Barbados-born comic performing in Winsted

By MICHAEL MARCIANO

Editor

WINSTED — Relationships, family life and cultural quirks are among the themes explored by comedian Carl Yard, a Barbados-born funny man known in the Connecticut area as the Ragin’ Bajan.

He will perform Saturday, Feb. 13, at the Winsted Elks Lodge for a comedy night that includes dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the show at 8 p.m.

Yard, 42, said one of his main themes these days is “trying to figure out what women want from men, and why men can’t seem to stay with one woman.� As one might figure, the observations run the gamut from cutely funny to slapstick and mildly profane.

“I also talk about being from Barbados and how different the cultures are,� Yard said. “As far as I know, I’m the only comedian from Barbados out there, so I call myself the Lone Bajan.� Fellow comedian Dave Reilly, whose company, Funny Guy Productions, represents Yard, calls him the Ragin’ Bajan.

Yard and Reilly have toured together extensively and are currently working on a new project, the Roadkill Comedy Tour, in which the two comedians will be featured in a movie of the same name. The reality-based production will include audience interviews and present “the true essence of what a person goes through to become a comedian.� The traveling show will feature the “greatest hits� of Yard and Reilly, covering long-term relationships and other real-life situations.

“The movie will show that comedy isn’t as easy as it seems,� Yard said. “There’s a lot of hard work and planning that goes into it — a lot of taking this joke out and adding that joke. That’s why when hecklers interrupt I get so angry — sombody jumps in and yells something stupid and ruins the act.�

For Yard, who came to the United States in 1988, the Roadkill project will bring back some memories.

“I was going to take a college course in computer science, go and get a good job like my parents wanted me to,� he recalled. “I went to a comedy club in Boston and when I walked in I said, ‘I can do that.’ I went back the next week and signed up for the open mic. I went on stage — I was so scared and so full of energy— and the crowd loved me. I said, ‘This is easy!’�

Yard’s honeymoon with comedy would be short-lived however, as the following week brought his first “bomb.�

“The next week I went back all cocky and I absolutely died onstage,� he said. “One guy actually told me to go back to Barbados. I was so scared and felt so bad that I didn’t want to go back to Boston again because I didn’t want to run into that guy.�

Yard received some encouragement from fellow comedians who noted that everyone bombs at one time or another and that you have to roll with the punches. Today, he’s thankful for the experience.

“I want to thank that guy,� he said.

With 20 years of marriage to his high school sweetheart under his belt, along with two sons, ages 18 and 8, Yard said he gets plenty of material straight from home.

“I’ll leave my two sons at home and you would think the 18-year-old would be in charge, but it’s the 8-year-old who takes over,� he said. “He gets the 18-year-old to do stupid stuff. The 8-year-old told him to put a piece of baloney in the DVD player and the 18-year-old actually did it. What did they think they were going to hear, the Oscar Meyer baloney song?�

When Yard comes to Winsted to perform at the Elks Lodge, he’ll be doing what he loves best, which is connecting with his audience.

“I like doing shows at private clubs and fundraisers where people come out to have a good time. At comedy clubs, the expectations are much higher. They don’t give it up as easy as people who come out to have a good time.�

Carl Yard performs Saturday, Feb. 13, at 8 p.m. at the Winsted Elks Lodge, 75 High St. Doors open at 6 p.m. and dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 860-379-8045.