Becoming a Stand-Up Comedian: Taking the First Step

In my previous article, I discussed booking and attending your first open mike as a fledgling stand-up comedian. This article will delve into more detail about how to prepare your material - and yourself - for your first performance.

I won't discuss the technical aspects of joke writing here; check out The Comedy Bible by Judy Carter or search Amazon.com for resources that can help your humor writing.

What I will discuss here is preparing for your first open mike, though I think the following rules apply in general for any comedian, especially one just starting out.

1. Rehearse before your set. Repeatedly. The most uncomfortable, awkward set I ever did was my first one: in my friend's living room, to an audience of one, doing my material into a spatula. While a spatula and a one-woman audience are not required per se for your rehearsals, you want to get your material down cold, and learn the set from start to finish. Memorize your material, and you should consider using a mirror to study your stage presence. Do you pace too much? Is the microphone (or, in my case, a spatula or a vacuum cleaner extension) near your face? Are you engaging the audience, or looking at your shoes? Rehearsing not just the material, but the presentation will make your first set immensely easier. Particularly because...