Mt. Pleasant isn’t a place that has a thriving comedy scene, according to most local comedians. Someone is working to establish a comedy presence, but that somebody is an unkempt clown named Shuffles.
J.C. Taber has been doing various forms of comedy, including stand-up and improvisational, for seven years.
“Originally, the character was meant to just be a Halloween costume,” Taber said. “I always wanted to be a clown for Halloween, so I just bought some make-up and went as a clown.”
After Halloween, Taber liked the character so much that he wanted to expand on it. He started experimenting with it, writing jokes and seeing if he could build a following behind Shuffles.
“One day, I had an idea and thought ‘Hey, let’s if I could expand on this character’,” Taber said.
After that, he created a Facebook page for the character and a Youtube channel to share highlights of his shows.
His hope is to use the character to start a comedy scene in the Isabella County area to have comedians get paid to perform while helping a local charity at the same time.
“I want to give comedians here a chance to get a paid gig and get some exposure while doing some good in the community,” he said.
Taber wants to turn the Shuffles character into either a company or a charity. Shuffles merchandise is also a possibility, if there is a demand for it.
His first show was on Jan. 23 at Rubbles Bar in Mt. Pleasant where Taber works as a host and deejay. He brought in local comedians to perform stand up.
“I decided to set it up on a Tuesday, because Tuesdays are usually a slow night,” Taber said.
The event was benefitting the Mt. Pleasant branch of Foster Closet, a non-profit organization that provides clothing, baby equipment and occasionally furniture to families hosting foster children. It raised $107 based on donations alone.
“It usually costs around $20 a year for a child to use the closet,” Foster Closet Isabella Branch manager Holly Watson said. “With that comedy show they were able to support five kids.”
The next step for Shuffles is to plan another show and draw a bigger crowd. Taber wasn’t able to get another show planned due to his life becoming increasingly busy with work and other projects.
“I want to expand to doing 18+ shows compared to 21+ shows,” Taber said. “There was a lot of interest in the show at Rubbles, but they were bummed because the show was at a bar.”
He said he wants to try doing a show somewhere near Central Michigan University’s campus, possibly at one of the coffee shops close to campus in order to obtain the 18-and-older demographic.
If all goes according to Taber’s plans, he said he would want to expand into other nearby counties, like Clare or Gratiot.
Another goal for the character is to change people’s perceptions of clowns, even though Shuffles “doesn’t follow the rules of the clowning association.” Taber said he thinks clowns have gotten a bad reputation over the years.
“I love this community,” Taber said. “Any chance I have to give back to the community, I will.”