Sit Down, Stand-Up!

I've been doing improv comedy for a while, but it wasn't my first interest in live comedy. That would be stand up comedy, which I worked up the nerve to do a couple of times. I think I came to it first out of my natural leaning towards being something of an anti-social loner as opposed to a more outgoing person. Stand-up is great in part because you are an island: your act need not be influenced by any outside force, and what you want it to be is what it will be. The attention is entirely on you, so you don't have to compete for it. That was very hard for me at the time.

Over time, I changed some as a person, and it was at least partly for good. Things like socializing, teamwork and listening have become a lot easier for me to manage, and so I like to think I've become a little more well-suited to cooperative comedy. I still see in my problems with improv an aptitude for standup, and so I have gotten very interested in trying once again to pursue that, albeit concurrently. That being the case, I've devoted considerable thought to how to do it. I mean partly the practical consideration of establishing myself, but mainly how to create a really funny act.

I don't really believe one can learn to be funny, but it's necessary to learn the form which is conducive to natural comedic gifts. I prefer to learn form by observing those who are out there doing it. As much as I've learned from the greats, I feel there are also a lot of things to learn from the up-and-comers. I've seen some who are good, some who never will be, and a lot who lack only form to be very good. What worries me about myself is that very question of form. Allow me to relate some of the observations that I hope will help me out as I go about it.

Something I've noticed is how exceptionally risky it is to open up two-way communication with the audience. If it works, it can enhance connection with the audience. If not, a lot of bad things can happen. If done clumsily, you become the joke. If done in an adversarial way, a hostile confrontation becomes possible. If neither of those things happens, you nonetheless have an audience which feels it's been granted license to blurt out whatever it wants. Connection with the audience can be as simple as maintaining eye contact, and it's my set, so you won't find me sidling up to a man and woman I think are a couple and making tired innuendo- at least, not unless that's the gag.

Many of the most pressing flaws I have witnessed fall under the category of professionalism. A professional is always ready to answer the bell when it rings. By that I mean that a comedian must always be entirely prepared. You'll see plenty of comedians come to the stage clutching papers, and then repeatedly consult them while muttering, "What else have I got". Going off of written notes will just kill the act. Using them as well as possible will dissipate the energy and momentum you work so hard for, but struggling with notes is just devastating.

I will admit that memorizing is difficult. I have failed at that in the past while giving speeches, and now get decent results by memorizing key points and filling in the spaces in between by extemporizing. That method will work better for some comedians that others. It's really all Craig Ferguson does, but other comedians live and die by the precise wording and timing of the material which they take great pains to memorize. What I'm certain of is that either one must find in themselves either a natural gift for improvising killer material or a talent for composing it and learning it by heart. I have made use of notes for speeches, but won't do that in a comedy club. I could die on the stage, but it's not going to be on account of notes.  The trouble that must be ironed out are the 'ums' and 'uhs' I'm prone to and which can be so damaging.

Comedians may also attempt to lower your expectations by noting that they're just trying out a bunch of new stuff. I feel that being respectful is critical for a comedian. That may sound counterintuitive, but successful comics show proper respect for the audience. One should go on stage with a polished, cohesive act- not a string of rough jokes which have nothing to do with each other. It's kind of like a carpenter finishing a chair. The wood is really rough at first. You start with high grit sandpaper, and that makes it a little smoother. You then go through a series of finer and finer sandpapers until the chair is smooth enough to sell to a customer.

It's not even a question of whether the customer will buy it or not, although that does help the carpenter continue to eat and enjoy the benefits of shelter. It's more a question of respecting the customer and taking pride in his work. The audience wanted to see you enough to come to the club, so why make them walk away feeling like they just watched you preparing a real routine for more important audiences? I prefer to make the best routine I can conceive of independently before I try it anywhere, because I have pride. It may not be any good, but people watching my act deserve to know that I value them and tried to make the most of their decision to come and grant me their attention.

Now, standup comedy is a verbal craft, by and large, but the physical element must not be neglected. I mentioned eye contact. This is critical. To be relatable and connect with your audience, you must employ it properly. Even if you've got some grand insecure persona, you ought to be looking right at them about all the time. Of course, the lights will prevent you from seeing a thing, but they don't realize that and the important thing is that they see you. The other stuff- posture, how you use your hands, your movement about the stage, depends some upon the nature of your persona and act. Some comedians benefit from technically poor body language (and often bad vocal qualities), but unless one makes that deliberate choice, confident, open body language is best. It's something I need work on.

I'll offer just one note about content: It seems that one must be careful in going blue. It's not unconditionally a bad idea, and can be a really good one, but you've got to know when it's going to serve your comedy, and how much will do the job. It can overshadow anything, and just shut down your audience. Knowing your audience really is important. I don't think being in a comedy club automatically grants you a free pass. If you feel you just can't do without the dirty stuff, comedy may not be for you. I find that no matter what blue concepts I get into, the language itself is fairly clean.

Of course, there's a whole lot more to being a comic. I believe that the fundamental, universally applicable keys, though, are at least touched upon above. The rest is the intangible, unteachable essence. There's a story about a track and field coach who watches a physically gifted runner with poor form lose to a physically inferior one with good form. He chooses the former as his protege, noting that with good form he'll beat the latter every time. The story makes no mention of any untalented runner with poor form. If that's what I am, that obscurity will be my fate.