‘The pandemic opened up many issues that society had been suppressing and hiding for years ‘

Conversation with comedian Marc Trinidad

‘The pandemic opened up many issues that society had been

suppressing and hiding for years’

 

Marc Trinidad

Just ask Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle who is the best Caribbean Canadian comic they have worked with and the answer will be the same – Marc Trinidad.

True to his surname, Marc Trinidad was indeed born and raised in Trinidad.

After working theatre and sketch comedy in Trinidad and Tobago for  several  years, he decided to come to Canada to gain some international exposure. He has lived and worked in the “Great White North” for over 20 years and has carved out a ” stand-up” career  and is in constant demand almost  evereywhere English is spoken.

With nightclubs closed and comedy festivals on hold, Trinidad – the comedian – is hunkered down at home  “waiting out the virus shutdown.”

Over the weekend, the standup man had a sit-down question and answer session with Stephen Weir. He

also took a selfie for The Caribbean Camera  during the interview.

STEPHEN WEIR : Where are you spending the quarantine?

Marc Trinidad

MARC TRINIDAD: In Barrie! The city gives me a comfort level I didn’t have in the GTA. I’m Caribbean. The speed of life I need is found further away from big cities. I like it here.

I’m just beginning to become social again. I can’t say I’ve had many interactions with anyone outside of my family (he has a wife and four children), whom I’ll add, have just found out that I didn’t know pickles were cucumbers. Matter of fact, they found out the same time I did. Oh and Raisin juice and grape juice are the same too. The joys of dinner as a family!

STEPHEN  WEIR: Have you been able to use this enforced downtime to be creative?

MARC TRINIDAD: During the quarantine, I’d love to say I utilized the time for writing and creating. But to be truthful, I wasn’t positive about what I was seeing in the world in the beginning and still carry some apprehension now.

The pandemic opened up many issues that society had been suppressing and hiding for years and now that they’ve bubbled to the surface, we are struggling to find the proper path forward. These global issues do affect me as I do try to spend time reflecting on them. I have always, in my comedy and my life, tried to speak truth and positivity.

Looking always for those silver linings that most neglect. So with the overwhelming amount of social and societal input, my comedy muscle atrophied during these months.

People think comics are switched on at all times. Some of us are empaths and get affected by the ebbs and flows of the energy of social issues. I’m one of those.

STEPHEN WEIR: Until you get back on stage what are doing on- line?

MARC TRINIDAD: I can say that I have begun my training and I’m getting back in shape by working on transferring my comedy into online digital rants similar to a John Oliver or Andrew Schultz. Took a while to get the equipment and skills needed to pull a semi professional look together but I’m getting there.

STEPHEN  WEIR: What do you think lies ahead for the art of comedy ?

MARC TRINIDAD: As for the future of comedy, I see everything coming back to pre-virus days. The only question is when it will. In the meantime, the digital world beckons as a gap that us pure, club style stand up comics, need to become fluent in. As things reopen. so shall we. In the meantime I’ll suck on the CERB tit.

STEPHEN WEIR: Where can people see you these days?

MARC TRINIDAD :I have a group off younger comics I work with and we put on shows routinely under the weownthenorth banner.

www.weownthenorth.com.

Marc Trinidad has a number of videos on YouTube and posts on Instagram (iammarctrinidad)

and Facebook (Marc Trinidad).