Hi. I’m Nkasi. I’m a performer who has worked only within larger casts, and has been suffering with intense performance anxiety the past year. So the next logical step in my journey was doing my first ever solo show, titled “Afronaut”.
That makes sense. Right? RIGHT?
So these are the steps I’m taking in order to make sure my show isn’t a cataclysmic disaster.
1. Assemble a motley crew of comedy talent to be part of my ragtag team!
I’m so grateful to have Jon Blair directing me and Ajahnis Charly as my dramaturge. Both are people I have so much respect for as performers and writers. And I’m privileged enough to also be able to call them my friends. While Jon and I have done improv together, I’d never done anything else with him prior, but I always knew I wanted to. His solo work is so funny, so smart, and so so so silly. Ajahnis has been one of my partners in comedy crime and one of my oyster-eating buddies for years. They are a wickedly talented human whom I have so much trust in. It just felt natural to want them on this project.
These are also people who I know have my back. Working with people I trust and feel safe around has made a world of difference when it comes to my anxiety.
2. Be more mindful and set boundaries with myself.
I want “Afronaut” to be me. I want it to be political, biting, witty, and fun. I love politics, I love history, and believe me when I say I make that clear in my show! But something I’ve realized about creating comedy out of heavy content is that it can be taxing. Don’t get me wrong, I love my material, but when you have to write, research, rehearse – and essentially sit in – certain topics for extended periods of time, it can be hard. In this show, I have a scene about Black mental health. And while the scene is funny, in order to get there, I had to do research on Black mental health and dig into my own personal archive. That’s not nearly as much fun! But I’m trying to be a bit more mindful about how that work is affecting me as a person. And I think that’s something everyone should do. I think we forget sometimes how much of our soul we can put into our work.
3. Have fun, and find joy!!!!!!!!
People think it’s weird when I say I’m anxious to perform. Yes, I’ve done hundreds upon hundreds of shows. And yes, that’s a humble brag. But getting on stage over the past year has been… hard. Everything from feeling unwell before hitting the stage to full breakdowns after shows – I’ve done it all 😀 But something that’s helping me is actively finding the joy and fun in performing again. Doing shows that make me happy, Like Sex T Rex’s D&D Live. Playing characters that make me laugh and smile, even if a lot of people don’t know who they are… WHY DON’T WE ALL KNOW KIM CAMPBELL??? Also knowing that reclaiming that joy and fun will take a while to get back to “normal”. And that’s ok.
And finally…
4. Energy drinks.
First of all, know that caffeine does not make me more anxious. I’m too deep in my addiction for it to do much, so I will be pounding back so many of these! Redbull, please sponsor me. (Make sure you tag them!)
Please.
AFRONAUT
Saturday, March 8 at 6pm
The Theatre Centre – 1115 Queen St. W.
As part of Toronto Sketchfest’s 20th anniversary
© Nkasi Ogbhonnah, Sesaya Arts Magazine, 2025
