Step by Step to Stand-Up Comedy,9780325001791

Step by Step to Stand-Up Comedy

by ;
ISBN13: 9780325001791
ISBN10: 0325001790
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2000-07-13
Publisher(s): Heinemann Drama
List Price: $21.59

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Summary

If you think you're funny, this book is for you.

Author Biography

GREG DEAN is a former Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus clown, a street performer, and a regular at the Comedy Store in Hollywood. Through his popular "Stand-Up Comedy Workshop" at the Santa Monica Playhouse, Dean has worked with many of todays top comics. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix
Steve Allen
Acknowledgments xi
Do You Have What It Takes to Be a Comedian? xiii
The Secrets of Joke Structure
1(14)
Setup and Punch
1(1)
What a Joke Does: Expectation and Surprise
2(1)
How a Joke Works: 1st Story and 2nd Story
3(3)
The Three Mechanisms of Joke Structure
6(9)
Joke Writing: The Joke Prospector
15(18)
The Joke Mine: Exploring the Secret Passageway
16(17)
What to Write Jokes About: The Joke Prospector
33(17)
The Joke Map
34(6)
Surveying for Material: From Topic to Setup
40(4)
The Joke Mine: From Setup to Punch
44(3)
Joke Map Options: Plotting Another Course
47(1)
Customization
47(3)
From Funny to Funnier: Improving and Polishing Your Gems
50(14)
Economy
50(1)
End the Punch with the Reveal
51(2)
Use Words or Phrases with Hard Consonants
53(1)
Use Rhythms of Three
54(1)
Stick to Common Knowledge
55(1)
Quote Whenever Possible
56(1)
In General, Avoid Puns
56(1)
Make Your Characters Specific and Get Personal
57(1)
Localize Your References
58(1)
Adapt Your Jokes to Topical Events
59(1)
Using Grammatically Incorrect Language Is Okay
60(1)
Feel Free to Make up Words
60(1)
Sometimes a Sight Gag Is Better
61(1)
Tag Your Jokes
61(3)
Assembling a Routine
64(14)
Put Each Joke on a Separate Index Card
66(1)
Organize the Jokes into Categories
67(2)
Arrange Jokes So One Thought Leads to the Next
69(2)
Rewrite, Rewrite, Rewrite
71(7)
Points of View: Narrator, Self, Character
78(17)
Narrator POV: How You Perceive Things as a Nonparticipant or Observer
78(1)
Self POV: How You Perceive Things as a Participant
79(1)
Character POV: How You Perceive Things as Someone or Something Else
79(1)
POV Exercise
80(6)
POV Applications
86(9)
Rehearsing
95(12)
The Creator and the Critic
97(2)
Why Rehearse?
99(8)
Greg Dean's Rehearsal Process
107(13)
Let's Rehearse
108(1)
Phase One: Preparation
109(3)
Phase Two: Enact the Experience
112(3)
Phase Three: Practice Performing
115(5)
Microphone Technique: Dos and Don'ts
120(4)
Peak Performance
124(24)
Comic Timing
124(3)
Tape Record Every Show
127(1)
The First Show
127(1)
Prepare a Show List
128(1)
Supply an Introduction
129(3)
Warm Up
132(2)
Get On Stage During the Applause
134(1)
Avoid Cliche Greetings
134(1)
Develop a Strong Opening Line
135(1)
Acknowledge the Obvious
135(1)
Avoid All Comics' Cliches
136(1)
Don't Ask a Question as a Segue
137(2)
Watch Out for the Motormouth Syndrome
139(1)
Perform the Setups with Equal Commitment
140(1)
Never Make Fun of Someone's Laugh
140(1)
Treat the Audience as a Group of Individuals
141(1)
What to Do When the Audience Is Laughing
141(2)
About Club Employees
143(3)
Always Do Your Best
146(2)
Fearless Performing
148(20)
Overcoming Stage Fright
148(4)
Coping with Going Blank
152(2)
Dealing with Bombing
154(6)
Crossing the Hurt Line
160(1)
Handling Hecklers
161(7)
Getting Experience
168(6)
Open-Mikes
169(1)
Showcase Clubs' Unpaid Spots
169(1)
Organize Your Own Show
170(1)
Toastmasters
171(1)
Charity and Civic Club Meetings
171(1)
Social Parties
172(1)
In Parks or on the Streets
172(1)
Dance Bars
172(2)
Making a Good Show Great
174(13)
Play Back the Show
174(1)
Rate the Jokes
175(2)
Edit, Rewrite, and Rearrange
177(8)
Rehearse and Perform Again
185(2)
Glossary of Comedy Nomenclature 187

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