Comedian Joseph Scrimshaw grew up in Brainerd and North Minneapolis. (Courtesy photo)

For Joseph Scrimshaw's latest production, the prolific performer known for possessing some serious comedic chops is digging into something he knows very, very well -- Minnesotans.

"How to Swear Like a Minnesotan" debuts this weekend, taking over four consecutive Saturday nights in March at Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater. Exposing the edgy side of the "mild, mild Midwest" with tales about growing up in Brainerd and North Minneapolis, Scrimshaw covers Minnesota nice to Minnesota neurotic.

"It's a mix of stand-up and storytelling," Scrimshaw said. "I'll have some straight-up jokes about Minnesota but also a little bit more about looking for an identity for Minnesota.

"I've been traveling more and realizing that when people don't know much about Minnesota and I go to explain, my go-to thing is to just list factoids -- the theater seats per capita and what was created in Minnesota. I think it's a common thing with the Midwest, that we get defensive in trying to say why we're good. To me, it ties in with all the issues of passive-aggressive behavior. Is that behavior because of the weather? I want to have some fun looking at that."

Scrimshaw also takes on beloved Minnesota icons. There's a piece of erotic fan fiction he wrote about Betty Crocker, in which he has fun with the "reality of that image." And, of course, the show wouldn't be complete without a Paul Bunyan tale.

"In some of my research about Minnesota, I was fascinated to find that people from Minnesota think of Paul Bunyan as ours, but other places claim him, too," Scrimshaw said. "He exists in many other states, and I came across a particularly passive-aggressive Minnesota story that explained: Paul Bunyan smoked his pipe so much the smoke drifted, and that's why there's so much smog in California. To me that's funny. We use Paul Bunyan to explain anything, even what's bad about other places."

Then there's the promise of naughty words as expressed by the show's title.

"There will be swearing, because I've promised it, but it will be very selective," he said. "I once was hired to emcee a show that had all Minnesota performers, and it was an introduction to Minnesota for some visiting librarians. The show was introducing Minnesota to outsiders.

"I had to introduce each act, and in one of the group's introductions, I made a joke about using the word 'uff da.' And before the show, they came up to me and asked me to please not use that word because they actually did find it offensive. That, to me, was a perfect picture of the stereotypes of Minnesota. Some people actually think 'uff da' is a an offensive swearword."


What: "How to Swear Like a Minnesotan"

When: 7 p.m. March 2, 9, 16 and 23

Where: Bryant-Lake Bowl Theater, 810 W. Lake St., Mpls.

Tickets: $14 in advance/$16 at the door

Information: 612-825-8949 or