The Coffee Guest
Bonnie Nish interviews
Randy Jacobs
Randy Jacobs' (a.k.a -
RC Weslowski) name comes up in a causal conversation one
night as I’m driving a friend, Trevor Spilchen to the airport.
“He is the glue that holds the Slam community together,”
Trevor freely gives. “He is a great performer and a great guy and you can quote
me on that.”
Trevor is not alone in his estimation of what RC Weslowski
has become in this tight-knit community. Over the years RC has become an icon
and there are so many reasons one could give for this having happened.
For one RC’s words count. If you want to see someone perform
who gives it their all, who tells you what they believe, who shares what they
think really matters in this sometimes insane world, then that person is RC. But
he goes beyond words; he is also action. President of the Vancouver Poetry
House, a member of the current Vancouver Poetry Slam Team and coordinator of the
recent Canadian Festival of the Spoken Word 2005, RC’s
journey into the performing arts began ten years ago.
“When my Dad and Grandfather died, I wasn’t in a good place
mentally. I dropped out to tend to myself.”
What that meant was a trip across Canada alone. RC started to
think about writing at this time and, when he came back, took a writing course
at UBC once a week.
“I had it in me but I didn’t know how to get it out. There
were four or five of us from the class who met every few weeks to write. Then
there were two of us until he moved away and then there was just me.”
Randy was at a point in his life where he knew he wanted to
express himself creatively and decided to go back to acting school. While there
he met David MacMurray Smith who was teaching
Creative Character Development and Personal Transformation through Clown.
“That course changed my life, in some ways saved my life. A
wake-up call. To boil it all down, it allowed me to take myself a lot less
seriously. Even in the bleakest of moments and the darkest of feelings I found
it tremendously important and freeing to be able to laugh at one's self. How
absurd and silly it all is, and through that how amazing and miraculous it is as
well.”
An important message to learn and anyone who has seen Randy
perform today knows he still carries this with him. He will have his audience on
the edge of their seats with anticipation. Having grabbed their attention with
some issue he then takes them in a completely different direction which makes
them laugh and realize there really are two sides to everything.
“I can remember doing a clown exercise where we release our
diaphragm muscles and practice letting go of the control of our breaths...you
then begin to laugh or cry and hopefully cycle in between the two extremes while
allowing your breath to follow its own impulses. Eventually you vocalize and I
was lying on the ground feeling shitty about something "oh I feel horrible, it's
the worst ever, it's the worst pain in the world" and then laughing hysterically
about saying such a thing. Because it can feel that way on the inside but once
you actually say it aloud then somehow the silliness surrounding it is made
real. Or something like that. But in a nutshell, it allowed me to laugh at
myself more easily, and opened a door for compassion towards others. I'm not as
important as I would like to think I am at times.”
Others would disagree with that.
“When I finished school I was looking for a place to perform.
At that time the Poetry Slam was happening once a month at the Press Club. I
went to see it and I liked it and thought; I can do that.”
RC believes the Slam helped to progress his creativity in a
certain way. He has been on the Slam team five times, traveled to perform and
made great friendships out of this, with people such as Angus
(Ms. Spelt), Steve Duncan and Shane Koyczan to name a few. He
believes it’s all basic important stuff. He used to feel he wasn’t being
influenced by anyone else but over the years this has changed. He feels everyone
influences him. He feels he’s willing to be more influenced by others- more
involved in the world rather than separated from it.
“I read all of the time. I go to the library and take things
out. Neruda, Lorca, Shakespeare, Nolan. Jen Curran’s new book is really good. I
want to be influenced by everything. Rock’n roll,
comic books, movies.”
Randy’s goal is to express himself, to show how he has been
influenced. He doesn’t’ care if he impresses. He wants to encourage others to
express themselves. This kind of caring nature shows in other ways. The fact
that he promotes the Slam through weekly emails, sits on the Board of Directors
for Vancouver Poetry House as President and was the driving force behind The
Canadian Festival of the Spoken Word 2005.
RC realizes he does not do this alone. He is part of a team
and he’d like to see more people involved. He feels he has gotten so much out of
this community and will likely always stay involved in some capacity. He is also
excited, and rightly so, about the Slam teams win in Toronto this fall and all
of the upcoming events.
In particular he is excited about helping out with the
Individual World Poetry Slam event coming here from January 31st-
February 3rd, (Slam fundraiser on November 14th. See link
below).
“People will be excited to come here from all over the world.
Some of the best slam poets want to come here. People who haven’t been involved
for a long time are getting back into it so they can come.”
RC feels there is more for him to explore on a creative
level. He feels he has come full circle and would like to try other things,
incorporate sound into his work, and collaborate with other voices such as with
Martin VanSteinburg.
And he feels very strongly about expressing your voice. Ten
years in the Slam community have given him enough time to think this through.
“Do this against all doubts and fears that tell you not to do
it. Do it. Don‘t worry about others. Your voice is in you always. There are
things in the world that keep us from listening to it. But find it. It helps you
keep your sanity. Listen for the yes. The world won’t be better off for your not
trying to find your voice. It is worse off if you stay silent.”
No truer words. This community, this world is so much better
off because of RC Weslowski. He has spoken, taken action, shocked us, moved us,
and made us think. The one thing RC might not be aware of is the influence the
impact of his words has on us. How his driving force is noticed and just how
respected he is. He makes you stop and listen. He makes you find what is
important. He makes you want to stand up and find your voice no matter what. He
makes you want to become involved in the world and he makes us glad that he did.
RC he will be hosting a fundraiser
on Dec 12, 2006 with proceeds partially going to
the Union Gospel Mission to
feed the homeless program. The fundraiser
will be a variety show with some poetry as well as music, clowns, comedy
sketches and so on; a RC Weslowski Christmas Special not to be missed.
For more information email him at
weslowhiskey@direct.ca
Links:
www.vancouverpoetryhouse.com/
WWW.INDIVIDUALWORLDPOETRYSLAM.COM
