Comedian hits the Tracks

Page 16

Andrew 'Drew' Lacapa's comedic career began on the day of his birth. Born into a large family in Whiteriver, Arizona, he began honing his craft immediately. He was the ultimate prankster in school and spent a fair share of time in the principal's office.

After a long stint in the military where his duties included hospital corpsman, operating room technologist and field medical technician, he worked as a surgical scrub technician in the private sector before turning his sights on life as a student. It was at college and university that he became interested in comedy as a career.

The campus stage was the perfect place for Lacapa to perfect his style and delivery. It was here that he got the opportunity to open for veteran comedian, Charlie Hill.

In 1991, Lacapa chose the field professionally and began playing parades, pageants and special events. Lacapa's philosophy of comedy is simple.

"I don't just tell the story. I am the story," he said.

On this, his third visit to Toronto, Lacapa was the warm-up act for the premiere taping of APTN's talk show, Buffalo Tracks, which tapes at Freedom Studios on McGee Street. He moved back and forth in front of the audience like a ball of nervous energy. Under the pressure of taping a live show, he worked effortlessly to finish his story about 'powwow snagging' before taping began.

Lacapa says that he plays to Native and non-Native audiences alike. He finds common ground in his stories, like mangy dogs and lonesome nights, and wraps them in the Native perspective and Lacapa style to produce a uniquely funny story. His delivery is fast and on the mark. Among his comedic heroes, he lists Charlie Hill, Whoopie Goldberg and God.

Over his 10-year professional career, Lacapa has graduated from hosting pageants and parades and now performs at casinos, schools, conventions and powwows throughout North America. He is a winner of the Native American Horizon Award for Seventh Generation Talent and member of the Native American Performing Arts association.

He is to appear as a guest on Buffalo Tracks on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network on Nov. 16.