Author: Tabari Morris
Marvellus Lucas Champions Mental Health and Community Healing Through Laughter
Marvellus Lucas is launching a new path to enhancing community health in the San Francisco area by employing comedy to discuss mental health and getting individuals in touch with one another. As founder of “Laugh Off” and originator of the “Healing Through Laughter” program, Lucas combines stand-up comedy, health tips, and community service to provide spaces where laughter facilitates healing and boosting self-confidence.
Laughter Can Make a Community Feel Good
One of Lucas’s primary projects is entitled “Healing Through Laughter.” It consists of live comedy performances and humorous health and wellness workshops. They are held in various locations around the Bay Area and have outgrown the venues where they began. More space and well-known comedians to headline have been requested by many. The most recent large show, which was for Black History Month, was so well-liked that it extended into March. This indicates how well entertainment and support are received by the community.
Lucas has a straightforward comedy course. Lucas designed a six to eight week course that demonstrates writing and doing comedy. Breathing techniques and other health tips are also part of it.
It culminates in a performance where students, some for the first time in their lives, stage their own stand-up acts with professional comedians. The applied experience is designed to bring about confidence, as well as address trauma and stress, particularly in Black individuals.
Creating A Tool for Change
He emphasizes that having a “system” is crucial. That is, a support system that facilitates people to access materials, learn, and network. He draws inspiration from the works of former civil rights activists who operated within institutional systems. Lucas views his comedy shows and workshops as a contemporary means to assist people. He is attempting to obtain finances so that whoever is willing to go can attend for free.
“Laughter is medicine,” declares Lucas, illustrating that he thinks laughter has the ability to heal individuals, even in unfortunate situations. He collaborates with mental health professionals and organizations such as Proven to incorporate NLP and reframing strategies in their work in order to optimize it for healing.
Developing Relationships and Collaborations
Lucas is not content to simply perform live shows. In addition to that, he is producing online courses, books, and digital products that will make comedy for wellness more accessible to more people. “Last Campus” and “Joke School” are two projects in development to support online education and community development.
He collaborates with others. Lucas stated in a recent interview that he collaborated with Jasmine, Mary, Thomas, and Gio in order to assist the local Black community in preserving its culture through challenging times in San Francisco.
Collaborating with local comedians and producers, such as Way Way TV’s Po Rich, assists in spreading word about the movement. Po Rich, being an astute individual who speaks on local issues, points out that Lucas brought new means to conduct business as well as to reach out to people.
Upcoming Events and How to Get Involved
The “Healing Through Laughter” productions will take place in early May in Vacaville County and at ELTA in San Francisco’s Mission District, which is central to this project. Lucas invites all who would like to join in on the workshops or attend the productions—whether aspiring to become comedy artists or wanting to learn about wellness. You can keep up to date at Laugh Off’s website and social media. Marvellus Lucas is constantly expanding his blend of comedy and wellness. His messages demonstrate ways in which laughter can improve communities, unite people, and support them in their trials.
