by Rik Roberts (www.SchoolOfLaughs.com) Is your comedy career better than it was one year ago? Are you where you thought you would be? Take a minute and think before you answer. Wait. One … more … second. Okay. If you immediately answered YES – congratulations! You are moving towards your goals and making progress. Let’s keep that momentum going…
Six time Letterman veteran Jeff Caldwell is a prime example of what a comedian should be. He’s smart, insightful, observational, opinionated, and clever. On top of that, he’s clean (unless a brawl is about to break out). We talk about: His take on David Letterman retiring Process for working in new material His comedy…
Every road comic knows the frustration of leaving town with hours to spare only to find themselves stuck in traffic, construction or an airport for a rediculous amount of time. On the road, time is your enemy and technology is your friend. We discuss some of our favorite travel apps. We also discover a few new…
by Rik Roberts (www.SchoolOfLaughs.com) This question was asked as a follow up to the post on hosting tips last week. As with nearly every comedy topic the short answer is, “find what works best for you by experimenting and see how it goes.” So that’s one answer. More specifically, I feel the host (or as…
Be funny. That’s really the only rule in stand-up comedy, right? It is a biggie, and it trumps everything. The funnier you are the more you can get away with, no doubt. But there are countless unwritten rules of comedy. Most of these unspoken expectations are unsaid because only an idiot would have to…
by Rik Roberts (www.SchoolOfLaughs.com) Performing stand-up comedy is one of the most exhilarating jobs on the planet. However, the job of the emcee (or host, or as they say across the pond “compere”) is often overlooked. I am here to tell you that having a great host can make a bad show good, and a…
Great comedians come in all shapes and sizes. And they all excel in one or more of these “traits of the comedy greats.” Some combine three or more traits, while others get by with just one or two. What traits are we talking about? Brilliant Material Ability to connect with an audience Perseverance Unique Delivery Sharp Comic…