Comic Ben Bankas shows canceled at St. Paul club after jokes about Renee Good

This was supposed to be one of the biggest weekends in Laugh Camp Comedy Club’s history, six sold-out shows with a red-hot national headliner.

Instead, the St. Paul club’s owner Bill Collins canceled Ben Bankas’ performances after footage circulated of the comedian ridiculing Renee Good, who was fatally shot Jan. 7 by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

“Honestly, I don’t see any way we can safely present this show in the current climate,” Collins said earlier this week, right before informing ticket holders of his decision and how they can get refunds. “I’m not sure any amount of security or preplanning would mitigate the liability I’d face if something happened.”

Collins began to worry after Bankas shared excerpts on social media from his Jan. 9 and 10 shows in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., just a few days after Good’s death.

The clips, one of which has over 369,000 likes on Instagram, drew the ire of several local comics like Bailey Murphy.

Laugh Camp, a cozy 150-seat space at 490 Robert St. N., was the site of Murphy’s first paid gig as a stand-up, a place she described as somewhere you could throw darts with friends or attend gay dance parties.

She said watching the excerpts gave her a “pseudo-anxiety attack.”

Murphy and her friends were prepared to take action if the Bankas shows had happened. Picketing and blaring the “Wicked” soundtrack during his set were discussed.

But Collins decided to pull the plug, even if it might end up costing him more than $17,000.

“The risks to our community, staff and guests are too great,” said Collins, who has run the club since 2007.

According to Collins, who also owns nearby Alary’s Bar, Bankas’ management company, CAA, is insisting on full payment because its client is ready and willing to perform. Until money matters are resolved, CAA won’t allow any more of its clients to perform at Laugh Camp.

Attempts to reach Bankas and his representatives were unsuccessful.

The Sault Community Theatre Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, canceled a scheduled March 6 appearance in December, stating his material did not align with their “stated values of respect, inclusion and cultural diversity.”

“The people who are angry about my show need to get educated about what comedy is and the history of comedy,” Bankas told the Sault Star newspaper shortly after the decision was made. “Any subject matter that talks about something taboo, you’re going to get people who are upset about it, and I take that as a consequence. But my issue is, it’s only when one side of the conversation is upset that we think about canceling a show.”