Lord Byron once said: “Always laugh when you can. It’s cheap medicine.” E.E. Cummings echoed this with, “The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.” Shelton-based U.S. Army infantry veteran Anthony Schuman took this to heart many years ago to heal himself, and now helps others heal. His main message? “You do not have to heal alone.”
From the Army to the Stage: Anthony Schuman
Having moved a lot, including living in Puyallup, Olympia, Tumwater, Lacey, and the Tanglewilde area, Anthony says he feels like all of South Sound is “home.”
Anthony grew up in what he calls a “dysfunctional family.” Being a child in the middle of that, he says he learned early to use laughter. “I remember being about 3 years old with a microphone, singing for my birthday, standing out in the street, doing little performances, comedy bits, singing — things like that,” he shares. “I’m one of seven kids, so there was always plenty going on around me.”
As an adult, Anthony joined the U.S. Army. He was part of the 101st Airborne Infantry out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky. During his three years in the Army, he was deployed as part of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2011–2012.
The sudden loss of a fellow veteran left him grief-stricken. It was a therapy group that got him into laughter as medicine.
“Part of our group therapy project was to do something that was just for yourself instead of always doing things for everyone around you,” shares Anthony. “We had to choose one ‘selfish’ thing that was just for us. I had always wanted to try stand-up and do an open mic, so that was what I picked. I did one, and I was immediately hooked. I basically couldn’t stop after that.”
Anthony says that before that, he had done some comedy sketches for video, including a 48-hour film project for the Seattle International Film Festival. He had not performed live on stage, however, even though it was something he had always wanted to do. “We watched comedy as a family, and the idea always appealed to me — being able to get up there, have everyone’s attention for a minute, and say what you wanted to say, even if it wasn’t necessarily politically correct or part of the mainstream,” he adds.
From Grief to Laughter: Anthony Schuman
That first stand-up comedy experience was at Le Voyeur in Olympia. “It was a lot like combat in some ways,” Anthony says of that first show. “Beforehand, there were a lot of nerves. I was terrified. Then once you’re onstage, you have to be completely in the moment. You perform, you focus, and the anxiety and adrenaline disappear for a few minutes. Then you get offstage and you get this big dump of adrenaline and all of it comes back. That reminded me of combat — when things are quiet, you’re thinking and worrying, but when something is happening, you lock in and focus on what’s right in front of you. Then afterward, all the adrenaline hits.”
At first, he says that adrenaline rush “scratched the same itch” his Army days had done. But now, seven-and-a-half years later? “Getting onstage isn’t terrifying in the same way anymore. At this point, it’s just a lot of fun to make people laugh every night.”
As for his grief? He says comedy helped.
“I took a show to Edinburgh shortly after my service dog passed away,” he shares. “One of the main reasons I signed up was because losing my dog pushed me to try bigger things and keep moving forward. I think grief is still one of the things that pushes me. Being a
soldier and looking back at friends you’ve lost, and realizing that you’re still here, puts more drive into me to try to make this happen and do things big. I want to make something worthwhile out of the time I’ve been given.”
During his sets, he talks about life: Being a dad, being a guy, processing grief and “everything else life throws at you.” Then, he says, he makes fun of it! “I like having fun and making people laugh about the things that suck.”
If you are thinking about doing stand-up comedy, Anthony says, “just do it.”
“You might love it. You might hate it. But the only way to find out is to try,” He adds. He also suggests checking out Vomity in downtown Olympia at Le Voyeur. Whether you participate, or just want to laugh until your side hurt.
You can find Anything Schuman’s upcoming schedule on his website.
