With the talk of presidential candidates in the air here in the United States, I got to thinking about what I want in a leader. Oddly enough, many traits we identified are also traits of great comedians. Candidates are definitely characters. Comedians are as well. But what are the common links that cross over from…
What To Do When Your Calendar Is Wide Open by Rik Roberts | School Of Laughs This post is about taking action when there seems to be nothing going on in your career. Whether you are a full time or aspiring performer, I hope this gives you a few ideas to get your bookings back on track.…
Joke thieves are everywhere. Just when you least expect it, your favorite routine that you’ve worked years to perfect is stolen. And it’s on TV nonetheless! What do you do? Drop the joke? Confront the thief? Check out this episode! As long as there have been stories, there have also been “raconteurs” who have…
This Post Is Not About The New England Patriots So, I really didn’t want to write anything related to the recent accusations against The New England Patriots. NFL investigators found 11 of 12 footballs were under-inflated in a 45-7 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in he AFC Championship game. The story seemed to have run…
We launched July 1st 2014 and it has been a tremendous journey. Getting to know the listeners and readers of the School Of Laughs podcast and blog has been a really, really cool thing. From connecting with folks in over 49 countries, to meeting many new comics through the site – Gavin and I have…
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…