What is stand-up comedy?
stand-up comedy, comedy that generally is delivered by a solo performer speaking directly to the audience in some semblance of a spontaneous manner. Stand-up, at least in the form it is known today, is a fairly recent entertainment phenomenon.
Do you have what it takes to be a stand-up comic?
So, you think you’re funny? If you’re considering a career as a stand-up comic, get a pen and paper—a lot of paper. As any successful comedian will tell you, writing jokes day in and day out requires a serious commitment.
What do you call a person on stage performing comedy?
I've seen all three versions for describing a person on stage performing comedy: "stand up", "standup", and "stand-up". My guess is that the term started as two words, but as the performance form itself became more established in the culture, the set of the two words together became perceived as a single unit.
What are some examples of comedy structures?
Thus the element of surprise comes very handily in the comedy business. This piece is highlighting the 13 known comedy structures alongside examples of their usage. Double Entendres. Reverses. Triples. Incongruity. Simple Truth. Superiority. Paired Phrases.
How to write stand up comedy?
8 Tips and Tricks for Writing Stand-Up Comedy 1 Learn to edit on the fly. As you perform more, you’ll learn to sense when a joke isn’t going to work halfway through its delivery. In these moments, your confidence will allow you to edit the line in real time, cutting and altering depending on the mood of your audience. 2 Always go with your best material and don’t be afraid to cut. Less is more, so remove bits that aren’t hitting their marks. 3 Remember to keep it conversational. Even though you’ve written your stand-up act out, perform each bit as if it’s the first time you’re telling a story. 4 Always have new jokes waiting in the wings. After you’ve performed your first, second, and third-rate jokes, you’ll be out of material. Start building your catalog to prevent this shortage. 5 Get stage time any chance you get, especially when you have new material you want to test out. Hit open mic nights frequently. Any public speaking will boost your confidence. 6 Avoid crowd work. When you’re on stage, focus on your act and don’t improv with audience members. 7 Always work towards shaping your comedic persona. This will help you focus your joke writing with a point of view that’s unique. 8 Don’t go on stage with all new jokes. Grow your set bit by bit. Squeeze a new one-liner in between other jokes and see how the audience reacts.
How many laughs does a stand up comedy show get?
The jokes are scripted and have setups and punchlines. The average stand-up comedy show gets four to six laughs a minute from the audience.
What is the punchline in a joke?
In some cases, the punchline might be the first part of the joke you uncover. In that case, work backward to the setup. If it’s a longer bit, include jab lines—funny moments in the body of the joke—so the audience doesn’t wait too long to laugh. Remember that comedy is about pushing limits.
What is a set in comics?
A set is a complete stand-up routine, from start to finish. It is structured with a beginning, middle, and end. The length of a set depends on whether a comic is the opening act or the headliner. When you’re the featured act, prepare to be on stage for an hour or more.
Who believes that stand up gets better as it becomes more personal?
Even if you just see a glimmer of an idea, jot it down. You never know if it might work down the road. Film director and comedian Judd Apatow believes that stand-up gets better as it becomes more personal —that comics who open themselves up to the audience are often the strongest performers.
Who was the first stand up comedian?
Charley Case , an African American vaudeville performer, is credited with doing the first real stand-up act sometime during the 1880s. He performed comedic monologues in front of an audience, leaving out the props and antics of vaudeville. Like comedians today, Case told anecdotal jokes—funny stories from his life.
Is stand up comedy still popular?
Stand-up comedy is still a popular form of entertainment. Comedy writing is considered an art form. Late night television show hosts start with a stand-up set every night. If you’re a new comic, you might choose to move to a stand-up mecca where other famous comedians live, like Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York, to be closer to the action.
How to write stand up comedy material
When I first started pursuing comedy, I was a complete newb. I had very little experience on stage, and even less experience in writing. And by less I mean zero. Until that point, the funniest thing I had written started with “yo mamma” and ended with a pun about Walmart.
Step 1: Establish a funny concept
To start, come up with a funny concept based around your own personal experiences or observations. This could be something as simple as your insecurities at the gym, or getting licked by a passenger on the subway, or how your boyfriend’s obsession with fidget spinners is causing you to rethink… everything.
Step 2: Make a list
Once you’ve got your concept in place, make a list of the important characteristics or funny elements that you could potentially turn into a joke. For example, one of my most popular sets is focused around the contrast between my sister—a drop-dead-gorgeous beauty queen—and me: her shadow on a bad hair day.
Step 3: Write your first draft
So choose your topic (gorgeous sister), and your point of view (sweaty underdog), and start writing.
Now start writing!
When it comes down to it, the only way to get really good at writing material is to consistently work at it every single day. I personally use the Werdsmith app for writing down silly concepts and organizing each of my sets, and I know a lot of comics who carry around a notebook.
