Starting Standup: 5 Things I Wish I Knew
by Steph Dalwin
Standup comedy is, well, scary. By nature, standup is a solo venture: you’re onstage, by yourself, shouting things into a microphone that you hope will make people laugh. It’s an art form, sure, but it comes with some occupational hazards, chief among which are extremely public vulnerability and Imposter Syndrome™. It’s understandably difficult to get into, and even more tricky to know where to start. Yet getting started doesn’t have to be totally intimidating. Here are a few things I wish someone had told me when I was a brand-new comic:
Yes, you are funny. The image most people have in their head of a standup comic is that of the class clown: someone who is perennially cracking jokes and the center of every conversation. A lot of folks assume that standup is a place for only these types of personalities, which couldn’t be farther from the truth. Some of the best standups I’ve seen are quiet and unassuming offstage. If you can write well and craft tight jokes, people will want to hear what you have to say. Many folks also shy away from standup because they think they’re “only funny around friends” and assume that their sense of humor wouldn’t translate to stage. If this sounds like you, then congratulations! You’re a perfect fit for standup – you already know that there is a difference between being conversationally funny and writing a joke.
Taking a class is okay. In fact, I strongly encourage it. Standup classes often get a reputation as money-grabs that don’t teach “real” comedy. Many standup veterans also insist that the stage is the best teacher. Within reason, some of this is true. Yet I would argue that standup classes are a killer tool if used effectively – in fact, taking a class was critical to my own success. It was in class that I learned how to write a joke and where I figured out how to hone material. My first class also accelerated my tight five faster than open mics alone would have. If you decide to take a class, be sure to do your homework (no pun intended): find a reputable instructor with a demonstrable track record and set of credits. If you can, see if you like the instructor’s material, and see if you like the material of the students coming out of their class.
Find your people. Whether from class, open mics, or shows you’ve performed on together, find folks that you like and that understand what you are trying to do with your material. Workshop together, go to mics together, and get a backchannel going to talk about shows and writing. Standup is a very solo pursuit, and it can get quite lonely. It is paramount to find other standups that you enjoy being around (you don’t have to be everyone’s friend!) and that are invested in your growth.
You don’t have to take everyone’s feedback. One thing you’ll realize is that everyone has an opinion on your material and what you should talk about. You’ll get a lot of unsolicited advice – from other standups, bookers, and even the occasional rogue audience member. The truth is that 99% of the people giving you unprompted feedback probably don’t know you or your material at all, and they likely don’t understand what you’re trying to do. In short, they’re telling you to perform your jokes how they would perform them. It’s okay to curate your echo chamber, i.e. limit the advice you internalize. It’s also perfectly alright, if not advisable, to only take feedback and tag suggestions from a handful of folks that you trust and that are invested in your growth. And I mean a handful quite literally – I would keep this number of folks to five or fewer.
You don’t have to go to every open mic. Conventional wisdom in standup is that new comics should get to every open mic they possibly can in order to work out material, or else they won’t truly “grow.” Open mics are a great place to get your legs under you when you first start out. Yet it’s a well-known fact that they can also be miserable. You don’t have to slog your way through every single open mic just because your peers are doing it. Many of us have jobs, responsibilities, and lives outside of standup, and it’s not always possible to get out to every mic. And what’s more, nothing kills your drive in standup faster than putting yourself through a gauntlet of miserable open mics. If you find open mics helpful, then great! But if not, that’s also completely okay. Workshopping with trusted peers can be just as helpful, if not more helpful, than open mics. As can practicing on your own.
If you’ve ever felt like you’ve wanted to try standup comedy, but you wish someone would just say something like “hey, you’re funny, you should try standup!” then take this as your cue that you’re funny, and you should try standup. The beautiful thing about standup comedy is that it’s an ever-growing artform that pulls in and caters to new audiences constantly. There is absolutely a place for your point of view, even if historically you haven’t seen folks like you onstage. I hope you’ll give it a try, and if you ever see any of the New Normal Boston team out and about, don’t be afraid to say hi! We want to meet you, and we want you here.
