WS Chronicle

Some say that laughter is the best medicine. With everything that has transpired over the last year and half, now is the best time to put that to the test. Noticing there was a need for smiles, Winston’s own, Brittany Ward, decided to start up the Vibez & Canvas Laugh Lounge.

Vibez & Canvas is a stand-up comedy show that includes painting as well. Ward began Vibez & Canvas in March of this year, primarily because she felt Winston-Salem didn’t have a lot of stand-up comedy places for people to enjoy, so she started her own. She incorporated the painting aspect into the comedy, because she felt it was therapeutic.

“I wanted to start Vibez & Canvas during the pandemic and it’s been a hit,” said Ward. “It’s been a very profitable business. When I put the call out for it to be a competition, we got a great response. We have people coming from Virginia, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Asheboro and Charlotte, to perform or to see the comedy.

Ward is off to a hot start with the comedy shows. They have had sold out shows for the last few events and have even had to move to a larger venue to accommodate the growing number of people who want to enjoy the show. Ward currently holds her show at 2393 Felicity Circle and they are held twice a month on Wednesdays.

Some of the comedians from the show will have parts in a couple of television series starting this fall. Ward also stated that some of the best comedians have been amateurs who are performing for the first time.

“We just have some average joes that come on stage to compete to win $100 and the judges are the crowd,” she said.

Ward creates the painting outlines that people use during the show. She is an artist at heart and says she enjoys coming up with the different designs for every show.  

“We have some that want to paint what they want to paint and we will just give them a blank canvas, and we also have different scenes each week for others, whatever I feel like drawing that week,” she said about the paintings. 

The show brings out an intergenerational crowd, said Ward. She says no matter if you are young or old, Black or white, male or female, you will enjoy the atmosphere of the show. They also house vendors and have food for sale during the show as well.

“It’s a different vibe and I wanted to bring that back to Winston and be a part of history,” she said about the show.

The amateur comedians have been stellar thus far, Ward said. She says an amateur recently won the $100 prize over a veteran comedian and that surprised many people. Ward feels that this formula can continue to grow and she plans to expand the fanbase of the show.

Jiwan Kapp is the host for the show. He met Ward a few years ago when he performed during her annual Flapjacks and Funnies fundraiser for her nonprofit Hoops 4 L.Y.F.E. She says Kapp has been the perfect partner for the show because of his comedic skills, along with his connections in the world of comedy.

“He has helped cultivate the laugh lounge with his network of working with different comedians,” she said.  

Kapp says he was impressed with the work Ward does with the community and was happy to work with her for the Flapjacks and Funnies. When she reached out once again for the Vibez and Canvas, he was eager to work with her again.

“I was just down to do comedy in Winston, because other than the Laughing Gas and a couple open mic shows, Winston didn’t have a big comedy scene,” said Kapp. “When she approached me with hosting, I didn’t think it was going to be as big as it is now, to be honest.”

Kapp has been impressed by the caliber of comedy many of the amateurs have brought to the show. He says it has made him step up his game as a comedian by focusing on his writing a little bit more.  

“It is just a lot of people who are naturally funny that don’t even write who I’ve seen come up to the Vibez & Canvas Laugh Lounge and I have even booked two of them for my showcase that I go to in Greensboro because I was so impressed,” Kapp continued.  

Even though it is a competition, Kapp prefers to look at the Vibez & Canvas as an outlet for comedians to showcase their skills which is the most important aspect for him. He also feels Vibez & Canvas has established itself as a go-to place in the city and feels it has the potential to grow exponentially.

For more information on Vibez & Canvas, please visit their social media page on Facebook.