Forum: Stage Time

I'm trying to find all the podcasts that are about the craft of comedy, particularly about performing stand-up or comedy writing. Not funny podcasts, or podcasts where comics dick around and talk about whatever - but podcasts that will help us amateurs improve our skills. Here's my list so far...

Hi everybody! I live about an hour south of Portland Maine and I can't find any open mics. This one bar I found only does music it turns out. I found this other spot in Portsmouth which looked promising but turns out is in England. I'm not one to be picky but that seems a little out of my range for...

What's really the difference? I noticed Mike Birbiglia talks about his most recent shows (Sleepwalk with me Live and My Girlfriend's Boyfriend) as "one-man shows" when I considered it just really brilliant stand up, so what is the difference?

Hi everyone, I've been a lurker here for a while before joining, and really love the site. Great comics offering great advice, and I've read as much as I can. I've been doing comedy about a year and a half now, in Montreal, and it's gone really well. My question that I have, though, is when...

Hey I might be moving to Ottawa in a month or two and I was wondering if anyone knew any open mics in Ottawa I know there's a yuks and an absolute but anone else know any other open mics around town?

I'm going to be in the Berkeley area for a couple of weeks. Are there any decent open mics there that I can try?

A poem that's better than most stand-up that also applies to stand-up... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kdrsPRZnK8

Congrats to all of the AST members who have been rising up the leaderboard on Kwipster in the past few months. The jokes have never been better! Keep 'em coming. Not on Kwipster? Join free here: http://www.kwipster.com Kwipster - May the best line win

I'm going to be trying out an open mic next week for the first time. I've been working on a set for a while; writing lots of jokes, re-working them, discarding most of them. At this point, I think I'm ready. But I figured I'd try to get some feedback from you guys on here. I've been audio...

Might be a long shot but basically I was wondering if anyone here might know of any good Improv/Writing classes around the Atlanta area? I've found a few places but they're all asking for around $300 with non-refundable deposits and I'm just a 23 year old waiter in bum-fuck Georgia so I don't...

Does anyone else get uncomfortable when people like friends or co-workers (or worst case, family) asks you to do some jokes just out of the blue? I usually don't know what to do and it gets really awkward because its just not the correct circumstances. I might just be awkward in this particular...

If you want to do it, quit thinking about doing it and just do it. Do it the way you want to do it and don't worry about what others think (as long as your way of doing it doesn't rip somebody else off.) It doesn't matter as much as you think it does where or when you start doing it. If you...

What's the general consensus towards people that start doing stand-up past the age of 25? It seems that a lot of successful stand-ups started their careers while still in high school. I just turned 31 and have been doing stand-up on and off since I was 27. Is it looked down upon for someone with no...

I thought this would be a good thread for beginning comedians who have questions to ask more experienced comics-not one experienced comic in particular, but seasoned comedians in general. For instance, why do comics often say you can't make it too early? What happens? There are some comics who...

I figure not many people have heard of this... and while I suspect it won't be "helpful" to comics, some could find it interesting. http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=12451 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXPlJ9qjiB4

This is something that messes me up to no end. I hope that this is only a thing that happens in bigger cities but I believe it is bad for the business. I'll never underestimate the number of dumb and naive aspiring comedians ( i was one once) that fall into that bringer deathtrap. I'm a...

Not sure what this is technically called. But when a comic, we'll call him Brian Regan, tells a joke , then basically tells it again by acting it out. When you see other comics do this - Do you feel it's a cop-out? Like droppng the f-bomb to get cheap laughs? Or something that's nice when...

http://www.youtube.com/user/jwilliams1701 I've been hitting up open mics around LA for almost a year now. Looking to up my game a bit. The videos on the channel feature alot of the same material, sorry. and I'm aware that two of my jokes apparently sound simular to other comics, but this was...

Kudos to Eric Gruber doing the good thing and the Mostly Normal Show at The Hollywood Improv Lab. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hinUca0YQCA

I am gonna start doing some open-mics and whatnot after the summer but I haven't decided where to move yet. How are the scenes in Denver or Portland? What are some other good places on the west coast. Basically where should I go.

I may have an opportunity to move there in the future. The comedy scene is massive there. Tons of open mics. But I'm wondering how an American/NY-style comic would do there.

I'm going to attempt to do stand up for the first time. Whats a good open mic for that? Any Suggestions?

Everyone should be reading Matt Ruby's blog. Just read this in the comments section... "however you choose to talk to the audience, make sure you can maintain it, and that you sound consistent and natural when you do it." ...agree/disagree?

I am an aspiring comedic screenwriter and I'm looking for other writers to work with on short film scripts. My friends and I plan to turn the script or scripts I write with others into short film or films.Those who I write with will receive credit as a writer on the short and will also receive a...

I really want to try stand-up. It's my dream. But I am super afraid of getting stage fright and just not being funny in general. I have no evidence of being funny except making my friends laugh and being the funny guy pretty much exclusively in my group of friends. I am extremely shy and obviously...

Seeing the story about the musician in Bend, Oregon who stabbed himself to death in front of an open mic audience on Thursday night reminded me of some of the people I had to deal with as an open mic host in Phoenix some years back. I've also heard stories from comedian friends about various...

I was just wondering what everyone's opinions were concerning the use of note cards while performing. I've been told not to do it, and I've been told is okay to use them....I've been to countless shows, where the headliner pulled out his note cards...so what's your stand?

Is anyone know what the comedy scene is like in San Diego? I'm moving there at the end of May and was wondering what I could expect.

Something I've been seeing more as I probably just pay closer attn... but it seems like several festivals are becoming exclusive to locals. I know the Canada contest a Boston guy won last year didn't take non-canadians this year... Also some smaller market festivals (Yes, I would like to go to...

I just recently found out that a good friend of mine was found dead in a hotel room in Utah on the 5th. We had met at work and became friends when we found out that we had a similar history with comedy. I'm sure none of you knew him but just in case you did I would like to hear any stories...

I started doing open mics and amateur nights for the first time at the beginning of January and I'm starting to realize that I don't like my material. My set is mostly blue one-liners and I don't feel like it accurately represents my brain or being in any way. I'm sure this is typical for a...

I found this one online http://www.broadwaycomedyclub.com/events/newgunsofcomedy/ I'm looking for more, I'm trying to get past the open mic phase... Any suggestions? Any advice. I've been open mic'ing for 5 years now. I'm ready to move up. The end is near!

I have a few questions, but first off, I've read a lot of great info on here. I've written a lot, and I'm really nervous about doing my first open mic, which I'm looking for places at the moment, but I was wondering, after you sign up and you make the list, what do you do while you wait to get on...

I've accrued scattered advice on this from comics in person, through podcasts, and on this board. The one consistent tip has been not to start in LA, but I feel like I've heard conflicting opinions about starting in most other cities, including New York. My naive fantasy trajectory is to at some...

I sit down to write, I look at my material and I often think: "None of this is funny. Like seriously, nothing here is funny. I'm not funny. Why do people laugh at my stuff? I'd never make it in NYC. My material is hack." So lately whenever this happens, I sift through the news and attempt...

Hey Gang, I Lived in NYC 2002 to 2004 during that time I studied The UCB's Improv Levels one, two and three and sketch writing. Then I quickly had to leave NYC. I am back now and would like to start again but money and the UCB's HUGE following 7 years later makes it hard to get back in with them....

Hey all! I'm finally able to get out of LA and do a road trip to hit up shows and open mics on the west coast from mid April to whenever. I have 10 minutes that I'm really happy with but don't know the first thing about getting a spot in another city. Below are the cities I'm planning on driving...

Hi There, I was wondering if I could meet some new shooters and editors on this board. Anybody looking to meet a comedian to collaborate with? Email me if you are interested: gwfnash@gmail.com Thanks so much, Jason Nash

For me it's the hardest thing to do. Writing comes pretty easy but practicing a 5 minute set is almost painful. I have a microphone I bought off of a guy from Craigslist for $5, so I could simulate things in the best way possible. I also have a halogen lamp that I point in my direction. But...

see above. I don't like that there is a Worst Show Ever thread and not a Best Show ever one. Where? When? What jokes did you do? What did you do different? How much time did you do? Did you get a kiss from a pretty girl (guy) afterwards? You big pimp (ladypimp). Tell me how it went...