The Elm Student Newspaper
Campus Center showcases "hilarious"comedian Mark Reedy
Danielle Porter
Mark Reedy entertained a Campus Center
audience of eighty people.
Ryan Murray, Elm photographer
The Campus Center was packed and ready to laugh at comedian Mark "Mr.
Positive" Reedy, who took the stage in an hour-long routine that mocked Burger King, shopping carts, and even the Centreville police department February 8 at 9:30 p.m.He joked about the "nightclubs" in the area, Acme, and Superfresh.
Said Reedy, "The only other thing this town needs is a Wal-Mart to complete its nightlife!"Reedy continued with the problems of shopping carts, complete with bodily contortions: "Have you ever gotten the retarded cart? You know what I'm talking about - the one that works fine until you're about to roll by a gorgeous member of the opposite sex; then suddenly three of the cart's wheels lock, and you're left with one spinning, zigging and zagging like a fool!"
The crowd cheered as he continued: "Speaking of fools, what about the people that use microphones at Burger King? The guy is standing all of three feet from the grill! It's not like Bob is grilling in the parking lot. They're just lazy. I could lean across the counter myself and say, 'Yo Bob! Throw a whopper on for me!'"
Reedy then launched into a well-received piece about the Eastern Shore: "Gotta love Centreville. I got stopped by the Centreville police, and I was worried about being a brother in this area. The cop asked for my license and registration, then he sort of sized me up. I could tell he was thinking, 'Heard you coming, boy, you and your rap music.'"
Reedy ended the night with a variation of the dating game for Valentine's Day. A female was chosen from the audience whose birthday was closest to the holiday. Then three male students competed for her affection in a question-and-answer session, dance competition, and other such fare.
Student attendance was high, with close to 80 people packed in the Campus Center, and the response after the show was positive.
One sophomore commented, "I laughed so hard I almost wet my pants!
He was hilarious."Several others concurred: "Reedy was awesome. We need to get him back, soon."
Another student in attendance said, "I loved his jokes about the way girls and guys behave at parties. The game at the end was funny!"
Mark Reedy went to Truman College in Chicago, and majored in theater and communications.
Reedy explained his career choice: "Originally, I wanted to be a motivational speaker, but I loved comedy and stand-up. So, I combined both - hence my nickname, Mr. Positive. You give it out like medicine, with a little bit of sugar to make it easier to take. I've been a comedian for the last fifteen years."
He was invited to perform at Washington College after he performed at the National Association of Campus Activities Convention (NACA) in Ocean City last year. Several members of the WC Student Activities Board attended the event and thought very highly of the comedian.
Reedy described how he was introduced to the students of WC: "Brad [Gartrell] saw me at the NACA convention and said that I had to perform here. He was right - the crowd was excellent and very receptive. Everyone was awesome tonight and I want to thank the crowd. You have an awesome campus."
Reedy has performed all over the East Coast, most recently at University of Maryland-College Park.
Said Reedy, "I intend to move to New York to begin auditions for a sitcom. Everyone in the audience will be able to say 'I saw that guy when he was doing stand-up.' "
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