“I take almost nothing seriously unless I absolutely have to,” Claire Nagy-Kato explained to me right as we sat down to talk. This bold statement came as no surprise, as Claire and I were hallmates freshman year, and I was lucky enough to witness her energy and humor on a daily basis.
I rarely saw her without a smile on her face and my hallmates and I came to rely on her to provide comic relief when we were stressed or upset. It came as no shock to us when, one day, Claire entered the hall and announced that she had been chosen to be a member of everyone’s favorite comedy troupe here at Wake, The Lilting Banshees.
Claire auditioned to be a member of the troupe after some of her peers on her
Wilderness to Wake trip explained how much fun they had had auditioning for Banshees. Being in a comedy troupe was something new for Claire, though cracking jokes has always been one of her fortes.
“I get a lot of my humor from my family. We are all really goofy and sarcastic,
especially my brothers” said Claire. “We are all joking way more often than we are serious.”
In the midst of her third semester as a member of The Lilting Banshees, Claire considers her fellow Banshees some of her very best friends at Wake. Being a member of the troupe has given her the opportunity to meet people very different than herself and to grow as a person and as a comedian.
“We all have that we are funny in common, but not necessarily much else. You have to be creative to be funny,” said Claire. “We each have something different which sparks our creativity and brings out our sense of humor.”
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Claire’s own personal humor is sparked by her heightened sense of observation and comes mostly from things she sees in daily life. She joked that others would not believe how many ridiculous signs and random funny incidences can be found around campus.
Next time you are in need of a good laugh, perhaps stop to read one. Claire explains that part of being funny is learning to laugh at yourself.
“We make fun of ourselves, and we make fun of other people, too,” Claire said bluntly. “We want people to have fun and laugh at our jokes but I also think the show is a great way for Wake students to alleviate some stress, take a break from studying and remember not to take everything so seriously.”
For Claire, being a member of Banshees has provided her with a creative outlet in which she can relax and relieve the stress of classes and work. She often leaves practices feeling super energetic and hyper, something which the members of my hall all got to enjoy last year. After being around her fellow Banshees, Claire feels funnier, as they play off of each other’s humor.
Meetings give the members a chance to be open and to talk about “crazy stuff and absurd ideas,” Claire argued. While she definitely enjoys going to Banshees meetings, being funny and producing sketches under time constraints can sometimes be a challenge. The troupe spends about nine hours per week throughout the semester writing and reading through sketches before they decide which ones will ultimately end up in the show.
At this point, Claire does not foresee any sort of professional engagement with comedy in her future but she will always maintain her jovial outlook on life and her loveable sense of humor.