“What was I thinking?” That is the phrase that I use every time I see footage of myself from more than a couple of months ago. (There are even times that I use that phrase while listening to my sets later the same night.) Judging my past work using my current level of knowledge and experience is an exercise in frustration. Of course I am not a fan of what I’ve done. It was poorly timed, poorly written, poorly performed, or some combination of all three. However, it got me to where I am today. And where I am today is standing at the beginning of a project that will, one day, leave me regretting the final product.

I don’t think I’m alone in this view of the path that I have walked. George Carlin shares a similar lament about his own work in Last Words (which I wrote about two weeks ago). Letting the knowledge that “I’ll regret this” control my decision making, however, is not an option. Instead it simply becomes a lesson in forgiving myself for my mistakes and remembering that I (hopefully) did my absolute best at the time. Easier said than done.

At the end of August (specifically August 26 to 28), I’ll be appearing at Calgary Yuk Yuk’s, and using those sets to create my first comedy album. I’m considering this a “beta project” – one to get my feet wet and help me to learn what works in this format and what doesn’t. The final product will be sold by donation (you could download it for free if you like) through my website and I’ll make up a couple of hard copies for my public shows. My personal goal is to reach a 30 minute long recording, which will allow me to keep some material for live-shows only.

Many details have to be taken care of before then. Not the least of which is selecting which material to perform and working to refine it in limited stage times between now and then (it’s a remarkably slow summer for comedy). My most recent challenge has been to put a structure and arc on the whole show/recording. So far, I’ve had some success with this and think that I’m close to getting that figured out. Then it will be on to the logistics which will include figuring out the recording equipment, getting some graphic design done, creating the pay-by-donation system and download site, and making sure that there is a good audience in the club each night.

I’ll have more posts online as the process continues. For now, put a note in your calendar for August 26 to 28 here in Calgary. I’m hoping to “stack” the audience a bit to get the best taping.

Finally, you may be wondering, “What will the album be called?” I could think of no title more fitting than: I’ll Regret This.

Tomorrow night is the sixth week of the summer amateur comedy program that I’ve helped to develop and present to Calgary’s new comedians. So far, it’s gone exceptionally well. Last week was the first of three summer shows meant to give everyone some stage time. I must say that almost all the performers had great sets and several showed a huge improvement since the last time I had seen them on stage.

Part of what I’ll be talking about with my new group tomorrow night (as the other instructor and I are switching groups) is my recommended reading list for all comedians (regardless of level in the industry). I figured that posting it on here as well would give the attendees easy access to the list, help those that can’t make the workshop, and give any random Internet searcher a good list of reference material.

It’s pretty much an industry-standard that all new comedians start with Stand-Up Comedy: The Book. It’s written by Judy Carter and is a truly exceptional way to begin reading about comedy. This book will cover many fundamentals as well as some more advanced topics. While it was written two decades ago, I believe that the fundamentals still hold true. However, if you’re looking for a more recent edition of this book I’ve heard that Carter’s, The Comedy Bible: From Stand-Up to Sitcom – The Comedy Writer’s Ultimate “How To” Guide, is basically an updated version (but can’t comment on that personally as I’ve only read the first “edition”).

Once you’ve read that book you’ll want to pick up Zen and the Art of Stand-Up Comedy by Jay Sankey. This publication is more philosophical in nature which makes it a great companion to Stand-Up Comedy: The Book. Where Carter focuses on a more scientific approach to the industry, Sankey shares a more emotional perspective while expanding on many of the same topics. This is a great book to read once you’ve been on stage more than a couple of times, because you’d probably get more out of the material covered.

Next on your reading list will be Comedy Writing Secrets by Mel Helitzer. This books covers a lot more writing styles than just stand-up comedy. There’s advice on how to create different types of humorous and funny content. If you’re not willing to take the time to do the recommended exercises in the book; don’t bother buying it. Just reading this one likely won’t help you out that much, but doing the recommended writing exercises will help you to become funnier on paper. (Hopefully this will also get you used to a more regular writing routine.)

Comedy Writing Secrets is also somewhat “scientific” in its approach, but that shouldn’t dissuade you. While stand-up comedy is an art form, there are many concrete things that you can do to get better. This book gives some great overviews of the types of comedy and also shines a light on some unexpected places where comedy writing is required. If stand-up isn’t for you, this book may have an example of another career you can pursue and still be funny.

Finally, while The Eight Characters of Comedy by Scott Sedita wasn’t intended for stand-up comedians, there is a lot of information that stand-ups can learn from it. This was written for sitcom actors and writers. The bulk of the book defines the eight character archetypes that exist in all successful sitcoms. It talks about how to act and write for each of these types of characters, but I’ve found it useful for new comedians to use as a way to simply define their own characters. Most stand-ups can easily be slated into one or two of these detailed archetypes. That’s not to say that everyone shouldn’t be unique, just that the basis of most characters is finite and, if Sedita is right, then there are only eight possibilities to form the basis of all comedy performers.

If you are interested in pursuing a career in stand-up comedy then these books could easily be the bulk of your “off-stage schooling.” You’ll still need to invest a lot of time in writing and performing (that’s the one way to really learn how to do it), but with this reading you’ll head in the right direction from the beginning.

—————————–

For bonus marks: I also highly recommend Born Standing Up, Steve Martin‘s autobiography, and Last Words by George Carlin and Tony Hendra. While Martin’s book doesn’t cover the “how” of comedy, it’s a great look into the mind of a master of the art. The same can be said for Carlin’s book (published posthumously), although at times it does answer the question of “how.” (Even though some of this thoughts on comedy are well beyond my understanding.)

On one of my recent, lengthy road trips I was listening to the audio book version of Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, What The Dog Saw: And Other Adventures.  While each of the articles/essays included is a truly excellent read (or, in this case, “listen”) there was a line from the Preface which struck me so profoundly that I nearly pulled over.  That may have over-sold it, but here is the quote:

“…self-consciousness is the enemy of ‘interestingness.’”

Source: Gladwell, M.  (2009).  What the Dog Saw: And Other Adventures.  New York, NY: Hackette Book Group.

Gladwell was referring to the fact that people at the top of organizations, companies, and governments have to be guarded with their responses to questions and with interviewers.  This is a form of self-consciousness.  When people are focused on what they are supposed to say, they rarely say anything of real value.  They censor themselves as they go.  It is an easy idea to agree with and one that, taken in a different context, has a great deal of meaning for my line of work.

Self-conscious performers rarely do well.  Audiences know when that is the case.  Focusing, as a performer, on how you’re doing instead of what you’re doing on stage leads to failure.  Being self-conscious has never created anything truly remarkable.  Case and point… here’s a YouTube video that wouldn’t have existed if those involved were overly self-conscious:

It would have been very easy for a “higher up” at The Cancer Foundation to kibosh this idea.  In fact, someone probably tried.  Any number of reasons could have been given; it won’t work, it doesn’t reach enough people, there’s no numbers on which to judge success.  All of those reasons are rooted in the fear that this concept would have reflected poorly upon someone.  That’s a self-conscious concern if I ever heard one.  It’s a concern that, if acted on, would have killed a marvellous idea and prevented reaching a new demographic through a medium that wasn’t being utilized.

When creating new ideas, entertaining an audience, or giving an interview, “…self-consciousness is the enemy of ‘interestingness’,” not to mention the enemy of creativity and advancement.

On Seth Godin’s blog on Sunday there was a post entitled “High praise indeed” which read as follows:

You’d think that I had a high school reunion coming up in the next few weeks with the amount that I’ve been flashing back to those days.  Not the entire experience (reliving it would be as awkward as the first time through), just one particular part of those three years.  I have long considered the drama courses that I took to be my most beneficial education.  While I can no longer do calculus or intelligently debate the historical theory that “World Wars I and II were the same conflict”, I can easily recall which parts of the stage hold the most “power” and how to properly project my voice.  Recently one quote from those classes has been stuck in my mind: “Entertainment is never enough.”

Hearing that said at the time I can’t recall fully grasping the meaning.  Making people laugh or providing them a bit of amazement was something that I did every week (even in high school), and hearing that those reactions were “never enough” was unpalatable.  Add to this fact that I was being thanked on occasion for providing that sense of escapism and it was hard to understand my teacher’s intention.  It took two conversations with two of my favourite comedians late last year for me to start to realize that “entertainment” is really just a starting point.

Providing a laugh to someone who needs it is an admirable goal, but that result does not eliminate the ability to also share with an audience member a new and unique point of view.  It’s that potential shift in perspective that can hold the most value during a performance of any kind.  Most theatrical shows, while entertaining, also comment on larger issues.  Plays have been used to provide commentary on countless topics, from political to societal to economic.  Including such commentary means that you are no longer just entertaining.  What I’ve come to realize is that stand-up comedy (and, yes, even magic) can have the same depth. (Some stand-ups already have such an impact.)

This is why, if you’ve seen some of my new material over the past five months, you’ve heard me talk almost exclusively about ego and narcissism.  It’s my new “theme”.  It was not arbitrarily selected.  I had been writing about my own ego for some time before this conscious change in my perspective occurred.  Thankfully this topic is very current.  Egotism has become a cornerstone of our culture so much so that its effects can be felt almost every day.  Furthermore, one of the inside jokes amongst my group of friends is about my (potentially) inflated ego, so to borrow from an age-old adage; I’m writing what I know.

The goal will be to give my stand-up sets even more of a framework, structure, and objective.  The next time you hear me trying to make fun of my own ego or pointing out ego in others during my stand-up comedy sets, it’s not because I’m out of premises… it’s because entertainment is no longer enough.

————————————

The “two of my favourite comedians” mentioned above are Bengt Washburn and David Crowe.  I’ve been honoured to work and converse with both of these performers and am grateful to them both for their time and advice.

In August/September of last year I took a brief contract working with WorldSkills TV.  The reason I found out about the position was because of my good friend, Geoff Schoenberg.  He was working in the volunteer department, noticed the job posting, and sent it over my way.  Since that time he’s embarked on a new adventure to get his Masters Degree in Australia and to document his progress he’s started up a blog.

The website is in its infancy and I’ve enjoyed reading his variety of posts.  As someone who has no ambition to go after a post-secondary education (sorry Mom), it’s fascinating to learn more about that world and his experiences.  I recommend you take a look and, if you like what you see, subscribe to it.

One post in particular that was published last week was a list of things that he learned working under his supervisor at WorldSkills Calgary.  (Granted: it’s probably not an exhaustive list, just the highlights.)  I think that these lessons are important for everyone, regardless of your career or specific goals.

You can read “Things I learned from Mo at WorldSkills Calgary 2009″ on his site by clicking here.  I know that I took away a couple of thoughts from it and hope that you do as well.

Keep up the great work Geoff!  I can’t wait to read more about your experiences down under.

———————

Tickets for both Wednesday and Thursday’s Haitian Relief Fund Raisers are still available.  For Wednesday night’s Red Carpet Comedy you can order your tickets here, and for Thursday’s night benefit you can click here.

I don’t watch the TV news, I don’t read newspapers, and I don’t follow current events in any way.  I have several friends that think this is to my detriment.  My comedian friends may think that it’s impossible for me to write anything living in isolation.  Neither of these arguments will change my opinion.  There are two primary reasons for my “media fast”:

1. In this lovely technology-driven world the really important news “finds” me.  Be it through Twitter, Facebook, or old-fashioned real-world conversations: I find out (without trying) about the most important events.
2. With 99.9% of reported news, I am incapable of taking any action to help the situation that they are reporting on.  Knowing some of the terrible things that happen only serves to depress me and leave me with a powerless feeling.

While the earthquake in Haiti last week proved point #1 (I found out about it almost immediately through various sources), it has also shown the exception to point #2; next week I will endeavour to help as much as I can.  I’m going to do this the only way that I know how: entertain others in exchange for money and donate that cash to The Red Cross.  This will happen over two nights for two different events.

Red Carpet Comedy is scheduled for January 27.  While the show time (8PM), ticket price ($10), and location will all remain the same, the money made on the door will now be donated (100%) to the Haitian Relief Effort.  There has been a lot of talk about the ability to donate $10 with a text message – that same $10 can make its way to The Red Cross and in addition to helping those in need, you’ll receive a unique evening of entertainment.  You can order your tickets online now by clicking here. Also, you can check out the Facebook event page.

The day after Red Carpet Comedy (January 28) will see a second evening of entertainment for the same cause.  The management at Club Paradiso (the same venue for Red Carpet Comedy) has decided to hold their own fund raiser featuring a variety of the performers regularly seen on their stage.  There will be music, comedy, magic, and some special surprises.  (I’ll be on the show as well.)  Tickets for this evening are $50 and include the show, a drink, some snacks, and a $10 Village Cantina coupon.  As in the previous night’s show, all of the revenue from ticket sales (plus silent auction items) will be going toward helping those affected by this disaster.  You can order your tickets for this event by calling (403) 265-5739.

I’ve decided to take action to help in my own small way, and I hope that you’ll choose to help in your own small way by joining us next Wednesday or Thursday night.

I’ve spent the last six weeks performing for various corporations’ holiday parties all across Alberta and Saskatchewan (and I’ve got just one more show to go Friday night).  In that time I have met a number of great people and had numerous conversations with those that were curious about what I do for a living.  One of the frequent topics of conversation is how a corporate show differs from working in comedy clubs or one-nighters in bar/pub venues.  There is an easy way to summarize the difference: you are paid based on how much you are censored.  The higher the pay, the more censorship occurs (or at least, “should occur”).

Many performers would call censoring yourself for money the definition of “selling out”, but I disagree.  This is the nature of the industry.  While we can lament that “it shouldn’t be that way” we also lack the power to make any significant change (at least in the short term).  So, instead of wasting energy with complaints, performers would be far better off to learn to play within the rules.  In general, this is how performing in live venues looks:

That may require a bit more explanation:

• Comedy Clubs – Most comedy clubs do not censor their acts (at least, they shouldn’t).  The whole nature of a club is that an audience is coming to see stand-up comedy performed in what equates to the performer’s “house” (therefore – it’s the performer’s rules).  However, comics are still bound by certain restraints to ensure that the entire audience doesn’t walk out (but one or two audience members usually isn’t a problem).
• One-Nighters – These are the gigs that happen in bar/pub/hotel venues on a semi-regular basis.  It’s not exactly a comedy club so requires more censorship to win over more of the audience (most of which may not know what to expect).
• Colleges – Performing for college students does pay more than average, but usually requires a higher level censorship simply because the people hiring you are either the school council, which is accountable to the faculty, or the faculty members themselves.  Even though the audience may enjoy a less-censored show, the people that are booking the entertainment do not view it that way.
• Corporates – This is essentially the opposite of comedy clubs.  As a performer at a corporate event you are entering the audience’s “house” – which means that their rules apply.  You likely can’t talk about what you want to talk about, but they are paying you to make sure that no one is offended.

Within those four categories the law of supply and demand also applies.  Being funny while under stricter requirements is more difficult that being funny when you can say anything that you want.  Simply because it is more difficult fewer people are capable of producing a superior show – and, as such, they can command a higher fee.

The remaining two points on the graph, “Theatres” and “Galas” are much the same.  Galas are simply smaller theatre-style shows with performers that are slightly less known.  Galas require more censorship as the audience is still learning to trust you, but once you have achieved a certain level of notoriety you have an almost unlimited latitude.  (I say “almost unlimited” because there are still things even when you are a celebrity that can turn an audience against you… I’m sure that you can think of one clear example from the recent past.)

That is the difference between all the types of shows that I do: the amount of censorship. I’ve never considered it “selling out” – simply adapting to different markets and playing within the rules.  I’m quite happy that I have this skill… it can be the difference between “art” and “eating”.

On Thursday I presented to a group of local magicians on 10 ways that they could make sure their shows go well. With the holiday performing season just beginning I had some thoughts that my corporate clients (and other event organizers that will be using entertainment in the near future) may find helpful in getting the most for their investment:

1. Promote The Show – In the days and weeks leading up to your event advertise to your employees/guests that there will be entertainment.  If everyone expects that something will be happening the show will start much more smoothly and receive a better reaction from the audience.  To help with this I can provide promotional write-ups or even full posters that you can put up around the office.  Simply contact me if you would like any such items.
2. After-Dinner Entertainment Means “After Everyone Is Done Eating There Will Be Entertainment” – It’s tough to chew and laugh at the same time.  The best place to have the show portion of the evening is as soon as the meal is over and just as dessert is wrapping up.  This means that everyone is in the room and looking for something to do.  Also, if at all possible, any extended awards and speeches should be made after the show.  Let the performer get the audience’s attention, and then you can simply “roll with it”.
3. Mind The Gap – If you’re not a performer your tendency is to think that the stage where the entertainer is about to perform can go anywhere in the room, but – while that is technically true – the best place for the stage is along one of the long walls so that the audience is more wide than deep from the performer’s point of view.  Also, don’t put any great distance between the stage and the audience.  Items like a dance floor or buffet can make it difficult for the performer to establish a connection with the crowd.  You can always forward the floor plan and make sure that it is OK, or ask for the performer’s advice.
4. First Impressions - Be sure that there is someone there to introduce the performer right before the show.  (The performer should be able to tell you what he or she wants to have said.) This can be the MC of the evening or, if your event doesn’t require an MC, a highly visible and recognizable person from within your company.  With the proper introduction the show gets off to a great start.
5. Always Enough Time for a Sound Check – Leave enough time between your sound system being set up and the audience arriving to allow your performer the opportunity to make sure it sounds great.  There is almost nothing worse that hearing feedback (or not being able to hear the performer) when such a situation can be easily avoided.

Those are just a few of the ways to help make sure that your entertainer has a great show; making you look good as well for having booked it.  There are a lot of other steps that can be taken to maximize the audience’s reaction to the performer, but those five are the most common (and simplest) methods that I could come up with.

My career path into stand-up comedy was different than most.  Before I set foot on stage as a stand-up comedian I was working as a “corporate comedy magician”.  The word “corporate” in that job description is limiting.  I (quite obviously) can’t curse during a corporate show and I can’t talk about a wide variety of topics that would potentially make audience members uncomfortable.  The word “magician” in that job description is also limiting.  Everything that I do on stage during a “magic show” must involve magic (I know: duh!).  Moving from this world into stand-up comedy opened up an incredible amount of “resources” to me by removing those limitations.

Stand-up comics in comedy clubs can curse and talk about whatever they choose.  No topic is taboo.  No word is too “dirty” for a stand-up comic. (Again: this is all within the most common settings of stand-up comedy, not during a corporate show.) Luckily I had a leg up on the other new comedians: I knew how to handle limited “resources” with great success.

Working within the limitations of a corporate show while still having to be funny and entertaining gave me a good understanding of the basics of “show business”.  (Or at least my small corner of the industry.) Since I wasn’t wasting a bunch of time trying to decide from a seemingly endless list of topics (because they had to be magic-related) or trying to figure out the most shocking swear word, I was investing my time learning about things like stage presence, timing, and structure.  (Even though I probably didn’t know at the time that these things were what I was learning about.) It was these fundamental skills that were instantly scalable once my show’s “resources” were increased.  Learning how to perform with these limitations in place cut down my learning curve in stand-up comedy substantially and (to this day) makes me a more versatile performer.

I’ve been thinking about how fortunate this method of entry into stand-up comedy was recently because I have been watching a new group of amateur comics take to the stage for their first times.  None of them (to my knowledge) have the performance background that I was lucky enough to have so the sheer volume of information and skills that they have to learn must be intimidating.  This fear (for lack of a better word) often leads to the most basic mistakes that amateur comedians and performers make.

In a recent post on Seth Godin’s blog he talks about riding his bike and how he learns on the uphill sections (the difficult parts) not on the downhill sections of his rides.  He applies this to a business lesson but the same can be true of learning to perform: it’s during your most difficult shows that you learn the most.  Just as a baseball player weights his bat for practice swings; putting challenges, obstacles, or conditions in the way of your learning can often lead to not only faster results but a better end product. In the case of entertaining, these limitations can help you to more quickly learn the basics (fundamentals like pacing, delivery, etc.) that are necessary when appearing on stage.

So, how you can handcuff your own learning today?

————————————————-

On a personal note: Congratulations to my dear friend, Shawn Farquhar!  I found out on Friday morning that he has been awarded the most prestigious competition trophy in magic: the Grand Prix in Close-Up Magic at FISM.  I was rooting for him all last week and can think of no performer more deserving.  Congrats, Shawn.  I’m looking forward to hearing the “story” in September!