“American Squatter”
BARRY SMITH

Jesus In Montana: Adventures in a Doomsday Cult

"Five stars! A devastatingly significant work, a scintillating sense of humor, a magnificent turn of phrase and a way with a punchline that is jaw-dropping. You must see Jesus in Montana." - Montreal Gazette

In the early 90s, writer/performer Barry Smith found himself in a bizarre doomsday cult, living in the basement of a man who claimed to be the return of Jesus. After a few years of earnestly following "Jesus in Montana," Smith grew disillusioned (and tired of waiting for the oft-promised Apocalypse) and left the cult.

Then he wrote a comedy about it!

This absolutely true, multi-media, award-winning comedy offers an irreverent glimpse into the world of religious fanaticism from one who's been there and back. With pictures! Using his signature "Modern Monologue" style, Smith uses projected photos, old audio, home movies and hilariously simplistic graphs to further explain how one gets into — and out of — such a bizarre situation.

Winner of the 2005 New York International Fringe Festival Outstanding Solo Show Award, JESUS IN MONTANA is a timely and revealing comedy about a young man's personal road trip to discover Truth, spiritual fulfillment and ultimately, himself.

"Smith's delivery is fantastic — he's quick, dryly comical, and most importantly, authentic." - CBC Winnipeg

"Smith is most definitely a traditional humorist in the same vein as David Sedaris or Garrison Keillor. This piece is hilarious and a must-see piece of work." - nytheatre.com

"Who saves this stuff?"

That's the question at the heart of BARRY SMITH'S ME, MY STUFF, AND I, a multi-media, solo, autobiographical comedy about...stuff.

Writer/performer Barry Smith is certainly one who "saves this stuff," and has from a very early age. Traumatized by an early housecleaning mishap — his mother disposed of his impressive collection of first grade "See Spot run" scribblings-Smith vowed to never throw anything away again. The young Smith began documenting every detail of his existence, determined to understand himself and his place in the world by chronicling his life through ... stuff.

BARRY SMITH'S ME, MY STUFF, AND I is a disturbingly funny and inspiring multi-media comedy about our relationship with "stuff." Universally relatable (who doesn't have stuff?), the show examines how we attempt to hold on to our memories as a way of defining ourselves. "Both hilarious and poignant," says The Vancouver Province, "this show will make you think about your own life in entirely new ways."

"Think Spalding Gray and David Sedaris with a whole lot a audio and visual aids." The Aspen Times

A humorous alternative to traditional "career guidance," Barry Smith’s EVERY JOB I'VE EVER HAD offers up his own lifetime of offbeat work experience to demonstrate how unusual job choices can be the ultimate career plan.

"Jobs" and "careers" are two very different things. The primary difference usually involves a certain amount of passion, training and benefits — like health insurance and paid vacation. Award-winning performer Barry Smith has had a lot of (odd) jobs throughout his lifetime, and with each and every one, he eventually found his way to a meaningful career. Told using Smith’s signature multimedia “Modern Monologue” style, this presentation examines the employment consequences and rewards of a life spent following one’s bliss.

For students contemplating their own career paths, EVERY JOB I'VE EVER HAD is a refreshing, entertaining and thought-provoking look at why one should never stop pursuing their passion, no matter what job they have.

There's a huge difference between writing and talking about writing. Veteran newspaper humor columnist and performer Barry Smith offers WRITE NOW!, a snappy, fast, fun and quirky alternative to the traditional "Writer's Group." Instead of poring over something they've already written, Barry's highly popular workshop actually gets participants writing. Expect to blast through deadline anxiety and writer's block during this 2 1/2 - 3 hour proactive, non-critiqued workshop. You will even remember how much fun it is to write! For up to 25 participants of all writing abilities and experience.

Are you someone who thinks you have to go on vacation to collect souvenirs? Each day plenty of “artistic raw materials” passes through our lives: flyers, junk mail, grocery receipts, parking tickets, and to do lists. Each one of these items is a tiny reminder of the current state of our lives. This fun, hands-on workshop will explore the concept of creating daily, personal works of art using the stuff you might otherwise have thrown away. By focusing our attention to the overlooked details of our daily lives we learn to celebrate the fact that today is a full, rich, unique day in the ongoing story of our lives.

Participants should bring a journal (new or the one they are currently using) as well as a pile of “stuff” saved from the previous weeks — all the non-organic tidbits you would probably throw away, just save it up in an envelope and bring it to this workshop. The more stuff the better!