×

Comedy Center Alterations Keep Experience Viable

Left, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is being shown how to use one of the safe interactive exhibits at the National Comedy Center by Journey Gunderston, National Comedy Center executive director, following a roundtable discussion of local tourism industry professionals in July. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

The year 2020 won’t just be known for a pandemic that changed the world overnight.

It will also be known for innovative modifications that kept many manufactures, retail businesses and restaurants still in operation.

One of the most inventive alterations made in 2020 to keep the doors open might have occurred at the National Comedy Center. The interactive exhibit experience that opened in 2018 was making progress in the right direction — like being named USA Today’s “Best New Museum” in the country in February — prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, which lead to the facility closing its doors on March 16.

Journey Gunderson, National Comedy Center executive director, said the day after closing the doors, the staff held a video conference to decide the future fate of the facility created to preserve comedy’s heritage for future generations.

“One thing we decided is that we were going to go above and beyond and lean into the health and safety protocols we were going to need to prepare to reopen the museum. We knew we were going to have to revamp the interactive museum in order to reopen,” she said. “We needed to do what we could to make people fee relaxed and safe.”

In order to create an entirely touch-free environment, National Comedy Center exhibits were made accessible and interactive through the use of a disposable stylus, disposable earbuds and a new “LaughCard” featuring an RFID chip for personalized comedy. Submitted photo

Gunderson said the other decision made during that initial video conference was to focus on expanding the comedy center’s online presence. So in rapid order, the online platform National Comedy Center Anywhere was created and was made accessible to the public just 18 days after closing the museum. The new online platform features exclusive content directly from the comedy center’s interactive comedy exhibits as an extension of the museum while it was temporary closed. National Comedy Center Anywhere, www.comedycenter.org/anywhere, tells the story of comedy via commentary from the artists themselves and rare archival material never-before-seen outside of the facility.

“We pivoted quickly. It was a time of uncertainty. No one knew how long the pandemic would affect us,” she said. “The first online event was to celebrate George Carlin’s birthday in May. It helped inform people about our online programming. Then we had a Father’s Day Tribute weekend that included Ben Stiller discussing his father, Jerry Stiller; Rain Pryor in conversation with W. Kamau Bell about Richard Pryor; John Cleese and daughter, Camilla Cleese, in conversation with comedian Harrison Greenbaum; and Lucie Arnaz and Oscar Nunez in conversation about Desi Arnaz.”

After the success of the online events, comedy center officials were going to find out if the modifications made to the exhibits to create a touch-free environment was going to be successful. Gunderson said comedy center officials consulted with Dr. Graham Snyder, UPMC Pittsburgh chief epidemiologist, on creating the LaughSafe health and safety program. She said by carrying around her laptop computer, she showed each exhibit to Snyder, who was viewing online from Pittsburgh. Snyder provided his advice to Gunderson on what should be done to make interaction with the exhibit safe. She added there were also in-person visits from medical professionals at UPMC Chautauqua to review the revamped exhibits before the doors reopened July 3.

“Pretty quickly we acknowledged that we’re not epidemiologist, so we decided to consult with (UPMC),” she said. “Looking at CDC guidelines didn’t provide all the answers to our question, so that was incredibly helpful because of the unique nature of the visitor’s experience at the comedy center.”

Gunderson said the alterations made to the comedy center were in large part due to Dallas Thurn, National Comedy Center operations and technology manager, who was named the “COVID czar,” which was a state guideline to make sure safety protocols and guidelines are enforced, and Gary Hahn, National Comedy Center vice president of marketing and communication, who came up with the LaughSafe brand.

“Ninety-nine percent of visitors who have come through our doors since we reopened have felt safe or very safe and would recommend a visit to a family member or friend,” she said.

Gunderson said the online events helped prepare for the first ever virtual Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, which featured more than 30 artist. She said the “silver lining” of the pandemic canceling the 2020 in-person Lucy Fest was that comedy center officials were able to have more comedic artist attend the virtual online event — between Aug. 14 and Sept. 3 — than could have visited Jamestown for the four-day festival.

“With 30 people involved that would have been difficult for them to descend on Jamestown. The online virtual festival produced conversations on comedy that might not of been done in a normal year,” she said. “The virtual festival put the National Comedy Center and a trip to Jamestown on the bucket list for hundreds of thousands of people from coast to coast. We knew people who have yet to visit would be judging (the online festival) on whether to make a trip to Jamestown someday. It’s a very competitive landscape with cultural institution all over the world moving programs and exhibits online. Nothing about it was easy.”

Gunderson said if the restrictions on public gathers are lifted by the first weekend in August, an in-person Lucille Ball Festival will be held. The same lineup that was originally scheduled for the postponed 2020 festival are slated to return in August. The headlining acts include Jeff Foxworthy and Legends of SNL: David Space, Rob Schneider and Kevin Nealon.

“If public gatherings of that nature are allowed, absolutely,” Gunderson said about an in-person festival. “We are going to continue to monitor the situation like everyone else. The health and safety of our patrons, staff and volunteers is paramount. We stand ready to bring the festival back.”

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today