Now for some suggestions regarding exposure to humor that will help give everyone a good jump start. The following are some of the things that will make your transition from ordinary citizen to comedian extraordinaire a smoother process.
1.) Purchase Stand-up Comedy or The Comedy Bible, both by Judy Carter. Much of what is in her books are also in our manual. We have a number of copies of her book that will be available to purchase for $11 (bookstore price is $16). Also read Zen and the Art of Standup Comedy by Jay Sankey. The Judy Carter books are at the box office at both Comedy Zones. We will purchase these books back at the end of the course if you wish.
2.) Check your Television guide for programs that highlight stand-up comedy; Comedy Central, HBO, Late Night w/ David Letterman, The Late Show w/ Jay Leno, BET, and any number of other cable stations.
3.) Attend as many shows at both Comedy Zones as possible. Once you have confirmed your place in the class, you will be given free admission to all non-celebrity shows that are not sold out. You may bring a guest with you as well. Try to watch these shows with a student's eye rather than as a customer looking for an evening of entertainment. Observe the comedians stage presence, style, rhythm and physical mannerism, watch how he or she moves from one subject to another, look for the methods employed to produce the humor. Do they use simile, lists, slap stick or any number of other comedic methods. Watch and learn. Write down your observations, criticisms, and questions and bring them with you to class. Ideally, it is best to watch a show twice, the first time for entertainment and to get a general feel or impression and then a second show for a more in depth study.
4.) Acquire a small notebook to jot down ideas that you may or may not incorporate in your comedy routine. It can be people, places or things, or it can be an observation or silly thought. You will be amazed at how you will start thinking funny when you start noting things that grab your attention. (To give you an idea, here are a few things from my notebook: Sign that said "Need Dirt," fake pearls, types of Doctors, Bush "leave no child behind," cd jewel cases, and on and on and on.) Also, purchasing a small hand held recorder is a good idea.
5.) Read the comic strips in the newspaper or on www.charlotte.com every day. Believe it or not, many of the rules, methods, and "gimmicks" used in stand-up comedy are used everyday in the comic strips. Also, read Dave Berry or any number of other humorists as often as you can.
6.) In order to guarantee you a seat for the class you will need to send in $150 deposit as soon as possible, to Tom Haines (DO NOT make the check out to The Comedy Zone or to Stand Up Stuff) and send it to the address at the end of this page. Go to www.standupstuff.com if you have any questions regarding the course. If your question cannot be answered from the web site, feel free to call or e-mail me with your ????'s.
7.) Each week there is a Kevin Siers Caption Contest in the Charlotte Observer. If anyone who is in class # 12 enters this contest and wins, besides getting the original Keven Siers cartoon, your Judy Carter book and a Stand Up Stuff embroidered shirt and cap are yours courtesy of Stand Up Stuff.
8.) Below is an assignment to help you get jump started in thinking funny. I also have it as a word document attachment, so you can fill it in and print it out easier. Have FUN!
#8 COMEDY EXERCISE IN WRITING # 8
Following are 8 set-ups on the subject of “working out.” Your assignment is to write a punchline for each set-up.
EXAMPLE: “I’m in really bad shape. Some people get up in the morning and touch their toes. I count mine.” If you want to change the set up to accommodate a different punchline, do it.
EXAMPLE: “I’m in really bad shape. Some people touch their toes without bending their knees. I can’t touch my knees without bending my toes.” These are not letter graded; they are graded by the smiles, giggles, or laughs they produce. Good luck and have fun.
1.) I hate exercise. The only jogging I do is to… ______________________________________________
2.) When I think of breaking out in a sweat, I… _____________________________________________________________
3.) My idea of a brisk workout is to… ____________________________________________________________________________________
4.) Some folks exercise & get big muscles. I exercise and get ______________________________________________________________
5.) I’m in very bad shape. I went to the gym and… _____________________________________________
6.) I asked the instructor what I should do to improve my physique. He recommended… ______________________________________________________________
7.) I’ve been doing sit-ups faithfully now for five weeks. The only change I’ve noticed is… _______________________________________________________________
8.) My instructor keeps saying, “No pain, no gain,” I finally told him…
_______________________________________________________________
BOOKS TO LEARN ABOUT STAND-UP COMEDY & COMEDY WRITING
- STAND-UP COMEDY THE BOOK by Judy Carter
- THE COMEDY BIBLE by Judy Carter (If you have this one read by the time class begins, you will be miles ahead of everyone else!)
- THE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO COMEDY WRITING by Jim Mendrinos
- COMEDY WRITING SECRETS by Melvin Helitzer
- COMIC INSIGHTS The Art of Stand-Up Comedy by Franklin Ajaye
- THE COMIC TOOL BOX by John Vorhaus
- COMEDY WRITING STEP BY STEP by Gene Perret
- WRITING DOWN THE BONES by Natalie Goldberg (Not a Comedy Writing Book, but great to break out of writer's block!)
- ZEN AND THE ART OF STAND-UP COMEDY by Jay Sankey\COMEDY BOOKS TO ENJOY
- HELL GIG by Brad Tassell
- BECOMING A HUMOR BEING by Steve Rizzo
- SEIN LANGUAGE by Jerry Seinfeld
- CRUEL SHOES by Steve Martin
- THAT'S FUNNY - 1000 Jokes From America's Funniest Comedians
- These books will be available to sign out on the first day of class.
Think Funny, Tom
Tom Haines tom@standupstuff.com
Joel Pace comedypace@aol.com