to do that when I'm on stage.

Because it might be seen as aggressive, but if I'm on stage and can kind of just have to adjust and think about it without being able to get upset or, you know, interact in a tangible way, like the I'm talking listen and you laugh like that's the exchange.

It's not anything different I don't know if America's really into policing people's personality when they're telling I know, I know America's inclusive of our founding documents starts with We the people.

I'm like, yeah, that's not inclusive if I say we all have a good time with hilarity tonight, that means we all had a good time.

If I'm like, We the People had a good time, you're like, who wasn't the person?

Before them?

Well, I mean, I feel like comedy's so ingrained in most of pop culture.

There's a white House Correspondents Dinner.

It's always a comedian who hosts it, when they have an award ceremony, it's usually a comedian or comedic entity hosting the event because it is a skill set that's, like, valuable to build upon if you're having a live experience.

And it also translates to literature can be funny, you know, it's in everyday, like you hang out with your friends who make you laugh the most.

You don't hang out with your Debbie, the people who make you cry, as much unless you're dating them, in which case you probably are doing both because he doesn't like one on one situations.

That same day I had picked, it was just me and him, and I was like, you want to go get some ice cream or some food?

Is I. We'll just wait for the other two.

And I was like, why can't we just go now?

Just be me and you, and then we'll come get them and do something else.

He was like, I, I'm like one on one situation, giving people the space to to actually have authentic connections and moments without most of the time you go to a show, you just kind of in your own little bubble and then you leave.

You leave before it pops.

We come in and all our bubbles merge with, it's like a community.

So I'm going to slowly make a song by the end of the night.

And if you feel like singing sonnet in or rapping over the song, you're more than welcome to.

But if you bad, everyone's gonna know.

I got some stuff on Sirius XM, so start getting to passive income without having to work.

And like, I got my first charcoals, I got back lots of money and I got I was like, yo, what do people with money do?

Something about art?

That's the first thing.

And then I started thinking.

I was like, I could just open the pool for the whole community.

That's how I was thinking, literally, because I got $2,000.

There's food.

If you if you didn't eat you, you can have a little bite.

But you could throw in there, and then.

So Fritos, you can make this from scratch.

You can find it in Goya aisle I'll looks a little different.

Its in a jar like this, in the Goya aisle it's red for some reason.

But I get it homemade.

At this latino store in Lorain mom of the owner makes it in bulk quantities.

So and you think as a professional performer, you know, there's little things like how to talk into the mic, how to like, keep it down when you at the bar and then the show happening.

But you're saying everyone's different.

But you, it was it was so far, and she so old she just got done performing So she's kind of out of breath.

What?

She was accepting.

And so.

But people started yelling, turn up the mics!

And over this frail old black woman accepting a lifetime achievement award.

Comedy's taken me a lot of places.

It's taken me all over the world.

You know, I've traveled all over the country and performed.

I've spent a significant amount of time in New York and Los Angeles.

In 2008, I got to go do this thing called the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, which is, huge festival out in Edinburgh, Scotland.

And that was really cool because that's like a big there's like thousands of shows.

And just to be able to run my own hour there, I did my hour 22 times while I was in Scotland.

I did like 58 shows over the course of like 22 days.

I like my youngest nephew's a little bit of a weirdo.

Like, he walked in on me.

I was playing a basketball game on my PlayStation one day.

He was like, I don't understand why you play this game so much as I always, because I'm not athletic enough to play actual basketball.

He's like, no, I get that part.

Who's I just don't understand.

Like, why do people play basketball?

Like, what's the point of a game of basketball?

And I was like, oh, well, you score more points than the other team and you win.

And he's like, well, why do people want to win?

What's the point of winning?

And I was like, I think it has something to do with their dad's, comedy scenes.

It's only ever comedy scene is its own kind of unique thing.

I mean, it's vibrant.

You can get up every night of the week in Cleveland, you can get up every night.

I was in New York for sure, multiple times, in LA It's very hard to get up every night of the week unless you're past a certain amount of clubs and good in the indie scene.

And like, you know, there's comics who moved out there who like, go from performing, you know, once or twice a night to you're doing once a month, twice a month.

So it's a big drop off out there.

So it's Cleveland's got a very accessible comedy scene.

It's a very equitable comedy scene in the sense of like, you could get a lot of stage time without having to jump over a bunch of hurdles or drive super far.

You know, if you live in Dayton, you might have to drive to Columbus, drive to Louisville, drive to Cincinnati to get up that night.

Cleveland, you just Lakewood or Cleveland Heights or, you know, Parma.

Everything's really kind of relatively close.

And I was like, you don't want to play any sports, man.

He was like, nah.

I was like, why not?

He thought about for a second.

He was like, I guess I just don't like trying, a stand up comedian, with specials on Comedy Central, HBO Latino, been on a Netflix show.

Actor I've been on Broad City, Crashing I'm a writer.

Just mostly fan fiction.

And then I'm a music producer.

I got two albums out, and then I'm a community builder.

I run a show every Sunday at Dunlap's Corner Bar in Cleveland, Ohio.

I'm an eminent Latino.

Just because of all those things.

And now for something completely different next time on Applause as we explore the complicated landscapes of indigenous artist Kent Monkman, whose work is on view in Akron.

There was these narratives of indigenous perspectives that I wanted to express through this very sophisticated language of painting.

Plus, the Cleveland Orchestra performs Tchaikovsky's Magnum opus.

All that and more in the next round of Applause.

Well, that's it for our half hour comedy hour.

Created with our student friends from the Cleveland State University film school.

Ideastream Public Media's Kabir Bhatia.

And we're going to close things out with some musical funny by the Cleveland Americana band Country Honk.

Here's their rockin tune with just one line.

“Bob's Your Uncle.” Bobs Your Uncle Production of Applause and Ideastream Public Media is made possible by funding by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.