The Art of Play
Center Stage
Summer Intensive 2010
Stand-up Comedy!
What is stand-up?
A form of comedy in which the comedian performs an
‘act’ – composed of relating stories or sketches – in
front of an audience.
Where does Stand-up come from?
Stand-up comedy in the
United States can trace
its theatrical roots from
vaudeville theater,
musical hall shows,
humorous literary
lectures, shows in
speakeasies, and other
popular entertainments.
The Beginnings of Stand-up
Stand-up comedy has experienced four distinct
mediums that define both the comedian and
the comedy they performed. Those mediums
are:
• Radio shows
• Nightclubs
• Comedy Albums
• Television
Radio Shows
In the early 20th century, radios were one of the most accessible
form of entertainment, with the broadcasting of regular
programs beginning in 1920. By 1935, radios could be found in
70% of American homes.
With such a large audience reachable by the turn of a dial,
comedians began to frequently appear on radio, hosting their
own shows or as guest.
Radio Shows
The first comedy show to reach
national syndication was
The Chase and Sanborn
Hour in 1929.
In 1931, comedian Eddie
Cantor became the show’s
lead comedian. The show
continued through
December 1948.
The song Ballyhoo was
recorded during a 1931
broadcast.
Radio Shows
During the golden age of radio,
comedians could either host
their own shows, or appear
as special guests.
Comedians such as Abbott and
Costello, Amos and Andy,
Bob Hope, and Jack Benny
thrived on American
airwaves.
Radio Shows
A Prairie Home Companion is an
excellent example of an old
fashioned radio shows.
Some of their signature
comedic sketches include:
Guy Noir, Private Eye
Catchup Advisory Board
The Lives of the Cowboys
Nightclubs
In the early 1900s, anyone who wanted to have a drink and catch a show
could go to any American music hall.
However, in 1920 the consumption of alcohol was banned to protect
American morality and the era of Prohibition began.
Once alcohol was banned, the music hall went underground and became the
speakeasy, where anyone could have a drink, listen to music, and dance the
night away.
Nightclubs
In 1933, the 18th Amendment
was repealed by President
Franklin Roosevelt and
alcohol was legalized.
During prohibition, speakeasies
had often been a large source
of income for organized
crime. After 1933, the
speakeasy evolved into the
respectable nightclub, where
one could have a drink and
dance without fear of raids
or arrest.
Nightclubs
In 1940, the Copacabana opened
in New York City and became
the model nightclub for the
1940s and 1950s.
Every night, the club would
provide music for dancing and
three ‘floor shows’ a night. The
floor shows would include
comedians, singers, and even
dancers.
Nightclubs were great places for
comedians to entertain a welldressed crowd willing to laugh.
Nightclubs
The duo of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis are excellent
examples of nightclub comedy.
You can watch some of their bits by clicking here, here,
and here.
Comedy Albums
The phonograph, invented by
Thomas Edison in 1887, was
the first device that could
play audio recordings which
was widely available to the
masses.
Until the 1950s, the most
popular comedic recordings
were vaudeville bits or
funny songs
Comedy Albums
Fanny Brice and Spike Jones were
two of the most popular
recorded comedians during the
1920s through the 1940s.
Some of Fanny’s best known songs
include Second Hand Rose and
Cooking Breakfast For The One I
Love.
Jones was best known for his
humerous numbers Cocktails for
Two, and the Pro-America
propaganda song Der Fuehrer's
Face.
Comedy Albums
In 1945 the long playing record debuted,
with an unheard-of 45 minutes
available for recording. The longer
time allowed comedians to include
the best portions of their act and
reach even larger audiences.
In 1959, Shelley Berman released his
album Inside Shelly Berman, which is
regarded as the first true comedy
album.
The following year, Bob Newhart
released The Button-Down Mind of Bob
Newhart which reached the top of
the popular music charts.You can
listen to some of his clips here, and
here.
Comedy Albums
During the 1960s the comedy
album helped to solidify the
fame of both popular,
mainstream comedians, and
under-the-radar or raunchy
comedians.
The album could help you
remember the comedian
you saw on TV, or attract a
large group of new fans.
Comedy Albums
During the 1970s, comedy
albums helped to launch the
careers of controversial
comedians George Carlin,
Richard Pryor, and Cheech
and Chong.
Their comedy was very
provocative, but would not
have been able to reach a
larger audience without
being recorded, as the acts
wouldn’t be broadcast or
seen live.
Comedy Albums
While comedy albums have lost popularity due
to the rise of filmed performances, many
comedians still record their sets and publish
them to this day.
Television
In 1928, the first television broadcast in
America began: in a Maryland suburb outside
of DC, simple motion picture silhouettes
could be picked up from the station W3XK.
In 1939, NBC began to continually broadcast
programming from New York, which was
recorded in Chicago and sent west to be
broadcast there.
In 1951 AT&T laid the first transcontinental
coaxial cable, which easily sent signals from
New York to Los Angeles without tapes or
delays. This cable brought about a new age of
comedy.
Television
In the 1950s and 1960s, comedy could be found
in two different formats; either in a situational
comedy – sitcom for short – or in a variety
show, which featured numerous acts in an
hour.
Television
Sitcoms focus around the
repeated antics of one group
of funny people in a particular
environment, like a family
home or a workplace. Sitcoms
often originated from a
comic’s existing stand up.
The repetitive nature of sitcoms
allowed the audience to
become very invested in the
characters and places they
saw on their television
screens, and created stars out
of the shows actors.
Television
Popular sitcoms include I Love Lucy,The
Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Leave it to
Beaver,The Brady Bunch, Bewitched, The Addams
Family, The Jeffersons, Rosanne,The Cosby Show,
The Simpson, Everybody Loves Raymond, and
Family Guy.
Which ones have you watched?
Television
Variety shows were also excellent mediums for
comedians, whom could either host their own
shows or perform as guests.
Popular variety shows include The Colgate
Comedy Hour,The Ed Sullivan Show,The Sonny
and Cher Comedy Hour, and Saturday Night Live.
Television
In 1972 the first pay-to-watch cable
network began broadcasting. As
viewers paid for the service, the
Federal Communications Commission
couldn’t censor any of the
programming.
In 1975, Home Box Office [HBO] started
broadcasting football games, and
eventually branched out into unique
programming.
Television
In 1977, HBO broadcast a comedy special called
On Location: George Carlin at USC, which
featured Carlin’s act completely uncensored.
From that broadcast forward, HBO featured
numerous comedians in their own specials or
shows, like Carlin, and musical duo Flight of
the Conchords
Television
Voiceover work in animated films and television
shows are also great avenues for comedy.
Some shows originated from stand-up routines,
like Bill Cosby’s Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids.
Some great comedic voiceovers include Robin
Williams in Aladdin, Ellen Degeneres in
Finding Nemo, and Peter Sallis in Wallace and
Gromit.
How can I become a comedian?
As with any craft, becoming a stand-up comedian
takes a lot of practice and dedication.
The following humor hints come from Judy
Carter’s book The Comedy Bible, a must-read
guide for any aspiring comedian.
Humor Hints
1. Size yourself up.
Do you like to tell stories [including the embarrassing ones] about
yourself, your family, or people you know?
Do you always think of funny jokes, even at serious times?
Do you have opinions about everything and anything?
Do you notice tiny odd details in everyday life?
Do you think “out of the box” about what is happening and what
could happen?
Humor Hints
2. Become an observer.
The best way to gather material for your comedy is to
observe the world around you down to the smallest
detail.
The best comedy comes from common experiences, so
the audience can easily relate to you. After all, we all have
one old aunt with lots of perfume who leaves lipstick
kisses on our cheeks!
Humor Hints
3. Write everything down.
What’s the point of observing the world if you don’t
record your thoughts?
Always carry a small notebook and a working pen or
pencil with you. This way, if you have a funny idea, you
can write it down right away and it won’t be lost.
At home, you can keep your ideas in a larger
notebook or on index cards. Then you can easily
arrange your jokes or stories for show time!
Humor Hints
4. Find a comedy buddy and practice.
A ‘comedy buddy’ is someone you can practice your
stand-up with.
A good comedy buddy is someone whom you’re not
afraid of looking silly in front of, who is honest about
your bits, and is willing to provide feedback
suggestions.
A comedy buddy will insure that your jokes are funny
to everyone, versus those that are funny just to you.
Humor Hints
5. Get out there and give it a go!
Doing as many comedy shows as possible is an
excellent way to hone your skills as a stand-up
comedian.
If your school has a talent show or an open mic night,
develop an act and go for it!
Open mic nights in comedy clubs – when the stage is
opened for anybody and everybody – are great
opportunities to try out your routine without much
risk.
Humor Hints
6. Look back and move forward.
The best way to improve your act is to analyze a past
show.
What joke went over really well?
What joke sunk faster than the Titanic at an iceberg convention?
Did you do one thing that the audience really loved or really
hated, like a particular mannerism or voice?
Once you know what doesn’t work, you can eliminate
it from your act. Keeping the best parts, you can
improv your act by working on what’s left and adding
new material.
Make 'em laugh!
Make So
'em
laugh!
get on out there and…
Don't you know everyone
wants to laugh?