Stand-up comedians take a crack at government funding

What’s the difference between a one-person stage play and a stand-up comedian’s performance?

The first one is eligible for government arts funding while the latter is not, which is a sad punchline to several of this country’s comedians. It has long been the case that Canadian arts institutions don’t recognize standup comedy under the umbrella of performing arts, which has left many comics fuming about what they see is an unfair exclusion. Canadian comedians are getting organized to try and change it.

Toronto-based comedian Sandra Battaglini has started a Parliamentary e-petition, a government-sponsored program which ensures an official government response provided the document gets at least 500 signatures. The petition started last week and already has over 2,000 signatures.

Read the full article in The Star.