This post is for archived comments that have been moved from other posts.
The very best stand-up comedy tips on the planet for new comedians!
The very best stand-up comedy tips on the planet for new comedians!
This post is for archived comments that have been moved from other posts.
For me, rehearsal is probably the most difficult part of the whole process, from the initial concept of a bit to actual performance! And, as Frank suggests, rehearsal can be confused with memorization.
I like the comparison of thee preparing comedian and a musical performer or band — and Frank’s suggestion of a ballerina. Considering rehearsal in this light gives it much more importance. Really, we aren’t just practicing “saying our lines” , are we? We’re actually choreographing our performance — determining body movement, facial expression, voice inflection, tone, etc.
This article has really given me a totally new perspective on rehearsing in a much more practical and focused way, for both phases: initial AND professional. I really hadn’t thought in those terms before. Thanks so much!
David, if you have not already, let me as an innocent bystander encourage you to get Steve’s Killer Stand-up Course. He goes into graphic detail on how to rehearse.
I enjoyed this article very much because it caused me to reflect on how I get initial ideas, prepare and remember those funny ideas when I am performing. This idea of constructing jokes from scratch — I believe you express it as writing jokes from thin air — is foreign to me. When I am preparing/exploring a topic, I usually “hear” the jokes in my mind before I write them down. If I don’t hear the joke in this way, I usually don’t use it. Also, I often visualize myself delivering the individual jokes, and I gradually build a set in this fashion.
I really don’t know if this is unusual, because I really never discussed it with others; in fact, I guess I had assumed most people did it this way…until I began reading your blog!! I knew from my earlier reading and online research over the years that there seemed to be a lot of emphasis on joke-writing, though.
Really appreciate what you are doing with this website! Even though I am an experienced public speaker and performer, I have really learned a great deal from the information you and your readers are sharing. Kudos to all!! 🙂
Excellent advice once again in this article and the two videos, Steve! The questions are thought-provoking and are quite helpful. I paused to consider several and revisited many of them, and I was particularly intrigued with the first 3 or 4 of the 22 questions. I have been grappling with those very issues: Am I adequately selecting topics that are personal enough to me? and Am I too narrow in my focus — in treatment of my topics as well as in selection? I still haven’t answered those questions to my satisfaction! I guuss that’s an indication of an area in which I need to grow! Thanks again for your insight.