Coffee Shop From Center Stage: A Timeline
7:00 PM – At the moment, St. Michael’s Gym is empty except for a few guys making sure all of the technical stuff is working. In an hour, the gym will be full and I will be telling all of the jokes, or at least trying to tell all the jokes James Flattery and I finished earlier in the afternoon to the entire student body, not just the guys who are running the mics and lights for the night. To say I am nervous is an understatement. I’m not really a funny guy, and I’m particularly bad at improvisation, which I expect this night to require of me. I have no idea why I was asked to host Coffee Shop, the seminary’s annual night where we get to showcase our wide variety of talents for one another. But here I am, running through the little intro James and I prepared and worrying about how all of our jokes were going to go over.
7:30 – We’ve practiced a couple times and I figure I’m as ready as I ever will be. By 7:45, people are starting to walk in and the nerves are only getting worse. James and I decide to go hide in one of the corners of the stage (I’m wearing a really sweet Hawaiian shirt and I want to surprise everybody with it when I come out…plus I think talking to the other guys will only make me more nervous).
8:00 – The lights are flashing and people are taking their seats…here we go!
8:15 – Wow! That went really well! Some of our jokes were received better than others, but I don’t think there were any that really flopped. The crowd seems really excited for the night to begin and I think the hardest part of James and my job is over. I’m feeling pretty confident and excited for the show to go on.
9:30 – Intermission. I think the break is going to be short because we still have quite a few acts to get through. The first act has been a little rough, with lots of technical difficulties and just some long acts. They’ve been pretty good, but hopefully the second half will pick up a little bit.
10:00 – The second half of the show is going really well so far and the acts just keep getting better and better. The last thing James and I really have to do is senior send-off jokes to fill a little time while the votes for the best act are being counted. I think most of those should go well, and I think everyone is in good enough spirits that I’m not too worried about it.
10:30 – That’s it for Coffee Shop 2016! It’s been a blast hosting, and honestly I think multiple acts deserved first prize, which is a pretty good problem to have. Our senior send-off piece went pretty well and Father Brendan closed our night in prayer. Overall, it’s been a really successful night that hopefully provided the community with a good amount of entertainment and fun! I have had a blast hosting and I’m grateful to have gotten the opportunity. The biggest thing I’m feeling right now is gratitude for this incredible and very gifted community that I have the privilege of being a part of. It’s nights like these that remind me how bright the future of the Church really is!
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