7.13.2017 | The Flagship | www.flagshipnews.com |C5
Chesapeake comedian wins spot on new MTV show By Yana Samberg Virginian-Pilot Correspondent
Leonard Ouzts likes to tell his audience that he’s just a young guy trying to learn. But the rising comic seems to have learned plenty in six short years. Ouzts, 24, already sounds like a veteran. “Doing comedy and breaking into the industry are two different things,” the Chesapeake native said after a recent set at the Virginia Beach Funny Bone comedy club. In addition to his stand-up performances, Ouzts is piling up television appearances and gaining traction. MTV announced in June that he will appear in a new show called “SafeWord.” It’s from the producers of “Lip Sync Battle” and will be hosted by Terrence J. The series will pair celebrity guests like Kevin Hart, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Marlon Wayans and Kelly Rowland with comedians like Ouzts, Carly Aquilino and Sam Jay as they play games in front of a live audience. “SafeWord” will premiere at 11:30 p.m. on July 13. MTV also has had Ouzts appear in several episodes of its show “Wild ’n Out” and signed him for a series called “Backup Plan,” in which he searches for jobs in case the one he has falls through. “I have a strong relationship with MTV,” he said this week, adding that he was very excited about the new show. “It’s a different kind of show,” he said, and he’ll have lots of time to
Courtesy of Leonard Ouzts Leonard Ouzts will appear on a new MTV show, “Safeword,” that premieres 11:30 p.m. on July 13.
mix it up with the celebrities and comedians on “SafeWord.” He’s also done stand-up on Conan O’Brien’s TV show and has a recurring role in the Netflix series “Master of None.” The second season of the com-
edy starring Aziz Ansari became available for streaming last month. Ouzts considers himself lucky to have gotten the exposure. “I went from being nobody
to being on TV,” he said, acknowledging his luck, or as friends and colleagues call it, his hunger. “He has always been a clown,” said his high school friend Shauntell Page, who
TIPS FOR CREATIVE GARDEN INDOORS
“Second to Nun” Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Aug. 5, 7 p.m., Zeiders American Dream Theater, 4573 Bank Street, Virginia Beach https://americandreamtheater.org/show/ second-to-nun/
Molly Pope stars in “Second to Nun” through Aug. 4. courtesy photo
In cabaret show, a 17th century saint gets the Judy Garland treatment By Rashod Ollison The Virginian-Pilot
Molly Pope wants to make it clear that she is not elevating herself to the impossible level of Judy Garland. Still, the 35-year-old performer, who for the past decade or so has been bustling around the New York City cabaret scene, sees some similarities between herself and the beloved Hollywood legend. “My voice was built for the Great American Songbook,” Pope says. “It’s a big-belter voice. It’s very brassy. I hate to throw this out there, but it can best be compared to a Judy Garland-ish sound; same range and vocal style – though I am not in any way, shape or form implying that we are comparable. Let’s just make that very clear.” Pope’s style wasn’t necessarily suited for the roles she pursued soon after graduating from New York University’s drama department. She’d been rejected by the school’s musical theater department, “for which I am eternally grateful,” says Pope, calling from New York City. “Not going through a traditional musical program has served my voice well.” In the last decade, she has found a much more liberated space in cabaret –
came out to support her friend at his recent show. Page said Ouzts’ comedy is relatable because it is realistic. “His jokes are about things that happen in your backyard, what he witnesses daily, the
stuff that happens down the street,” Page said. Ouzts said he has been funny for as long as he can remember. He said he would sneak in jokes whether in school or at football practice. Getting an audience to laugh is better than any feeling in the world, he said. After graduating from Oscar Smith High School in Chesapeake, he studied nursing for a year at Virginia State University before pursuing a full-time career in comedy , starting in 2011. He now lives in New York and continues to tour extensively across the country. He gets back to Hampton Roads about once a year for a performance as he works to climb the rungs of the industry ladder. During his act, Ouzts covers well-worn topics such as relationships, lunch foods and religion. What keeps things fresh, he said, is being able to deliver material from a genuine and individual perspective. “Every joke is a speech,” he said. And every joke is an opportunity for Ouzts to communicate to his audience how he thinks, where he is in his life and what he’s feeling. He said every joke should have a point and a trajectory. Otherwise, it’s hard to sustain an act. “When you tell a joke, you have to make a point. You should be saying something. There has to be a premise,” Ouzts said.
no boundaries, no “fourth wall,” but intimacy with the audience. Pope will star in “Second to Nun,” a show kicking off the summer season at Zeiders American Dream Theater in Virginia Beach, which runs through Aug. 4. The one-woman show centers on the story of Marguerite Bourgeoys, a 17th century French Canadian saint who defies strict conventions of the time to spread Catholicism beyond the church. “The performance is to make the case that to live a life of purpose you have to go beyond the safety of the cloistered wall,” Pope says. “This is very useful because I’m memorizing my lines as I’m saying this to you.” The show’s underlying message speaks directly to sociopolitical turbulence found in any period in world history. “I think it does so without trying,” Pope says. “There’s nothing in the piece that overtly says, ‘Well, doesn’t this seem relevant?’ Which is great because it stands on its own, making the case that there should be no walls between people, that the definition of God is community and justice and love.” The set for “Second to Nun” is minimal – nothing more than three stools, the
piano and a pop-up book to evoke time and place. Typical of cabaret, the performer carries the entire show. “There’s a general misconception about what cabaret is,” says Pope, a native of suburban Pittsburgh. “I look at it as a catchall. It is a space for things that aren’t 100 percent a concert, not 100 percent a play. There’s stand-up; there’s scripted stuff. There’s no fourth wall. I am present in the room with the audience, communicating with them directly.” And that has had its benefits for Pope, who was often dismissed from auditions because her fair skin and low voice were deemed unsuitable for the traditional musical theater roles she went for, which usually favored lighter voices. “They really don’t write roles for 25-year-old women who sound like Ethel Merman at 65,” Pope says. “So I started doing cabaret because there are no rules. Cabaret feels a lot like the last outpost of vaudeville. It’s about how unique you are.” Even if you hear similarities between your style and incomparable legends. Rashod Ollison, 757-446-2732, rashod. ollison@pilotonline.com
suspended shelves and hanging jars for growing herbs to mounting edible orchids onto bark and displaying them on walls. She points out that those embarking on indoor gardening should first evaluate the level of time they can commit. “Just remember that unlike other projects in the home, such as decorating and cooking, all gardening projects require some aftercare. So, if you have a busy schedule, choose Indoor gardening crops that will tolerate less waFor those who don’t have tering and feeding.” an outdoor garden or yard, the dream of enjoying your own Flower arranging freshly picked fruits and vegSpread the joy by harvestetables may seem out of reach. ing your flora and bringing the However, the nooks and cran- beauty indoors. nies of your home can be cre“For me, every arrangement atively rendered into produc- starts with the container. Think tive growing zones. about what mood or style you “Whatever the size of your want to evoke, and remember, home, there will be a selec- anything can be a container as tion of edible plants you can long as it can be made watergrow indoors, as long as you tight,” says Rachel Siegfried,” have some natural daylight author of “The Flower Book: filtering in,” says Zia Allaway, Natural Flower Arrangements author of “Indoor Edible Gar- for Your Home,” which exden: Creative Ways to Grow plores 60 flowers, bloom-byHerbs, Fruit and Vegetables in bloom in portraiture, including Your Home.” “The areas where quick-reference profiles and plants will grow can be win- tips. dowsills, beneath a skylight or Siegfried recommends payeven in a dark, unlit area if you ing attention to shapes, textures install grow lights.” and colors to achieve good balIn “Indoor Edible Garden,” ance. Start with a primary foa visual guide full of practical cal flower and build out with a tips and stylish ideas, Allaway couple of secondary focals, a offers step-by-step directions final flourish, and foliage. for everything from creating From StatePoint
Gardeners often focus on the science of their hobby: how much water and sunlight their plants need and how to improve soil quality and keep pests at bay. But there can be a lot of artistry behind the craft as well — from how you harvest and enjoy flowers to how you convert unused spaces of your home into a viable indoor edible garden.
Unsecured vehicles are easy targets, especially in summer From Virginia State Police
Summertime is prime time for auto theft, which is why the Virginia State Police Help Eliminate Auto Theft (HEAT) program is reminding motorists to secure their unattended vehicles. Of the 9,575 motor vehicle theft offenses in 2016, 3,523 occurred between June and September. For the calendar year, August had the dubious distinction of leading all
months with 957 auto theft offenses. July had the secondmost offenses with 924. A total of 9,719 motor vehicles were reported stolen in 2016. First Sgt. Steve Hall, Virginia State Police Help Eliminate Auto Theft (HEAT) program coordinator, said many auto thefts could be avoided if motorists would simply take their keys. Statistics show that nearly one in four vehicles stolen in Virginia have the keys inside. “That’s a problem,” Hall
said. “In addition to taking your keys when you leave your vehicle, don’t leave spare keys in the glove box or elsewhere on the vehicle. Always lock the doors and always close the windows. At night, choose parking spots that are in welllit and high-traffic areas if you can.” Drivers should develop good habits and avoid complacency, Hall said, because auto thieves can take a vehicle in just a matter of moments.
“A lot of people think, ‘I’ll only be in the store for a minute, so I’ll just leave the car running,’ ” he said. “Don’t do it. It takes very little time for someone in that situation to jump into your car and drive off.” Want to beat the summer heat without leaving your vehicle completely vulnerable? Try parking in a garage or shaded area when possible. If no shade is available when parking, block direct sunlight by putting
a visor in your windshield or drape a blanket or towel over the dashboard and steering wheel. “Or give yourself a few extra minutes before your departure so you can stay with your vehicle while you run your air conditioner,” Hall said. “Any of these is a better alternative to potentially having your car stolen.” Follow HEAT on Facebook (@HEATreward) for summer giveaways and auto theft pre-
vention tips. The Virginia State Police Help Eliminate Auto Theft (HEAT) program is celebrating 25 years in the fight against auto theft. HEAT was established in 1992 to educate citizens and law enforcement about theft of vehicles and vehicle parts. For more information, visit HEATreward.com. Visit Virginia State Police online at www.vsp.virginia.gov.