Learn Standup Comedy: Several Tips to Prepare for an Act

Do you want to be a standup comedian? Before you go on to learn standup comedy and make it a career of your own, you should realize that being a standup comedian is one of the loneliest jobs in the world. There would be times when you are totally down in emotions but you have no choice but to keep on going, as the show must go on no matter what happens. Prepare yourself for instances when you are up on stage facing the nastiest audience with practically nothing but a microphone and a pounding heart.

If you are a new entrant, you should be particularly careful in planning and preparing for your first night. The ‘baptism of fire’ could either make or break you. Because it is your first time to air your jokes and antics, you could not help but feel nervous. This feeling of nervousness could possibly affect your overall performance if you would let it rule over you.

So how could you possibly get fully and adequately prepared for your first big night? As you learn standup comedy, be particularly careful and mindful when preparing for your first ever performance night. Seasoned standup comedians always advise newbies to start small. You should not aim to perform in front of a huge paying crowd before you get the constructive chance to perform in front of a free audience. Start by performing in front of your friends, family, or colleagues. Ask for their feedback and listen intently on criticisms, which should be taken constructively so you could further improve on your craft.

You could begin by going to an open mic night at a comedy club. Some seasoned standup comedians instantly call up people from the audience to come up to the stage and do their shtick. Treat such an opportunity as a gauge for your possible success. If you are called and you fail to entertain and sustain the crowd, take it as a sign that you still have so much to learn. Work harder to improve your standup comedic craft. It may take you some more time to do so.

On the day of the performance, prepare cue cards, in case you would forget some lines and adlibs. Make the cards as comprehensive and as legible as possible. It would not help if you would not be able to read your own handwriting especially when nervousness is taking your control. On the performance itself, try not to appear as if you are reading everything from your cue card. It would be better if you would not have any of those cards in your hand, but because it is your first time, it would be at your advantage if you have them.

As you learn standup comedy, prepare to react responsively and humorously to audience’s reactions. Standup comedy acts are unique in that you could get your feedback while you are still out there performing your act. Remember this golden rule: If anyone heckles you, strive to play along with it. Thus, if somebody from the audience screams, “You stink!” reply with something like “I have showered last week.” Such a humorous reply need not be truthful but it could be an obvious attempt to inject fun and laughter into the act. The absurdity would surely make many people in the audience laugh.