3 ms·
I'm trying up standup comedy this summer -- open mics for now. I thought it would be absolutely terrifying to be in front of a bunch of strangers and try to ma
by bambax 2y ago
I'm trying up standup comedy this summer -- open mics for now.
I thought it would be absolutely terrifying to be in front of a bunch of strangers and try to make them laugh, but it turns out if you're prepared, it's not that hard. Open mic crowds are benevolent and don't expect you to be the next Richard Pryor or George Carlin anyway, and I don't "engage" the public at all; I just tell my jokes.
I try to come up with new material each time so there's some work to do, but it's fun.
- fruit_snack 2y agoIf it doesn’t psych you out too much, trying to engage with the crowd maybe once per set or every other set could be a good way to force the habit and make it easier over time. Not that it’s necessary for all styles, but when I’ve been to comedy shows in the past the people who are able to deal with the crowd really well are always the most impressive to me :)
- malshe 2y agoGood luck! I am happy to know that you don’t do crowd work, which has become fashionable now. I remember Big Jay Oakerson’s roast where someone pointed out that crowd work is what you do when you don’t have any material :) Crowd work almost always comes down to race or profession of the audience. It can be funny only in so many ways.
- bambax 2y agoThanks! Lee Mack has a great anecdote about his beginnings that he told on the Graham Norton show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmbpagijVkk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmbpagijVkk
- chairmansteve 2y agoThis makes me think a non tech "What are you working on" would be nice. Getting away from screens for a while would benefit some of us.