The Comedy Cellar

I want to say a few words about being a comedian. A comedian is someone who makes people laugh (and at least a couple times a minute). Which is easier said than done. A comedian is a stage persona; it’s not exactly who the person is offstage.

So how does one craft a standup comedy stage persona that a)suits their personality, and b) is actually funny?

It’s both easier and harder than it first seems. Your unique personality already exists; it’s just up to you to highlight the funny bits, and then to live your life onstage. This all starts with attitude and mood.

As a former teacher, I’ve had a lot of practice speaking to groups of cold fish. I can tell you that funny more often stems from your attitude, and the crowd’s willingness to come along, than anything you might plan to say. Most crowds want to come along – but you have to educate yourself as to what will shut them down. Because all it takes is the wrong word or two, right or wrong; once you’ve lost them you’re all alone and it’s that much harder to win them back.

The stage turns things up a notch or three. And that’s the act, isn’t it – electrifying your natural personality characteristics. It requires confidence and a degree of self-deprecation.

The comedian turns on his or her personality and lights up a room. They control the room, the stage, the narrative thread, and always (try to) have the last word with a laugh. They inspire and intersect ideas.

But more than this, they actively indicate the funny in every situation. They twist everything into a punchline; they deftly see things in the wrong way and create humor from their response. For example:

My father once told me “Be careful with you little girlfriend, or you’ll have a baby on your hands.” Yeah? Well when you’re seventeen dating a seventeen year-old, you can imagine dealing with that. When you’re fifty looking at a seventeen year-old, you’re just trying to get out of Saturdays at the Chucky Cheese. Pulling your wife out of the hamster tubes is embarrassing!

As a working adult with 10-20 years of job experience, you accumulate a kind of porcupine-quill carapace for the job. And if you’re an engineer, goodness help you. Making engineers laugh is a bit like sticking a fork in a toaster. In fact, it is literally like sticking a fork in a toaster. Leave it to the professionals.

You can’t approach comedy with that kind of flat emotion and deadpan attitude. Your mood translates to the crowd in a kind of desirable psychological transference. Your attitude is the fundamental premise through which all gets filtered.

Consider the different types of funny attitudes from some great comedians: George Carlin’s tough indignance. Woody Allen’s clever insecurity, and Bob Newhart’s halting insecurity. Johnny Carson’s boyishness and self-deprecating criticism of his own jokes. Tommy Smothers’ boyishness and naivete.

I’m going to add more examples from other eras:

Richard Lewis’ overwrought angst. Lewis Black’s rage with political absurdity. Bill Hicks’ seditious frankness. Eddie Murphy’s fast-talking, cool mockery. Richard Pryor’s contemplative, off-color characterizations. Brian Regan’s exaggerated immaturity. Steven Wright’s deadpan absurdity. Think of your favorite comedians, and what characterizes their attitude or point of view.

As such, with your unique, comical attitude, any setup is funny simply by virtue of being in your repertoire. Just as a funny comedy sketch depends first on the characters and the situation, before anyone has even said a word, funny standup depends first on one thing: the comedian’s unique, fresh point of view.

So what do you do when you’re armed with this information? You become aware of your own attitude, and feeling, at the moment of writing the bit. Aware of the influence of your mood, you might better adapt it to the situation. After all, your default attitude of bristling logic can hardly serve the interests of absurdity, can it?

Keep in mind that range is possible. If you listen carefully to some comics, you can almost hear them channeling their influences as well. It’ s hard to listen to Doug Stanhope without hearing Bill Hicks. Lots of young comics mimic Mitch Hedberg, or Dane Cook. Sometimes these attitudes come and go. Usually the audience is unaware of it at all, unless you blatantly rip off a comics mannerisms or vocal inflections. I won’t even dignify hacking material directly with a statement.

How do you find your own comedic attitude? You don’t. It finds you. Write what you think is funny, then turn it up ten degrees. If it makes you laugh, others somewhere will laugh too. Just make sure you write it in simple, clear language, punchy sentences, and tend towards brevity. Mark your punchlines – be aware of when they occur – and make sure you’re delivering them at about one every ten seconds, with the funniest hit in the last beat. The audience wants to laugh, and to know when to laugh. Make it simple for them. Make it easier on yourself.

You’ve got to overshoot. You may not get a laugh every time; and you’ll want at least two solid laughs every minute.

And finally look at every word you’re saying. Every word. Isn’t there a slightly funnier, slightly more absurd way of phrasing it? Don’t save all the mirth for the punch!

Good luck!

By: Frank Altair

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He’s cute, adorable, charming and has a great sense of humor. He’s an actor and comedian and he’s good at both. Let’s face it, among the current comedians on television and the movies, Robin Williams is one of the top choices of viewers. Since earning his popularity in the 1970s, his name has never lost its sparkle.

Comedy comes oh so natural for this man, although he’s outstanding, too, as a serious actor. But well, it’s always the funny side that we love best because of the light and happy feeling that we get when we can laugh our hearts out. Did you know that Robin Williams’ interest in comedy began at a very young age? Being an only child, he spent more time alone developing his imagination and entertaining himself by memorizing the comedy records of Jonathan Winters. He also developed his quick humor as a defense mechanism against the constant teasing of classmates in the private schools that he attended. His funny side continued to show even until high school during which he was voted as the funniest person.

The actor’s penchant for comic relief never waned after high school. Although he was taking up political science in college, he also engaged in improvisational comedy. However, it’s interesting to note that Williams actually underwent formal training in drama initially at Marin College in California and later on at Juilliard. On the side, he worked as a mime to support his education. Eventually, he became a standup comedian at the Club Circuit after leaving the art school.

Robin got his first big break as a comedian after appearing in L.A.’s Comedy Store. That lucky appearance led to a regular gig on Laugh-In. He was later cast as a crazy space alien named Mork from Ork on one episode of Happy Days. The audience loved his portrayal of Mork’s character that producer Garry Marshall decided to give Williams his very own sitcom entitled “Mork and Mindy” which ran on TV for four years from 1978 to 1982. Of course, the show was a great success and catapulted Williams to fame making him one of the most popular comedians of the 1970′s and 1980′s together with Richard Pryor and Billy Crystal.

On the big screen, Williams’s first title role was that of Popeye in 1980. What followed were several films, both comic and serious ones. However, it was the 1987 film “Good Morning, Vietnam” that made him famous as a movie actor. His role as real-life deejay Adrian Cronauer who was based in Saigon in the 1960′sbrought out the best of Williams’ talent in both comedy and drama. He sure did impressed viewers with his hilarious comedy routines as a radio disc jockey and got their sympathy with his dramatic scenes outside of the radio station. It was no surprise that his great performance earned him an Oscar nomination for best actor.

Robin Williams had several other comedy films that were big hits like Mrs. Doubtfire in 1993 and The Bird Cage in 1995. He had a number of more serious films, too, but fans wanted him back on the comic trail. In 2006, he returned to what he does best – making people laugh – with roles in the comedy films RV and Man of the Year. This year 2007, reports have it that Williams is set to do four movies.

Unless you don’t know yet, Williams has actually recorded three comedy albums and has emceed Comic Relief, a yearly televised benefit for the homeless, since the 1980s. And as if that’s not enough accomplishments, just last January 9, Robin won the People’s Choice Award for Funniest Male Star. In a short speech, he thanked his mother and his idols in comedy George Carlin, Jonathan Winters and Richard Pryor.

By: Philip Nicosia

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Catherine Tate (nee. Catherine Ford) was born in Bloosmbury, London on 12th May 1968. She was brought up in London attending a Catholic primary and secondary school. During her secondary school time period she became something of a rebel, developing a keen sense of humour, which made her a natural ringleader. In her most famous character Laureen there may be an element of autobiography.

Catherine Tate is in many ways a reluctant star. She doesn’t revel in the limelight like some stars and sometimes prefers to slip into events through the back door unnoticed. She also sometimes suffers from panic attacks and after the birth of her baby Erin, suffered from post natal trauma. Catherine is a firm believer in astrology and frequently consults her star signs.

After taking her A levels in the sixth form of Salesian college Battersea she went to study art and drama at a local drama school, The Central School of speech and drama. Catherine Tate began her acting career by appearing in a variety of tv dramas such as Casualty and the Bill. She also appeared in minor roles for comedy programmes such as The Harry Hill show and the Wild West. It was during her acting in “Wild West ” that she was spotted by the casting director, this led to her own show the very popular “Catherine Tate” show. She had recently being developing a stand up comedy role. This series enabled her to develop a range of characters, some of which have passed into popular folklore for their comic repertoire.

The first series of 6 episodes was shown in February 2004, they quickly attracted a dedicated following and has grown into one of BBC2 top shows for viewing figures. The second series did even better, although it was helped by being shown straight after the series Extras. Some of the most popular characters in the show include

Characters from Catherine Tate Show

Laureen. – Laureen is a disaffected teenager, a rebel without her cause. Frequently arguing with authority figures she tries to look as cool as she can to her friends. Much of her comic effect comes through the repetition of her stock phrases such as “Am I bovered” “Do I look bovered”, “Are you disrespecting me and my family?” Each phrase is repeated with a sarcastic glare. Whatever the situation, the dialogue usually ends up along these lines.

One of Catherine Tate’s greatest comic moments was at a Royal Variety Performance when she went to the Royal Box and said. “Is one bovered”. Allegedly one of the people in the box was asleep. Remarking to the Queen she said.

” she is bing, but the old fella next to her is asleep!” -

By: R J A Pettinger

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If you are considering a stand-up comedy career, then you are probably aware of open mic nights-where most new comedians are born (or hatched-I’m not sure).

I want to give you a few quick stand-up comedy tips that you can use now to help you prepare for your next open mic:

Stand-up Comedy Tip #1: Understand that it is your delivery that will give you the most laughter impact on stage-not how the words or sentences in your act read from a piece of paper or word processor.

However many people get completely stuck trying to write jokes the old school way instead of using some of the easier and more effective topic based techniques for developing big laugh comedy material that depend on delivery and presentation as opposed to “writing” jokes on paper.

In other words, you need to practice your stand-up comedy act extensively before an audience every sees you perform.

Stand-up Comedy Tip #2: Work out your stand-up comedy material in conversation before you take it on stage.

This is very easy to do provided that you DON’T tell anyone that you are actually delivering stand-up comedy material. I have personally worked out a ton of comedy material this way by just waiting for my turn to talk when with friends or family.

Stand-up Comedy Tip #3: Practice your stand-up comedy act extensively before you ever hit the comedy stage, keeping in mind that it is your delivery of your comedy material that will give you the most laughter power.

In order squeeze the most out of your open mic performances, you should record every single show that you do for performance evaluation-audio is fine, but video is much better.

If you are serious about commanding the stand-up comedy stage and need more information, check out the link in my resource box below.

By: Steve Roye

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Ron, “Tater Salad”, White was born on December 18, 1956 in Fritch, Texas. He is a classic standup comedian. His back ground is indicative of the early years of stand up comedy before the days of DVDs and Comedy Central on cable television. His early years were a struggle as he went from club to club driving a beat up Nissan pick-up truck. He served in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and was in trouble over drugs right after his return. Biographical data on his early years is sketchy at best. Most of the information about his life comes from his comedy routines and is somewhat unreliable.

Ron White burst into the national limelight when he teamed with fellow comedians, Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvalls, and Larry the Cable Guy, in a show called “The Blue Collar Comedy Tour.” The tour produced several popular shows, albums, and a full length DVD that was a best seller. Afterwards, the other three members of the tour went on to star in a regular Comedy Central series based on the Blue Collar tour. Although he has often appeared on the show as a guest, White was not a regular. He gave his reasons for this as not wanting to be type cast as “Blue Collar”, and he did not have the work ethic necessary for a regular TV show.

This decision did not hurt his career. His first solo comedy CD, “Drunk in Public”, was released in 2003. It sold over 450,000 copies and spent months on Billboard’s Top Ten Comedy list. A follow up album called, “You Can’t Fix Stupid”, has also enjoyed great success and has propelled Ron White into the upper echelon of stand up comedians today.

Ron White’s comic style is considered to be very traditional stand up comedy. It is very conversational and mixes honest observations about everyday life with razor sharp wit. A master of image, he dresses entirely in black and always is smoking a cigarette or cigar during his act. He also always is sipping from a glass of scotch whiskey, and alcohol is often a big part of his humor.

He was married to Jeff Foxworthy’s interior decorator in 2004 and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Ron White is a comedian in a classic mold. He has been in trouble with the law over drugs and alcohol use in the past, although not really serious trouble. He is not involved in movies, and his experience in television is limited to his comedy specials. His forte is stand up comedy and he excels at it. He is currently very active on the tour cycle and remains one of America’s more popular comedians.

By: Joseph Daily

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So, you think you’re funny huh? You think just because you can make people laugh, you think, now you want to be the next ‘Steve Martin’. Now, Mr. Martin is funny and does very well with his craft. Can you?

So, if you want to make it as a stand up comedian take notice of this article because I share a few tips that will help you out because comedy is a serious business, and you don’t want too many boos and hisses you want laughter, and the more you bring of the latter out of your audience, the more you’ll attract the checks.

1. Identify With Your Audience.

You can have the best routine in the world and you’ve got to cater for the audience and are receptive to it. For example, you are delivery your routine to a room full of priests and you make jokes about the Bishop who does not take too kindly to what you are saying, this is going to be a total slip up.

Cater for the audience by knowing who your audience

2. Don’t tell jokes that are years out of date.

For example, if you have an audience who are under 30 and you are telling jokes about a dubious personality from the past, do you think its relevant material to tell stuff from 30/40 years go? (Or, longer) Come up with topics that are current. General material is a safe bet.

3. Practice Your Routine.

First in front of the mirror to see how you look, a funny expression can make people laugh can that be part of your repertoire?

Practice until you cannot get your routine wrong – that’s what professionals do. Perform your routine in front of your friends, ask them to be brutally honest about your performance. I’m sure your friends will obliged.

By: Robert Gaziano

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If you want to learn stand-up comedy, then you need to know what a punchline really is. Just knowing that the punchline is the funny part of a joke is not enough.

So let me redefine the term punchline:

A punchline is very simply a “reaction” using your sense of humor to that which is being talked about-whether you are talking about an experience, event, opinion or whatever is being presented.

Think of it this way. You are talking with a friend. That friend makes a statement. You “react” to that statement and your friend laughs.

You just delivered a punchline in a dialogue.

In the process of trying to learn stand-up comedy, one need only recognize that the only difference between delivering a punchline in a dialogue (talking with a friend) and delivering a punchline in a monologue (stand-up comedy performance) is…

In a monologue, you are using your sense of humor to react to what just YOU are saying.

You should also be aware that a punchline need not be spoken-it can be a look, a facial expression or body language. All of these are “reactions” that can create laughter.

Here are some down and dirty guidelines for developing punchlines very quickly:

1. Make sure your stand-up comedy act is written out on paper or your word processor.

2. Verbalize your material out loud and try to “react” to each and every line of your act (include your natural body language and facial expressions as you do this).

3. Insert your “reactions” to your comedy material as they happen. While you won’t be able to react to every single line in your act, you will be able to react to many lines in your act, giving you the ability to generate punchline very quickly.

Learn stand-up comedy fast tip #1: Start with topics, concepts and ideas that you can easily react to using your sense of humor. Start with life experiences, observations, and events that mean something to you personally.

This approach is well suited for comedians who are employing old school joke writing techniques, as well as those using the more powerful topic driven stand-up strategies.

Hint: You will need to “react” to your material (verbalize a punchline) at least 4 times per in order to be recognized as a comedian worthy of mention.

Learn stand-up comedy fast tip #2: Always verbalize your stand-up comedy material and react out loud to what you are saying and reacting to. Don’t just verbalize your material in your head. You want to hear what you are saying, just like your audience will. This is the best and fastest way to determine which punchlines are keepers and which ones are not.

By: Steve Roye

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This is Taylor Jones, the hack writer.

I’m a prolific writer of much needed articles.

I wrote from scratch most of the over 150 articles I’ve posted on http://www.ezinearticles.com during the last two months.

Okay, so some were not much needed, but over 15,000 folks have visited the articles along with over 100 ezine publishers.

It’s true. I can write on any subject.

What I can’t do is write jokes.

I’ve tried to learn the craft.

I can’t.

However, I did find a website that might get you started in writing jokes and could even get you paid in applause, or even money, by doing standup comedy. The site is http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/minis/mini/standupMINI/standupMINI2.html.

Good Luck!

I’m sure you will become famous.

If you do, maybe you can drop me off a ticket to one of your shows when you make the big-time and perform in Southern Idaho.

We live in the Banana Belt of Idaho. Kids and adults here leave there coats at home if the temperature gets over 25 degrees.

The other night we took our Idaho grandkids to dinner. The four-year-old had a sweater but no coat.

I said, “Bob, where is your coat?”

She said, “Home.”

I think the temperature was about 7 degrees.

Bob is a Girl. Her given name is not Bob. About a year ago she said, “My name is Bob!”

Now nobody dares call her anything else.

Kids say the funniest things as Art Linkletter use to say.

My aunt was on his show. She was the oldest mother in the United States with the youngest baby.

That would be my cousin, Billy.

Where in the heck are you, Billy?

When my daughter-in-law had triplets up in Washington State, our four-year-old granddaughter said, “I’ve got a new sister and she has two brothers.”

We went to a recital after dinner. I was afraid that everybody was going to freeze to death (especially Bob).

It was so cold that the red banner around the Sizzler