Hello World of Internet Glory!

I was thinking earlier today about how great comedy is and how in a small way it makes the world we live in a little better and a little happier. That’s what inspired me to want to be a writer and even to give the art of standup comedy a shot. I can recall at several points in my life having a terrible day and somehow landing on one of my favorite TV shows like The Office, 30 Rock, Friends, or most recently Modern Family and feeling better after laughing. I feel like there must be a hormonal release in our bodies, like dopamine or something, because I’ve felt and experienced the physiological, mental and emotional affect that a little laughter can bring to a painful situation.  As a beginner that is what I’m hoping I will eventually accomplish through the topics I write about, my persona, and style. 

One thing I can’t stand to watch on TV is standup comedy. I feel like television comedy outlets like Comedy Central, Showtime, and HBO have taken away from the live experience of standup comedy. It’s very different to sit and watch a performance on your couch verses in a dimly lit smokey room, surrounded by hundreds of others who are also there to laugh. It’s a magical experience and the environment the performance is being viewed in makes a tremendous difference. I’ve been lucky enough to see many live shows and my favorite live shows and performers to date are the classic and clean Louie Anderson, “Mike and Molly’s” Bill Gardell, and Brian Callen who impressed my with his simplicity and determination to make an audience laugh without ever ostracizing a specific demographic or attacking any one type of person for the sake of a joke.

 I’ve tried watching standup shows at home or on my computer but I can never seem to keep my attention on the show. Even though I don’t like the disconnected experience of TV standup, I have come across several specials and performance by Wanda Sykes, Bill Cosby, and Brian Regan that have left me equally baffled and inspired. The six aforementioned comedians are an inspiration to me and make me smile and laugh on regular days and also on the worst of the worst. I hope that one day my dumb little jokes will have the same value to somebody and change the course of their day. That would be amazing!  So below I’m leaving you a couple of my favorite clips from the TV specials I like and hopefully you all, all three of you (thanks mom for reading),  will also enjoy them!

Cheers,

Adrianna

What I didn’t know a year ago…

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.

My Interview with host and creator of "A Joke Off ! ! !" Carmen Vallone

 

The View from the Stage

First things first,

About me:

Well, in the world of standup comedy I am a prepubescent freshman; better yet, I’m more like a fetus in utero to be honest. Let’s back track just a bit.

I started my standup comedy journey- way back in August 2010, following my move back to Orlando, Fl after massively failing in my attempt to become a “writer” in Los Angeles, Ca. I moved to L.A. just a couple months after graduating college from Florida State University with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Communication.  Boy, imagine my excitement as I watched the world financial markets implode weeks before I earned my diploma and got a pat on my back from my University and family, saying “good luck!” Dammit! Why didn’t I major in Bio-nuclear-chromeo-physiology or something that would help me get, what other people call, a “normal” job?

Whoa! I’m not bitter I swear!

If it weren’t for my impulsive choice to move across the country and the lack of morality found in the banking industry, I wouldn’t be in the seat I’m in now and I wouldn’t get off this ride for a million dollars. I do what I love. I write and I get the chance to share stories from my life to strangers and most of the time, I get to see some smiles.

What?!

 How did my mistakes lead me to the perfect sensation, of feeling a wave of laughter hit my body and send vibrations throughout the wooden stage under my feet? That feeling is perfection; and that is the view from the stage.

Standup comedy is not in any way perfect or always pretty,  it certainly isn’t easy. In fact, it can become quite exhausting, but it’s therapy. For the comic, we release the demons that make us funny and the audience laughs at us and our misery; which somehow makes us feel like titans in a Precious Moments store.

It’s an amazing experience few ever experience for themselves; so we want to give you the chance to see a different side of the art we create, what we do, and what we love.  On behalf of Bonkerz Comedy Club and all the contributing writers and comics, welcome to The View from the Stage!

Cheers,

Adrianna Alexander