When it comes to Comedy, for everything I learn, the list of don’t-knows is endless and growing. As my life has changed in the last year, I have had to learn some of the ups and downs quickly. The first lesson I learned was the value of timing; and especially in the world of Comedy, timing is everything.
Newbies…
As it seems to go in any industry or career, you start from the bottom and work your way to the top. What I didn’t know a year ago is that, in Stand-Up, that translates to many, many nights of open mic’s. For those who don’t know, open mic’s are nights when the microphone and stage are available to any person interested in speaking into it. Each person will usually get about five minutes of stage time to work on material. In most cases, comics will exchange the sitting and waiting around for a few hours (while consuming a few drinks) for those precious five minutes. In bigger cities such as New York or Los Angeles, you actually have to pay a small fee or bring a modicum of audience members to get stage time. In smaller cities, like Orlando, there is no fee. And that is greatly appreciated.
Stage Fright…
I consider myself a very lucky person in this respect. I have no fear of being on stage. Many do. I know of some comics--and stage performers of any variety--who can’t fathom being on stage in front of people without drinking heavily. Thankfully, I feel very little, if any, anxiety about being on stage and in front of an audience. This is probably due to the fact that I was exposed to the stage from a very young age. Thank you, Mom, for forcing me to take ballet classes.
The Lineup…
Most shows run like this:
The Emcee serves as an ice-breaker and unifier for the audience. In larger cities, this spot is often revered as the most important role in delivering a successful comedy show; however, I have also experienced shows where the Emcee is the least experienced and least funny of all the comics, which does seem to produce a less-than-entirely-comfortable comedy atmosphere. At any show, from rock concerts to movies, there are always previews; and, for a Stand-Up Comedy show, the Emcee is just that. The Emcee’s presence lets the crowd know the show has started. The emcee is also in charge of handling the clubs’ business and bringing the audience’s attention from their phones, TV’s in the room, or whatever other environmental distractions, to the person on stage.
The second act of the night is known as a Feature act. The feature act will usually spend around 30 minutes on stage, is more experienced than the Emcee, and looks more comfortable on stage--a skill clearly developed over time. From what I’ve been told, the Feature set is easier than that of the Emcee, providing that the Feature has enough material to cover their time, because the crowd now has their full attention turned to the show onstage.
The final act of the night is the Headliner. The Headliner will spend anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour on stage, is the most experienced comic of the night, and should be able to handle any situations for the duration of the show--be it a heckler or other monstrous distraction. The need to be able to improvise with environmental factors is greater than that of the other comics.
