The Bastion chatted a bit with sketch/stand-up/character impresario Ken Barnard prior to his three-in-one man show this week at the Lincoln Lodge, 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Based in Chicago, Ken has been featured at The Second City, The Improv Comedy Club, and is a fixture at Chicago Underground Comedy, The Lincoln Lodge, and Blewt! Productions. Tickets for $10 can be bought here.

So what's "Get Into It" all about? How did the opportunity for a one-man show come about and what was the writing process like?

Get Into It, at its heart, is a comedy experience centered around things that I have a deep passion and curiosity for. I'm asking people to "get into" all of these peculiar interests of mine. It's the kind of stuff that will make people's eyes widen and then they'll rub their hands together while making an excitable motor-noise from their mouths. I want the show to be like Christmas morning, but over two nights in April.

There will be jokes, oh yes, There Will Be Jokes, but the show is a more of a vehicle for my unconventional performance comedy pieces. Jokes, music, and bits, it's a 3-in-one man show!

What's the history of your comic development? Where have you studied, learned, performed?

I did plays in high school and sketch, improv, and a little bit of stand-up in college. It wasn't until I came to Chicago five years ago that I really began developing my solo act.

I'm definitely a product of the Chicago comedy scene and I'm proud of that. It's a great place to learn and experiment, and I'm still doing both. I'm learning every night. You gotta do leg work in your mind after a set. Figure out where things went wrong and where they went right, how they could be better. My job as a comedian doesn't end after the laughter subsides. That's something I've learned.

Where would you like to be in about five years, in terms of your comedy goals?

I'd like to be a full-time entertainer, no day job. You dig?

I want to have a more extensive library of on-camera work. I just did a video with Steve Delahoyde that will debut at Get Into It. So, I'm working on that one.

Doing a world tour is on my list, and not just English-speaking countries. I'd love to be able to entertain an audience despite an otherwise crippling language barrier. I think that it's definitely possible to make a group of people laugh who have no idea what you're saying. It's not always about the words.

I'd also like to have a kid. Great comedy fodder, those.

What's your favorite comedy? Who makes you laugh the most?

My favorite comedy is what I'd call "stupid" comedy. I think that stupid comedy is really smart. Weird stuff that throws the audience for a loop. They may not get it right off the bat, but as long as the performer commits to it from the top, nothing is better.

I'd say that Steve Martin and Andy Kaufman are my biggest influences and they definitely embody smart stupid comedy. I like bunches of comics; Maria Bamford is badass and Brady Novak is great (he's also in the short film that Steve Delahoyde shot which will premier on April 24 and 25. Get Into It!).

What do you do when you're not being funny?

I like chillin' out, biking around, going to IMAX movies, camping, cooking, and playing Nintendo Wii. I get some of my greatest pleasure and inspiration from other live performances. I see a lot of dance, a bit of art, and about four Elvis impersonators a year. I love comedy, but I definitely enjoy my down time.

I also, apparently, enjoy using the word "definitely". Here's one last one: Everyone is definitely invited to Get Into It on April 24 and 25. Get Into It!