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2 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Klamath County drug enforcement team revived due to increased trafficking ... Gem along the river ... Hi-fi hunters gather for Grants Pass Record Convention ... Klamath County drug enforcement team revived due to increased trafficking ... Gem along the river ... Hi-fi hunters gather for Grants Pass Record Convention ... COMEDY Divided Comedy Tour at the Craterian Theater Comment By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Comedians Ty Barnett and Ian Harris met more than 15 years ago while working the same clubs in Seattle. "We became friends," Harris says. "When I headed to L.A. to work, Ty would come down and stay with me and get jobs. Eventually, he moved to L.A." "I used to sleep on his couch," Barnett says. "He was the only friend I had in L.A." Harris and Barnett played The Improv, Laugh Factory, The Comedy Store, "all the typical stuff here in L.A.," along with some really bad bar shows. Harris had a job as the house emcee for the Long Beach Comedy Club. Then new ownership changed the venue from a comedy club to strip, blues and comedy club. "It was brutal," Harris says. "The owner made me do 45 minutes for the opener. That's a huge amount of time when you're starting out. Then the blues band and the strippers came on. The girls couldn't get naked. They could strip down to lingerie only. After the show, the boss wanted me to do another 15 minutes of comedy, but at that point there were only two people left in the audience. Barnett says he once played a bar with only two people in the audience, and they sat on opposite sides of the room. "That was the worst," he says. It never occurred to Harris and Barnett to hit the road together. "We shared similar stories about working the road, our personal lives and comedy plots, but we just didn't work together that much," Harris says. Harris and Barnett realized after being friends for a long time — and working in the same profession — that each held different perspectives of life. "Ian's an atheist, and I pray every night," Barnett jokes. "Then there are obvious differences. He's black, and I'm white," he laughs. Barnett's been a parent longer than Harris, and Barnett is single while Harris has been with his wife for 25 years. "We decided to put a show together just to show audiences that with all our differences, we can still get along," Barnett says. "I know it sounds like a really bad '90s slogan, but if we can get along, everyone can get along." Barnett and Harris will present their Divided Comedy Tour at 8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14, at the Craterian Theater, 23 S. Central Ave., Medford. Look for smart, sometimes edgy comedy that's meant to unite audiences with laughter about the things that often keep us “divided.” Tickets are $20 or $25 general; $15 or $20 for seniors and students, and are available at the Craterian box office, 16 S. Bartlett St., online at craterian.org or by calling 541-779-3000. Along with their different perspectives of midlife, relationships, race, religion and other beliefs, the comedians end their shows by interacting with the audience. They'll spend five or 10 minutes doing a Q-and-A with "the folks in the seats." "It's an important part of the show," Barnett says. "It gets people to interact, and we discover how we all can be so cool living in a world that is so separated by different views. We don't do improv, but we can mine the discussions for comedy and jokes." Since the comedy duo's show at the Craterian is on Valentine's Day, it's going to open the culminating discussion to questions about relationships. "We expect many questions about relationships at the show," Harris says. "I believe that mutual respect and communication are the biggest part of any relationship. I say that in all sincerity." On the flip side, Barnett believes in keeping one's bases covered at all times. "I don't believe in joint checking accounts," he says. Audiences can ask Barnett and Harris anything. They answer serious questions along with funny ones. There are times when the two open serious discussions about politics, race and religion. "If we need to have a serious discussion we will," Harris says. "But we also always have a humorous answer." During one of the duo's more serious discussions of racism in America, one audience member asked what they thought of Ferguson. It was meant to reference the shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old black man by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo. Barnett delivered a serious, heartfelt statement about racism in the U.S. When it was Harris' turn to answer, he quipped, "I think CBS is going to have a hard time replacing him on 'Late Night.' " "Both our answers made total sense," Barnett says, "and it turned into a rich moment." By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 12, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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