Coming to Orcas Center | Comedy show ‘The Ocean Hates You’

||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER |||

A former marine biologist turned comedian gives a voice to the ocean — and it’s not happy. “The Ocean Hates You” is a comedic and interactive show that dives into humanity’s messy relationship with the sea: the pollution, the overfishing, the bad decisions and why now more than ever, it’s time for change.

Performed by former marine biologist turned comedian, Forrest Shaw, the hour-long presentation at Orcas Center on Saturday, July 11 at 7 p.m. combines elements from the two professions to create a unique and humorous perspective on the planet’s oceans. It’s what would happen if a Netflix Comedy Special married a Ted Talk and had an environmentally conscious baby. Each show incorporates multi-media and interactive features including curated video and audience trivia. It’s a sharp, funny, and honest look at the chaos we’ve created and the extraordinary life that still manages to thrive beneath the waves. Come laugh, think and leave more in awe and less of a problem.

Shaw is a stand-up comedian and writer whose career began after spending a decade as a marine biologist in his hometown of Miami, Florida where he led the Manatee Protection Program and managed large water-quality and habitat-monitoringprojects throughout the region. His fieldwork spanned seagrass communities, coral reef habitats, and sea turtle nesting and he frequently collaborated with state and federal agencies on critical coastal ecosystem studies. As a comedian Forrest has been featured at Netflix Is A Joke Fest, Moontower Comedy Festival, Clusterfest, Just For Laughs Montreal and the Bridgetown Comedy Festival. He’s performed on Conan, Live From Gotham and Jim JeQeries and Friends and his debut special, Poor Decisions can be seen on Amazon.

Tickets range from $10 to $70, with a special $10 student rate. Purchase tickets online at www.OrcasCenter.org, over the phone at 360-376-2281 x 1, or in-person Tuesday – Friday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and an hour prior to showtime. And don’t forget, volunteers who help with iPad check-in get to see the show for free!