Jo interviews comedian Shawn Wickens about his upcoming performance at the Atlanta Fringe Festival (May 30-June 7, 2025). Shawn shares his journey from improv to stand-up, and how a stoned revelation led to his unique show "Secret Time Travel Meeting." Discover how Fringe Festivals have taken Shawn from New York to international stages. Learn about the lottery system for festival selection, audience interaction techniques, and how Shawn created merchandise before developing his show. This conversation offers insights into live theater, comedy development, and the spontaneity that makes performances special.

Timestamps:

00:01 - Introduction and Atlanta Fringe Festival announcement 00:36 - Explanation of Fringe Festivals worldwide 01:50 - Shawn's journey from improv to theater 03:32 - Experiences at Regina Fringe Festival 04:59 - "Secret Time Travel Meeting" show concept 05:37 - International Fringe Festival experiences 07:45 - First joke development story 10:04 - Performing for different audience types 12:48 - Story about a challenging private show 15:13 - Value of improv training for live performance 16:35 - Audience interaction techniques 17:32 - Origin of Time Machine Blueprints 19:09 - Creating merchandise before the show 21:27 - Philosophy on performing and travel 23:53 - Interactive elements (costumes, NDAs) 25:37 - Game shows as performance inspiration 28:30 - Advice: "Fear less, enjoy more" 30:26 - Upcoming shows and future plans

Key Points:

• Shawn performs "Secret Time Travel Meeting" at Atlanta Fringe Festival (May 30-June 7)
• Show combines comedy with time travel discussions from a stoner's perspective
• Fringe Festivals use lottery systems, making them accessible to performers
• Shawn has performed internationally in Canada, New Zealand, and Australia
• Show encourages audience participation and costume-wearing
• Created timemachineblueprints.com and published a book before developing the show
• Improv background helped develop resilience in live performance

Guest Information:

Shawn Wickens began with improv in New York (2004) before transitioning to stand-up. Creator of "Secret Time Travel Meeting" performed at Fringe Festivals worldwide. Owner of timemachineblueprints.com and author of the same-named book.

Resources:

• Atlanta Fringe Festival (May 30-June 7, 2025)
• Time Machine Blueprints book on Amazon
• Instagram: @timemachinestoned
• Upcoming shows in New York, Rochester, Harrisburg, and potentially Estonia