You have been thinking about trying stand-up comedy for awhile. Your friends all say you should try it. In conversations with strangers you easily get laughs. People gravitate towards you at parties. You fire off comebacks and retorts like a Gatling gun. In short, you think you have what it takes. Maybe, you even went…
by Rik Roberts | SchoolOfLaugh.com It’s funny looking back at when I first started. I thought I knew exactly who I wanted to be on stage. From recent discussions, it turns out many other comics felt the same way. They thought they knew what style they wanted to have on stage, what type of material they would get into, etc.,…
There is a bit of a science to creating a stand-up comedy set that flows. It takes a little planning to put together a show that starts quick, builds momentum, and finishes with a closer that rocks the room. A pile of great jokes performed in a haphazard order will frustrate both you and the…
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…
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…
Understanding your value is the only way to be confident in charging a “full fee” for your show. In the comedy clubs, you have very little (if any) leverage. You are told what they have to pay and you take it or leave it. Check out this episode! If you are pursuing corporate, fund raiser,…
by Rik Roberts (www.SchoolOfLaughs.com) Are you in the middle of nowhere? Are you miles from a city with a comedy night, let alone a comedy club? Do you want to start putting shows together to get some stage time? You are not alone, even though you may feel isolated. Joshua, a podcast listener from Iowa,…
Have you ever wondered how to get into writing comedy for TV, Radio or other comedians? Comedy writer Scott Dunn has written for such television shows as Foxworthy’s Big Night Out, The CMT Music Awards, The Larry “The Cable Guy” Christmas Special, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader, and The Dove Awards. Scott is…
– Rik Roberts | www.SchoolOfLaughs.com Every performer will have to deal with a “tough” crowd from time to time. It’s part of the job, part of the learning curve, and part of the fun. Let’s dig into how you can dig out of a tough audience. I’m going to eliminate from this discussion the tough…
Defining your goals is extremely important in any self-driven profession. In stand-up comedy, defining your comedy goals will set you apart from a large mass of aimless souls. Goals in and of themselves won’t make you funnier than anyone else. But they should make you funnier than you are now if you set them correctly. Without…