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Monday, March 18
The Indiana Daily Student

arts

Limestone Comedy Festival kicks off June 2

Bobcat Goldthwait

When comedian-turned-filmmaker Bobcat Goldthwait takes the stage at next weekend’s Limestone Comedy Festival, it won’t be his first time performing in Bloomington — and he hopes it won’t be the last.

Goldthwait headlined his first ever show in Bloomington in the early 1980s as a young comedian. Decades later, he calls the Comedy Attic one his favorite venues in the country.

“I have a lot of fond memories of Bloomington,” Goldthwait said.

He’s one of dozens of comedians coming to town for the annual festival, which takes place June 2 to June 4 at venues across Bloomington: the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, the Comedy Attic, Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center, the Bishop and the Back Door.

Goldthwait has been doing stand-up comedy since he was 15, making an appearance on David Letterman just five years later.

“And now I’m 54 — mostly doing the same jokes,” he said.

During a period where he thought he didn’t like stand-up anymore, Goldthwait said he realized he just didn’t like his act. So he changed it.

“I was trapped in a persona I was famous for in the ‘80s,” he said. “I realized that if I was going to have fun on stage I was going to have to go out there and be myself.”

Goldthwait’s stand-up acts feature riffs on politics, divorce and his career as a writer and director of film.

That’s a passion he found later. Some of Goldthwait’s films have comedic undertones, but he likes to experiment with a variety of genres. Goldthwait directed “World’s Greatest Dad,” starring Robin Williams, which many considered a dark comedy.

He’s also written romantic comedies and scary Big Foot films, he said.

He’s looking forward to returning to the Limestone Film Festival especially to reconnect with some of his comedian friends. Goldthwait kicks off the festival at 7:30 p.m. Thursday along with four other comedians.

Other headliners include Roy Wood Jr., most known for his role on “The Daily Show,” and Justin Willman, who has appeared on “The Tonight Show,” “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and “Conan.”

Andy Erikson made her national television debut last summer on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing.” Since then, she’s been performing all around the country as part of the Last Comic Standing Live Tour.

Erikson will headline two shows — one at the JWAC and another at the Back Door.

Political comic and impressionist Mike MacRae, who’s been on Letterman, Comedy Central and “The Bob & Tom Show,” makes stops at the Bishop and Comedy Attic.

Goldthwait said his favorite thing about both stand-up and filmmaking is the storytelling. When he was a younger, less experienced comic he was always thinking about what he would say or do next on stage.

Now, he’s just looking for a story to tell.

“I’m more concerned with being fulfilled creatively and not as concerned with being fulfilled financially,” he said. “And I’m much 
happier.”

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