GOOD FOR A LAUGH
How millennials debating linguistics at a bus stop pulled Katrina Rumbal into a world of comedy.
Sitting on the steps outside my Meisner acting class in Mt Albert, Auckland in 2014, I had no idea that writing a scene for class would inspire me to a new journey that would eventually land in New York City.
I had always thought of myself as a dramatic actor and never considered myself in comedy whatsoever. In my everyday life I loved making people laugh; I just didn’t consider I could turn comedy into a career.
Experimenting through different scenes in my acting class over four years, I found myself slowly but surely gravitating toward comedy. I loved having the ability to make people laugh. The more I did it the more it sparked a passion.
In 2015 I took two scripts I’d written and, with the help of some friends and the incredible team at Chillbox Creative, in one weekend we made two short films. One was Bus Stop, directed by Walter Lawry, which had Jordan Blaikie and myself as two millennials debating the finer points of linguistics while waiting for the bus.
It wasn’t until I was living in Vancouver, Canada that I decided to enter Bus Stop into any film festivals. To my surprise, Bus Stop was an official selection in the 2017 NYC Independent Film Festival. There was no question about it — I was going to New York City!
Hopping off the plane in New York was surreal. This was a place I’d always dreamed of going. It was like being in a movie set where everything was new and shiny. When I walked into Grand Central Station I had tears rolling down my face. A girl from Lower Hutt, New Zealand was in New York City, where the film she wrote, produced and acted in was about to be shown in the Big Apple.
The night itself was incredible. Surrounded by filmmakers, there was lots of talking, watching and, of course, laughing. Bus Stop was well received by an American audience. It is a film about the use of language and an interaction between two people who hold very different points of views. It was nice to see the story was appreciated in another country as well as in New Zealand. As soon as the first laugh bubbled from the audience I could relax. Next to come was a panel where I answered questions from the audience, which was a great way to delve into the different areas of storytelling.
That success kept fuelling my love of comedy. Once again I packed my bags and moved to Toronto where I took classes at The Second City comedy school. I performed stand-up and improv in Toronto. I learnt how to trust my instincts, to accept offers given to me and use those as gifts within a scene.
In July this year, Bus Stop was an Official Selection in the Atlanta Comedy Film Festival.
I am so proud of our short film and how far it has come, from filming in Auckland to being applauded halfway around the globe in the US. I am extremely grateful for the incredible cast and crew that worked on Bus Stop. It wouldn’t be the success it is without each and every one of them.
Katrina Rumbal is a Wellington-based performer and member of the Comedy Theatre Company PlayShop, performing live Improv at BATS Theatre on Fridays at 9pm.
