Stand-up Comedy The Book Pdf

[Mateos Weinzapfel]

Standup comedy is a form of comedy performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage and delivers humorous and satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical acts. These performances are typically composed of rehearsed scripts but often include varying degrees of live crowd interaction. Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories, observations, or shticks that can employ props, music, impressions, magic tricks, or ventriloquism.

A performer in this genre can be known by the masculine and gender-neutral terms stand-up comedian and stand-up comic, or by the feminine term stand-up comedienne. Performances can take place in various venues, including comedy clubs, comedy festivals, bars, nightclubs, colleges, or theaters. [citation needed][1]

Stand-up comedy originated in various traditions of popular entertainment of the late 19th century. These include vaudeville, the stump-speech monologues of minstrel shows, dime museums, concert saloons, freak shows, variety shows, medicine shows, American burlesque, English music halls, circus clown antics, Chautauqua, and humorist monologues, such as those delivered by Mark Twain in his 1866 touring show Our Fellow Savages of the Sandwich Islands.[2][3]

The first documented use of "stand-up" appeared in The Stage in 1911, describing a woman named Nellie Perrier delivering 'stand-up comic ditties in a chic and charming manner'. However, this referred to a performance of comedy songs rather than stand-up comedy in its modern form.[4]

In a typical stand-up show, the host, compere, or emcee "warms up" the audience and introduces the other performers. This is followed by the opener, the feature, and then the headliner. The host may also act as the opener for smaller shows.[10] Proven comics tend to earn regular bookings at clubs that are part of a chain and comedy venues. Jobbing stand-ups may perform sets at two or more venues on the same day.[citation needed]

Clubs and small venues often run open mic events; these slots may be booked in advance or left for walk-ins. Comedians use open mics to work on material or to show off their skills to get an opener slot.[11] "Bringer shows" are shows that require amateur performers to bring a specified number of paying guests with them to receive stage time.[12]

Experienced comics with a following may produce a television special or a comedy album. It may be recorded on tour or at a show advertised and performed specifically for the purpose. A TV special originally released on television, video on demand, or film theaters may be re-released as an album on audio CD, LP record or audio streaming. A "half-hour special" is typically between 20 and 35 minutes in runtime excluding commercial breaks and an "hour-long special" is typically between 40 and 65 minutes excluding commercial breaks.[14]

Stand-up comedians define their craft through the development of routines, which they construct and refine with jokes and interconnected "bits." These bits form an interwoven narrative, leading to the "closer," the final joke that ties the show's themes together for a satisfying conclusion.

Most jokes are the juxtaposition of two incongruous things and are made up of the premise, set-up, and punchline, often adding a twist, topper or tagline for an intensified or extra laugh. Delivery relies on the use of intonation, inflection, attitude and timing as well as other stylistic devices, such as the rule of three, idioms, archetypes or wordplay.[15][16] Another popular joke structure is the paraprosdokian, a surprising punchline that changes the context or meaning of the setup.[17]

In order to falsely frame their stories as true or to free themselves of responsibility for breaking social conventions, comedians can use the jester's privilege, which is the right to discuss and mock anything freely without being punished.[18][19] Social commentators have referred to the concepts of "punching up" and "punching down" in attempting to describe who should be the "butt of the joke". This carries the assumption that, relative to the comedian's own socio-political identity, comedy should "punch up" at the rich and powerful without "punching down" at those who are marginalized and less fortunate.[20][21] Many comedians have criticized the cultural rhetoric concerning "punching up" and "punching down", including Colin Quinn, who described the terms as a product of activism and "not created by humorous people."[22]

In stand-up comedy, an unspoken contract with the audience allows for the exploration of unexpected, controversial, or scandalous subjects. The reception of a joke, whether met with laughter or disapproval, hinges on the audience's understanding of the premise and appreciation of the punchline. A seasoned comic is able to instantly react to the audience's reaction and use it to further their narrative.

Stand-up comedy, distinct from traditional performing arts, features a lone comedian directly engaging the audience. Success hinges on creating spontaneity, fostering intimacy, and deterring heckling.

Part of the appeal of stand up is in appreciation of the skill of the performer, as studies have shown that many people find the idea of standing on stage daunting; research on the subject has consistently found that the fear of public speaking is more intense than the fear of dying.[27][28]

The audience is integral to live comedy, both as a foil to the comedian and as a contributing factor to the overall experience. The use of canned laughter in television comedy reveals this, with shows often seeming "dry" or dull without it. Shows may be filmed in front of a live audience for the same reason.[29]

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The idea of doing a set at a comedy club was scary. Even an open mic night seemed way out of my comfort zone and the little voice in my head warned me of how embarrassing it would be to bomb. Who was I to attempt comedy?

I have acted in plays (and a movie short) and taken improv classes. I have delivered over 750 professional speeches and hosted nearly 400 episodes of a podcast. But stand up? No Way. While I use humor in my presentations, I am not funny.

Stand Up comedy is clearly the most unforgiving use of the spoken word. The chances of a joke not landing are close to 10 to 1 according to many comics. As a self-imposed "chickenshit" I did not like those odds.

In my teens and 20s I loved going to comedy shows. I secretly wished I had the skills (and the bravery) to get up there, but I simply did not have the confidence. Wishing and dreaming does not lead to actions. Potential is not a result.

That all changed in March of 2018 on a trip to New York City. I have a friend who is a popular speaker on the topic of humor in the workplace. He is also a comic. While I was in the city he invited me along to open mic night, which at the time of the invitation I assumed was to watch him work on new material for his own act.

Before my trip I prepared a five minute set, but it was more of a mix of humor from my business speeches than comedy club style jokes. None-the-less, I did it and some people laughed. It was not horrible, and I felt good for pushing myself and getting up on stage.

Yet doing something once is often not enough, especially if you think there is something more to the experience. I have become an advocate for trying new things, and it is now part of what I teach my clients. Thus I have to live my own words. I do not like everything I venture into (surfing was not really my cup of tea, but I did it recently), and if it is not "right" there is no reason to keep going. Yet when there is something to be learned from the experience, I owe it to myself to get past the fear of the unknown.

Since my initial attempt at comedy I have been to 14 additional open mic nights. I go to clubs and bars with comedy nights both in my home city of Austin, and I discover open mics while I am traveling for business (It beats sitting in my hotel room watching Netflix). I have developed three different five minute "sets" and am working to fine tune my timing, comedy writing, observation skills, and confidence in the art of humor.

It is very hard. Learning to do stand up is among the most difficult tasks I have ever undertaken, which is exactly why I am doing it with such intention. I spent too much of my life listening to that little voice that told me all the reasons I should not take risks.

All of this is already having a positive impact in other areas of my life. I am learning a lot from NOT being good. Too often I have stayed close to things I do well. And the chances of flopping are always present when you do comedy in front of a live audience, so by showing up I am living with the unknown each time.

Find reasons to say "yes" to things that are outside your comfort zone. Your efforts will force learning to happen. For you this may not be comedy. It might be jumping out of a plane or learning to paint. The key is to do something.

My goal is to participate in 100 open mic nights. This could take over two years, as my family commitments do not allow me to go out to bars and clubs 3 or 4 nights a week. I am not sure I am interested in being featured as a comic in a show, but I guess as I get better that opportunity could present itself (and this is even scarier, but I will say yes when the time comes).

I am curious as to what will be revealed to me in the next two years. However, I am clear that I will learn, grow, and become better in many areas of my life. Plus, it is not just comedy that I will be attempting, but some other unknown activities will pop up and it will be much easier to say "yes".

Stand-up comedy is one of the most popular forms of entertainment in the United States, especially in New York City. I personally watch a fair amount of stand-up comedy online. Some of the comedians I watched recently were Yumi Nagashima and Jo Koy, whose jokes I admittedly giggled at a lot particularly because of the Asian cultural references (accents, parents) that resonated with me.

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