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This month, we’re super excited to spotlight our August Daily Movement Member, Kay Koch!
As a standout Lady of the Lodge, Kay brings serious energy, resourcefulness, and a great sense of humor to everything she does. You can find her working behind the scenes at her local theater, taking center stage, or putting her own spin on The Red Green Show universe. She constantly proves that ingenuity isn't just for the guys in flannel.
When she isn't sharing creative projects on her website kaykoch.com and Instagram @kelonzi, Kay is always connecting with the community. She's met Steve Smith at the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame and champions fellow female fans with her iconic "Girl Power" clip.
Want to see her in action? Head over to YouTube and check out her show-stopping Ethel Merman tribute from the 33rd Annual Possum Lodge Talent Show!
Q. What originally brought you to Possum Lodge? From stagecraft and theatrical productions to life at the Lodge, you’ve spent a lot of time around creative storytelling. How did your background in theater shape the way you connected with The Red Green Show, and what made you want to officially pull up a folding chair with us?
Kay: Ha! Well, I guess what first brought me (and my chair) to the Lodge in the 90s can be answered with four letters - WMHT. They were my local PBS affiliate where I grew up in Schenectady, NY. The station was notorious for airing an absolute smorgasbord of programming- particularly after 9pm when they figured the “educational programming” elite had headed off to bed.
One night my dad (the Night Owl) was flipping stations when suddenly he stopped and called me over to see “this show I found.” While I no longer remember which episode was on, I very clearly remember the look on his face as he considered these “two fellas in flannel” singing around a campfire. At the end of the episode, he furrowed his brow and, with all the careful consideration of a fine sommelier, turned to me to declare: “It’s… Canadian…” (I waited, unsure if this was a good thing) “... and it’s hilarious!” (Were these mutually exclusive terms?) Before I could ask any follow-up questions however, another episode had begun and, well… we were off to the races!
Speaking to my background in theater and storytelling, I think what jumps out to me now about The Red Green Show is the completeness of the world created by Steve Smith, Rick Green and the writing team. We love Possum Lake and all its absurdities because it still manages to feel quite real- elevated for TV, but always real. Red Green has such a seemingly simple, straightforward premise, but those are exactly the kind of ideas that fall flat without a careful awareness of tone and a seriously talented team of artists behind the scenes.
Personally, some of the hardest shows I have ever worked on are the “simple” ones, so watching Red Green always fills the production part of my brain with a profound sense of respect. (Plus, can we talk about the sheer mountain of WORK that clearly went into every frame of those Handyman Corner & Adventures segments? Mind. Blown.)
Q. Over at kaykoch.com and across your socials (@kelonzi), you share a lot of your projects and passions. As one of our standout VIP Ladies of the Lodge, what does it mean to you to represent women in a world traditionally run by guys who refuse to read the instruction manual?
Kay: I feel like I need to cue up a montage here of all the times I myself have failed to read the instructions and just “went with my gut!” Some traits, in my mind, transcend the men vs. women dynamic - there’s a little Red Green in all of us. (Whether we’re willing to admit that or not!)
To me, the real humor of the show is rooted in this understanding of partnership. Yes, the guys of the Lodge joke endlessly and complain mightily about their spouses (looking at you, Dalton) but there’s also this underlying acknowledgement that without their other half… things fall apart, and no amount of duct tape will bail you out! My fav example- the boat talk between Red, Dalton & Mike in Season 12 - “Mr. Possum Lake”.
Q. We love seeing how our members bring the Lodge spirit into their everyday lives. We noticed you actually use "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" as your personal email signature! Beyond just being a fun nod to the show, what does that famous motto mean to you when you hit "Send"?
Kay: So- and this will date me, but- before it was my email signature? It was part of my AOL IM away message! In fact, my husband saw it there when we exchanged our first few chats- an anecdote he recalled at the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame event, (“Bet you thought you were getting a Latin Scholar!” Patrick McKenna quipped).
The Lodge motto, the Man’s Prayer… I guess, for me, it all goes back to what I said before about the writing on the show: deceptive simplicity mixed with a beautifully rich vein of (occasionally dark) humor. By all means, folks, “Fake it til you make it,” but if that doesn’t quite work out for ya… “Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati.” There’s some fine life advice, eh?
Q. We heard you made it out to the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame Gala and got to meet Steve Smith in person! What was that experience like for you?
Kay: Surreal. And lovely. It was a 10 hour drive from New Jersey to Hamilton, Ontario so I’m positive I was more than a smidge punch drunk by the time we got there, but I’d absolutely do it again. One of my favorite moments on the road happened when we hit the crossing and the Border Patrol agent asked us, “What’s your reason for visiting Canada today?” I told him we were here to see Red Green inducted into the Hall of Fame! Without missing a beat, he replied, “Oh! He’s still kickin’ around, eh?? Man, my dad and I used to go to those tapings all the time!” Our people: we’d found them.
In addition to meeting Steve, we were able to say hello and snap pics with Patrick McKenna, Peter Keleghan, and Jeff Lumby, who were all so warm and gracious with their time. As my father had recently passed away from Parkinson’s Disease, it was wonderful to connect with the people who created something that was so special and integral to my relationship with my dad. I absolutely believe his spirit was in the room that night, (wearing a flannel and showing off his duct tape wallet!)
Q. You had a standout vocal performance in the 33rd Annual Possum Lodge Talent Show doing an Ethel Merman tribute song! What inspired that performance?
Kay: Parody + Public domain = no nasty copyright claims? ;)
Honestly, I didn’t originally plan it to be a “tribute” to Ethel at all… that’s just how things worked out. A little song, a little aggressive belting, a little juggling… What's not to enjoy? I do have a BS in musical theater after all, (which some people find redundant *rimshot*).
Q. We love highlighting our members' creative work! You've brought a lot of energy to the fan base with your own content as a Lady of the Lodge, like your girl power clip. Can you tell us a bit about what inspired that project and what it meant to put your own spin on Possum Lodge?
Kay: All of the digital shorts I’ve created in the past couple years have come from a place of love. Getting to write even a quick sketch has been checking a big ol’ “childhood dreams” box. If I haven’t said this 99 times already, I do consider the writing on Red Green to be absolutely top notch. It was so formative for me in my own journey as a teenager deciding if acting, writing & performance would be the path for me. No, you’ll never see me go outside to a junk yard, cut up a car, and turn it into a backhoe. However, there’s a real art to carefully building up a multi-segment narrative that pays off in a final 3 ½ minutes of comedy perfection (and, yes, that is absolutely a shout out to my all-time fav episode “House Moving” from Season 8).
Q. Theater productions and Possum Lodge handiwork both rely on a little bit of improvisation and a whole lot of resourcefulness. What’s the most creative, "duct-tape-level" fix or last-minute save you’ve ever had to pull off—either backstage or in real life?
Kay: Hoo. Live Theater War Stories could truly fill their own section of a library… but here’s one that’s most Red Green relevant:
In college I was the assistant stage manager for a production of the British farce “Noises Off” - a play that depends on slapstick comedy, prop humor, crazy timing… and a bunch of doors with detachable handles. At the end of each performance, it looked like a small tornado had swept through backstage and we had a TON of stuff to reset. One night the tech team and I were absolutely exhausted, so we decided to skip that clean-up and just come in earlier the next afternoon before the show. (Can you hear the ominous music?)
Well, between classes, bad traffic, and general “life emergencies” exactly NONE of us got in early the next day and we had to rush through the usual half hour preshow prep… in about 5 minutes. Critically, I did not personally check the door handles on the “upstairs” level of the set, trusting they had been screwed back on/rigged correctly by a crew member. To make a long story short (too late!) the handle that needed to “fail” was screwed on securely while the other “normal” handle literally fell off in a black out and I had to scramble upstairs in the dark to- you guessed it- DUCT TAPE that baby back on. (It held- barely.)
The Handyman’s Secret Weapon literally saved the show that night… and I learned that to do tech for live theater requires you have a healthy level of paranoia flavored with a dash of OCD.
And duct tape. Always bring duct tape.
Q. In the series final season episode "The Big Retreat", the women took over the Lodge and declared "I am a woman. Hear me roar, I am in charge, get over it." Now that is the true Lady of the Lodge declaration! How do you feel the new Women's Prayer t-shirt captures that bold, in-charge spirit, and where did you wear yours first?
Kay: First- I love that we finally have merch acknowledging that the Women’s Prayer even happened! In the wrap up of that 15th season, there were a ton of great cameos & callbacks and “The Big Retreat” is a hilarious episode that, I feel, got a little lost in the shuffle. Watching Red, Harold, and (a business suit-clad) Dalton navigate a Lodge full of “movers and shakers” and “top CEOs in the country”... who are ALL WOMEN?! It’s brilliant writing.
As to where I will wear this shirt? Rather like women themselves, this shirt belongs everywhere decisions are being made! (Ruth Bader Ginsburg probably didn’t realize she was talking about a Red Green t-shirt… but she was. ;o) )
Q. For all the women and theater lovers out there who might be watching the show or thinking about joining the Lodge community, what would you say to encourage them to step into the spotlight?
Kay: This is such a “come as you are” fandom. Literally. Don’t overthink it. Just hop right in. The guys haven’t been shy about everything they are for the last 35 years, so why shouldn’t us gals get in on the action too?
“But it’s anti-women!” - Ohh no. No, no, gang. Red Green is my favorite feminist- I love to say that, (and the more he squirms, the more I will). No matter how sly the dig, it’s clear Red loves his wife and respects the heck out of her. Also, his advice applies to whatever form or flavor your partnership takes. “It never hurts to surprise your significant other,” is plain old good advice, whether you’re a guy, a gal, or Jimothy that short-spined raccoon cryptid everyone’s losing their mind about over on TikTok.
Q. What upcoming theater shows or projects should we be keeping an eye out for from you this summer, and where can people follow along with your work?
Kay: The most immediate way is my Instagram: @Kelonzi - Design projects, performance clip reels, pictures of my cats… it’s all right there. :) I am also currently facelifting my official website for a Fall relaunch: kaykoch.com.
I’m coming off a pretty busy two years where I was lucky to be hopping from project to project as an actor again, which has been lovely. While I don’t mind working technical roles, my heart has always been in front of the curtain… or just beneath the frame of a camera, puppeteering! “The Weirdos Next Door” was a 5 season webseries and true labor of love with my business partner/best pal Jen Ponton and we.. *COUGH* may just be looking to have a 10 year reboot/reunion in the coming months. You can check out our backlog of episodes on our YouTube Channel: The Weirdos Next Door.
