Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!nycmny1-snh1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!newsreader.visi.com!hermes.visi.com!news-out.visi.com!newsfeed.berkeley.edu!logbridge.uoregon.edu!news.netins.net!not-for-mail From: "RayB" Newsgroups: alt.comedy.standup Subject: Stand-Up Comedy FAQ [01/01] Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2000 16:21:11 -0500 Organization: netINS, Inc. Lines: 2452 Message-ID: <8im2of$6ep$1@ins21.netins.net> Reply-To: NNTP-Posting-Host: pc10-055.netins.com X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu alt.comedy.standup:75520 The alt.comedy.standup FAQ The alt.comedy.standup Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list Last-modified: 06/04/2000 Send suggestions and info to: Steve Gelder (comedyfaq@aol.com) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for the alt.comedy.standup Newsgroup Becoming a stand-up comedian. Commonly asked questions Comedy writing tips Protecting your work The Screen Actors Guild List of comedy clubs by city Agents and promotional agencies. Books about how to become a stand-up. Comedy Periodicals Comedy Software Miscellaneous 1. Tips for getting started in stand-up comedy Keep a notebook and write down everything that strikes you as funny. (Only write down the stuff YOU think of!!!!) Start by going to open mikes. Prepare a few minutes of material and give it your best shot. Audio tape or video tape yourself when possible. Don't call your act unfunny; they'll believe you. Don't say "This is serious" or "This is drama"; they'll believe you. Don't tell the audience they're tired or they don't have to stick around. They'll believe you. Don't tell the audience they're supposed to laugh. They WON'T believe you. Don't use "savers" (jokes about bombing) until at least 3 gags have gone badly. Don't do the "endless close" if your final bit ate it. It's not only excruciating for the audience, it unfairly eats into the next comic's time. Don't dump on an audience member who didn't ask for it. Don't berate the small audiences for being small. They showed up. They're the good guys. Don't judge, criticize, or rip other people. Comedy is more political than you may imagine. Alternatively, politics is more comical than you may imagine. DON'T STEAL MATERIAL! Is your ego so fragile that you can't risk your own material not being funny? Don't get discouraged if you don't do well. (Not easy!). Bring everybody you know out to see you perform so that the next day, they can lie to you about how well you did. Learn how to take a joke. Most comedians can't. 2. Commonly asked questions: Q: Is alt.comedy.standup for telling jokes? A: Definitely not. Don't post them. Not only are jokes formulaic and offensive to stand-ups, if you post them, you will be derided mercilessly by the regulars. If you have an auto erotic compulsion to tell jokes, or want to steal jokes you can tell at the office to make people think you're not the pathetic idiot you are, go to rec.humor and talk to those morons. Q: Then what is it for? A: It is mostly a place where stand-up comedians, agents, club owners, bookers, comedy writers, comedy fans, and an occasional doorman, sound guy or entertainment attorney hang out and discuss performing, the state of comedy, and other issues pertaining to stand-up comedy. The comedians in this group range from first time open miker to nationally famous headliner. Alt.comedy.standup also serves as an informational venue for people who want to find out about about shows, touring, comedy CD's and the like. Please refrain from posting binaries. Q: And what else, Dave? A: To me, this newsgroup is like sitting at a big table in a restaurant after a show. Some comics are ripping each other, some just stay for a minute then come back later, some are trying to be funny, and some just want to eat and want everyone else to shut up. Q: But isn't stand-up comedy dead? A: Yes. Q: What happened to all the comedy clubs from the 80s, BaldGuy? A: At one point there were too many rooms and not enough headliners. So in order to put more money in their pockets some rooms decided to start headlining people who weren't headliners and that had 50 minutes of time killing material. Instead of hiring comedians who can kick ass but demanded more money. The audiences noticed the drop in quality and recognizability of the headliners and quit coming to these clubs. So, some ever smart clubowners decided to "Paper" the rooms which is letting people in for free and living off the drinks alone. This is called a saloon. Once they got rid of the cover charges they CERTAINLY couldn't afford the better comedians. Hence they dried up and died. Q: What about comedy writers? A: There is currently no Usenet group specifically for comedy writing. Comedy writers are encouraged to use alt.comedy.standup for that purpose. Since there is a huge overlap in the two venues (stand-ups usually write their own material) comedy writing is often discussed in the newsgroup. Q: This news group isn't funny. A: Then shut your pie hole and post something funny. You're either new to the group or not a comic. People who peruse the group the first time often have no idea what's going on. Comedians are notorious for remembering and calling back posts from days, months, or even years ago and using them as ammunition to rip others. Many of the posts that seem nonsensical at first usually turn out to be the funny ones if you've been paying attention. The posts whose contents are most readily apparent to a newcomer are the functional/informational posts, and those are generally dull, especially to outsiders who really don't care what an opener in Sheboygan makes. In order to fully appreciate this group, it's helpful to know the characters. Many of the regulars have been posting here for 2 years or more. Comedians are notorious for their amazing ability to recall any event, no matter how trivial, especially if it can disparage someone or bring forth humor. Lurk for a few weeks. If it's still not funny to you, go to rec.humor and talk to those morons. Q: Are you guys always this mean, Kinetic? A: ACS isn't as rough as it appears. I liken it to a room full of siblings. Sure, we fight and kid each other, but it's all done in fun - if the chips were ever down, most of us would be here to help each other pick them up. A lot of what you see as "rough" is likely an inside joke. Maybe it really is an argument with knives drawn and battle-cries being yelled (because sometimes it is), but most times the passion is about the argument, not the people. Like siblings, we learn about each other through our battles. Maybe it is rough. I don't know. Still, ACS has to have some sense of home to it, because this is also the place where we congratulate each other on jobs well done, or offer condolences for lost family members; where members (literally) fly half-way around the world just to put faces to the names. Q: How can I tell when you guys are being sarcastic? A: In order to help convey a sense of sarcasm in a post, we at alt.comedy.standup have created and approved [%] (open-bracket, per cent symbol, close-bracket) as the universally accepted symbol for sarcasm. Everybody's using it! [%] Q: Just what is a stand-up comedian, Bob? A: "Comedian: a breed of human being who, without benefit of a steady job, adequete plane fare or a social life, traverses the globe attempting to impart upon the masses his/her warped, intricate and often beguiled point of view while living from brown paper bags, overnight cases and on stale donuts and coffee." Q: Why are you a stand-up, Billy? A: I know when I was a kid, I mean little kid, if I could make the grownups laugh, I felt like I was closer to them, or they were closer to me. I used humour in school to avoid getting beaten up, to make friends, and to escape the realities of homework (a humourous essay was quicker to write than a real one, and I could get the teacher to laugh, I sometimes actually got a good mark ). Q: What differentiates comedians from other people? A: Everyone experiences pain, of course. But a comedian has the ability to use their anger and intelligence to refocus and reconstruct their pain into entertainment. It's so obvious that it almost goes without saying, but comedians are generally more intelligent and sensitive than the average person. It's our undeniably superior (almost god-like) intelligence that made life difficult for us when we were children. We could see through the hypocracy and illogic of our parents and teachers, but because of our age and size we couldn't do anything about it. The more we pointed out the foolishness of our "superiors," the more they kept us down. But just as pressure and heat transform coal into diamonds, it's that frustration, social pressure and the heat of anger that transforms us into comedians. Q: How many Open Mikes do I have to do to become a star, actual3? A: It frequently amazes me how many people want - even expect - some kind of instant stardom. As someone who frequents open mics, I think it's important that people understand that the value you get out of them is not some diamond lane to superstardom but the opportunity to try different things in front of an audience and develop a comfort level that allows you to get better. Along the way, of course, you'll have the fun of getting out of the house, away from the television and performing for people the way they used to do it in the old days. It's a lot like entertaining people in your living room, because the audience is mostly comprised of other performers. If you go into an open mic situation expecting some kind of immediate result, you're only going to be frustrated and get angry. And what's the point of that? You don't get good feedback that way; nor do you give yourself a chance to fail. Q: What else can you tell me about these Open Mikes, actual3? A: I consider open mics to be a hobby like fencing or building model railroads or refinishing furniture. You put in time and effort, you achieve a certain level of expertise, but the odds that you'll get back any of the time or money you invest are very small. It becomes a matter of deciding what you're going to do with your life. So what am I going to do with the time I have left here on Earth? I can entertain people who are as bored as I am. For a few hours, I can forget my stupid money problems and help others forget, too. Open mics are great for that. If it turns out that I have a chance to make a little money from it, get a little recognition, and maybe hit it big, all the better. But when I'm up on stage at an open mic I try to get as much emotional and intellectual value out of those few moments as I can. If I didn't, I'd be in real trouble. Because that might be all I ultimately get out of it. Q: I'm pretty damn funny. How do I go about getting a gig, Tim? A: Oh, sure, you may be pretty damn funny. But you'll need a hell of a lot more than that to get one of your so-called "gigs." Bitterness, for one thing. If you haven't failed miserably at nearly every legitimate job you've ever tried to hold, then you might not have the necessary level of choking bile to perform stand-up. You see, the best stand-ups are those who are able to take their own sickening, pathetic obsessions and shortcomings, and splatter them all over an audience like an Alien Autopsy. Only then will you even begin to appreciate the masochistic delight you'll experience offering your brilliant analogies and sparkling wit to a room full of smoking drunks trying desperately to get laid by the other fattest person in the room. Q: I'm really freaking funny, Liam. A: Every time someone tells you how funny they are, you know right away that they're not, and the more they insist on the fact that they're funny, the more you know they're an untalented douchebag. Q: I'm serious, Bill - my friends tell me I should be a comedian...aren't they right? A: I've been able to make people laugh for a long time. And some of those people suggested I become a stand-up comedian. But I knew I wouldn't be very good at it, because the two are very different. I knew, for example, that although what I said to my friends made them laugh fairly regularly, the amount of time I contributed to the conversation was pretty small. For most of it I just sat there, listening intently to what was being said. When I found an opportunity for a laugh I gave the punchline and everyone had a chuckle. But stand-up is different. You can't just stand around, hoping someone's conversation will lead to a punchline. You have to do everything yourself. And you have to keep doing it for however long you're on stage. Friends are a lot more polite than audiences. Your friends might laugh to make you feel better or joke about how bad your last line was. But if an audience isn't laughing they'll let you know in no uncertain terms. You and your friends probably share a lot of history together. There's probably a lot of in-jokes you use, a lot of things you have in common to laugh about, etc. Most audiences are strangers. You have to do stuff they can relate to as well -- not always easy. And of course, unless you drive your friends to drink every time you open your mouth, they're usually a bit sober. When you start out, you'll probably find audiences with attention spans shorter than most goldfish, and only half their brain cells operating. Q: What should my act be about, Mark? A: There are jokes and subjects that the individual comedian wants to tell and explore and there are jokes and subjects the audience wants to explore. There is a large intersection and it is the comedian's job to find that intersection. Q: Are friends and family supportive of my decision to do comedy, Steve? A: Friends and family will think you're nuts if you continue to pursue stand-up for years, to the detriment of personal relationships, good health and good credit reports, and they'll eventually tell you so to your face. Enjoy these early days, when those who love you will patronize you, and encourage you to follow your dream to your face, secretly believing that one day you'll take that Asst. Manager gig at Blockbuster Video. Q: There are no Open Mikes in my area. How do I get stage time? A: Well you could move, but consider starting your own Open Mike. Go to a local bar, or club, or even shopping mall and pitch it to them. Tell them you are going to run a comedy night once a week or so. If you don't have, or can't afford equipment, a bar, or anyplace bands play are usually a good venues. The point is, make things happen for yourself. If you depend upon others for your success, you'll often end up getting screwed politically, financially, or creatively, but seldom physically. Q: How do I set up an Open Mike, Al? A: Find a bar or coffeeshop that has a small performance area that's separate from the main bar area. Make sure you can perform without worrying about the juke box, the television set or waiters carrying food. Ask the owner for permission to have small open mikes there during a time when it's slow anyway. Send notices to your local newspapers and drama classes to advertise that you exist. Open mikes that mix music, poetry, etc. with comedy tend to be more fun for the audience members than those that just feature bad, open-mike-level comedy. Suggestions: Make sure that the bar owner understands that most of the performers will be really, really bad. Try not to locate the acts any place where the performers will frighten away the paying customers. Charge a fee and give the some money to the bar owner. Avoid setting up your open mike at a family restaurant or anywhere else where many kids are present. If you do end up somewhere need food or kids, make it clear to the performers what the limits are. Yes, censorship is bad, but there is nothing worse than a bad comic doing stupid enema jokes while people are eating. Especially when it's the same bad enema jokes you've hard 50 times before. Q: Is gender a problem in stand-up, Cathe? A: The problems I have found most in clubs is that there is a quota of how many women will get booked because "They're just not popular." The worst problem is the ability to break that wall of "woman = same old shtick" that glazes over owners and managers eyes. No man has ever been passed over for a gig because there was "already another man on the bill". Q: What's a hack? A: Stolen material. There's nothing lower or more reprehensible than someone who steals your material - - especially if they do it better than you. A hack also refers to material done to death, e.g. Cops in Donut shops, 7-11 jokes, Clinton-Lewinski jokes, Viagra jokes, differences between cats and dogs, airline food, etc. etc. Bits about "The Crocodile Hunter" and the phrase "Who's your Daddy?" are rapidly approaching their entry into the hack lexicon. There is an entire FAQ, called the " Hack FAQ" (http://members.aol.com/comedyfaq/hack.html) which gets posted periodically to alt.comedy.standup and was originally written by Steven Rosenthal. Q: Who's a hack? A: Sorry, FAQ's are limited in size. Q: Why are there so many hacks? A: In the case of stolen material, very few comedians maliciously hack others (some do though!). Most comedians have an uncanny ability to unconsciously store and catalog almost every bit they've ever heard. Often, they'll write a bit, forgetting that they heard something similar 4 years ago Sometimes, comics will write the same joke independently of each other. You can usually both continue doing the bit. However, if this happens and the other comic does the bit on TV, you're screwed and should abandon it. Comics who use stock premises do it because it's easy. Furthermore, you can connect with more audience members when pontificating about themes common to everyone. If you really want to do comedy about stock premises, ask yourself, "What can I bring to this topic that thousands of comics haven't already explored?" Q: Why would anyone ever resort to hack, Stu? A: The crowd laughs at what the crowd laughs at. It's our JOB as ENTERTAINERS, not as artists, but as ENTERTAINERS to entertain. I and many others on this NG make our living making the Yahoos laugh. The amount of work we get is often directly proporsional to the laughs we get, so in my case, yes if I sense the audience isn't going to understand my clever edgy well written material (for whatever reason) I go right to the hacky crap I keep in my back pocket and I clench my teeth as I do it. And sure it might be Men V. Women or some assortment of dick jokes du juor, but A) they're my dick jokes, and B)I'm not doing fart jokes. So I guess everyone has a line in the sand that they won't cross. Q: I have a bit I think may be similar to someone else's - what should I do, Ralph? A: The general rule is "When in doubt, leave it out." You don't want to get labeled a thief. The main reason that comics use material from other sources (I didn't say 'steal' - I'm talking about book jokes, stuff their non-comedy buddies came up with, etc.) is that they are trying to fill a void, either a dissatisfaction with their own material (let's face it, our stuff gets old to us a lot quicker than to anybody else) or dissatisfaction with our place on the comedy ladder (and I don't care who you are, everybody is dissatisfied), and we subconsciously think that the 'new' joke will somehow help us. Q: What's "the light"? A: At some point while you're on stage, someone will shine a light in your eyes. This is the owner's/manager's way of saying "Your time is over, wrap it up." You then have about a minute to get off the stage. Generally, the light is used to make sure a show runs smoothly and on time. However it can also be used to tell you that your performance bites or that the person with the light has a petty vendetta against you. Q: What is "working blue"? A: Working blue refers to using off-color, not suitable for TV material. While four letter words certainly fall into this category, working blue is not limited to expletives. For instance, describing various secretions in great detail can also constitute working blue, despite the fact that you may have used acceptable medical terminology only. Q: Should I work blue? A: The short answer is to get up on stage and speak your passion. If you cannot possibly get your point across without using four letter words, then use them. If your personality is such that you use four letter words as a matter of course, then use them. But using them gratuitously is a crutch that should be avoided at all costs, especially if you have TV aspirations. It's not always desirable to change your personality for the audience. Speak your truth. You can say what you think an audience wants to hear, and they may think you're funny, but you won't pioneer anything new unless you use that one thing that makes you different, your own personality. So if your passion is to tell people that you think date rape is funny, why censor yourself? I personally do an awful lot of religion jokes. Many people hate it, but those are the types of things I want to tell people. I have no burning desire to tell people what I think the difference between cats and dogs are. Q: Will studying other comedians help me do quality comedy? A: There's no right or wrong answer. Some people feel studying others is a must do, for some, it's a must don't. Even those who feel that they really learn by studying others, have to be vigilant about not copying them. Not the "I'm gonna rip that joke off" copy, but the kind of thing where they recycle a joke or premise without even realizing it. For me, I'm a student of comedy, and enjoy watching other professionals at work. I also find that there are occurrences of "parallel thinking", where I may have shared an idea with someone from another part of the country. If I see something like this in someone else's act, I have the opportunity to weigh my bit out, and remove it, if they're too similar. I don't want to sound like anybody else, so I try to watch everybody else. Q: What seven things does a good emcee need to know, Kid Dave? A: 1) The emcee's function is to get the attention of the audience, do the announcements, introduce the other comics. Get those three right and work should come your way. If you can be mildly amusing in the process, that's a bonus. Fuck up the announcements, you won't be back. I know you're a comedy genius, but at this stage of the game, just do as they ask. 2) Never go over your time. Ever. It doesn't matter if you're killing. The show lasts an hour and a half. The club is paying the headliner the most money, the clubowner wants to see him up there working, not you. Not to mention, it pisses off the other acts, who, at this point in your career, you need desperately to like you for networking purposes. 3) Tip the bartenders. Especially if you have a free bartab. They have more input than you think. 4) Leave the waitresses alone. If one wants your attention, she'll let you know. Most are there to work, not be bird-dogged around by some horned-up comic. They have more input than you think. Again, if one wants your attention, she'll let you know. 5) The condo is not a frathouse, unless by mutual consent. You are not the only person staying there, but you are lowest on the totem pole. Sorry. 6) Get the other acts' names right when you do their intro. Write it down if you have to. 7) Tell the other comics they RULE!!!! Even if they suck. Remember - networking. Q: Is that all I have to do, Mr. Arrogance? A: If you have friends and family who are coming just to see you, have them sit towards the back so the other acts don't have to hear your drunk Mom say, "These other comics aren't as good as my kid." Watch the other acts to see if you're burning premises that they have actual punchlines for and are too nice not to mention it to you. If you respect the other acts, ask them to watch your set and see if they'll offer some advice. Just be prepared to hear things you may not wish to hear. Be careful who you rag on in front of the other acts when you're offstage, it may be one of their friends. If the headliner likes you, see if he or she has the power to bring their own opener when they work other clubs. Or see if they'll recommend you to other clubs. You may still have to send a tape, though. Q: Anything else, KlownHuntr? A: Put the mic back on the stick. It's ungainly as hell to try to take the handoff. If you have enough time, tailor your set to be a good setup for the feature and headliner. I know, I know, you want to blow them away so you can move up, but if you can't do that in a way that doesn't hurt the show as a whole, then it's either a HORRIBLE booking, or you aren't ready to move up yet. Play for the team. Please try not to work scatological (dirty). You took the MC gig, and it carries certain implied responsibilities which include not throwing the show out of balance. And be on time. Q: Is there any more advice that could be offered, Knope? A: Emcees that are warm, friendly and generally show enthusiasm for being onstage really add a spark to the entire package. I hate it when an emcee is introduced from off-stage and as soon as he/she hits their mark - BOOM! - material. Welcome the crowd, explain how a live show is never exactly the same two nights in a row - create an EVENT in the audience's mind...then segue into some material to get the laughs rolling. Finish your set and get your applause. At the end of your last bit get your name out there one last time and tie a ribbon around the little package you just delivered..."My name is (your name here) and I'll be your host the rest of this evening. Thank you!" Step away from the mic and give the audience a little wave of acknowledgement. They will applaud. At that point, give whatever announcements may be required at that time and segue into a Letterman/Leno type intro..."Our next comedian has been seen on blah, blah, blah...please help me in welcoming - BLANK!" Remember, if the emcee has done the job - THEY WILL BE READY. Q: Wow. That's everything, right, Prince Myachislav? A: AND - the MC should always be in the room in case one of the acts goes short (either bails, or gets an early light, or gets sick, etc.). Nothing more awkward than a couple of minutes of dead stage time because the MC didn't know someone came down. Q: Should I pander to the audience? A: Only to save yourself from stinking up a place. There are 2 types of comedians. Ones that are in it just for the ego stroke they get from audience laughter, and the other that wants to get a message across. It is a rare individual that can do both well. Pandering to the audience will help your ego, but won't help you develop as a professional. Q: Do you ever buy your material? A: Some comics perform comedy to transmit their point of view to the audience and hopefully make people laugh. If they bought/stole/used someone else's material, they'd be no more than a talking monkey on stage regurgitating other people's thoughts. Of course, some people find the only thing that matters is for people to laugh at them, regardless of whether the material was theirs in the first place. Personally, I don't buy material...but I certainly have nothing against an entertainer who does, especially if he/she buys it from me. Q: I'm too freakin' lazy and vapid to write my own material. Where can I buy material so that people laugh at me and stroke my ego? A: Comedy Writing Service (http://heylady.com/comedy) Q: Is anything in comedy off limits, Aloo? A: Any TOPIC is fair game for comedy. However, different circumstances determine the topics that are appropriate. For instance, people who are sensitive should see comedy that's billed as a clean/non-offensive show- and the comics who agree to do that show should abide by those parameters. Many corporate events/ private parties fit into that category and therefore the comic's comments should reflect that. There is also a difference between a comic discussing a particular topic in general and picking on an audience member. A comic may do a joke that makes fun of handicapped people, black guys, homosexuals, ugly chicks,  retards, aborted fetuses etc., but when they apply it to a particular person in the audience, the joke changes from a general quip to a personal attack.. I've never been fond of comics who harass audience members- especially if the person didn't instigate it. Q: What kind of material should I do, Tim? A: You are perfectly free to collect and perform jokes such as those where various improbable combinations of people and animals go into bars, or you can muse philosophically about the rubbery skin on pudding, or you can ask those thought provoking questions about why men must dominate the remote control... But why not get a real performance rush by letting your audience know your most secret thoughts? Let the audience know who you are and what you think. Talk about your own fears and faults. By presenting what is most personal for yourself, you actually touch a common chord among more people. You can illuminate what it means to be human, and bring more humanity out of yourself and others. And that's what great stand-up is all about ... or you could just do dick jokes. Q: What's a dick joke? A: See "Working Blue". Q: What's alternative comedy, Eugene? A: Alternative comedy is just another kind of outlet. The reason it exists and the reason it survives is because some of it is incredible. People must like alternative comedy to keep coming back every week or every other week. A lot of the performers write new stuff for every show, and there is a great deal of unpredictability. Alternative comedy should be a risk and is based on surprise. A lot of people don't want to see a bunch of middle age white men talk about how truly difficult it has become to find a date or whether everyone has noticed how people blah blah blah. Q: Are comedy classes useful? A: No one can teach you how to be funny. However you can be taught to be less nervous on stage. You can also be taught some body language, how to handle the mike, and how to phrase jokes. Unfortunately, you can also be taught a "formula" for jokes. Comedy classes are useful for building confidence, and sometimes getting showcases and gigs. However, if you're not funny, comedy classes won't make you funny. And they can be expensive. One of the selling points of a comedy class is that your class is a built in support mechanism. Improv works on this concept. So do jockstraps. So the answer is yes, comedy classes are useful, especially if you're the teacher. If you're a student, it depends. Q: Tell me about tapes, Dave A: Tapes should be from 5 to 15 minutes. From different shows, if possible. Club owners that have to see a 30 minute tape are more concerned with quantity than quality. YOU know whether you can do 30 minutes or not. The owner of Guffaw's Pizza 'n' Comedy Castle may have a different perspective, but too many clubs have comic's tapes as doorstops, coasters, etc. And see if you know a headliner that works the club regularly. Maybe they can recommend you OR bring you in as their middle. Better not suck, though, or you'll lose a booking and a friend. Q: Is it better to risk all and do a showcase at a new club or send tapes until they decide they want you, KlownHuntr? A: I've never NOT gotten booked from an audition set, never HAVE gotten booked from a tape. Q: What should I put on a bio, Dave? A: Bios should be a list of clubs where you KNOW you've done well. Try not to have too many Holiday Inn's listed. Include your current address and phone number and an agent, if you're unlucky. Have some references of headliners and club owners that think highly of you. You should ask them if you can put them on your bio so someone doesn't call them up and catch them off guard. Q: What's a head shot? A: A head shot is a photo of you. You often need to send them to agents and club owners before an upcoming performance. A goofy headshot will not get you work. It will still be up at the club in 10 years and will make you regret wearing those handcuffs and a hula skirt. Q: What does a manager do? How about an agent? What's the difference? A: A manager keeps your name in the loop. He guides your career and helps you make choices that are difficult for a performer to make because he/she can't step back and look at the whole picture. He keeps your name in the mix, so when something comes up people already have you on their mind. An agent just tries to sell you to anyone. The manager is (or should be) more selective. If you are looking for a manager, look at his/her clients and see what they are doing and if they are going to have long term careers, etc. A lot of the so called " best" managers in comedy today are selling their clients out so they can get ahead and look good. Q: What do bookers do, Pepperskul? A: Bookers schedule comedians, send photos and bios on the comedians to the club, arrange radio interviews, send press releases out on new club openings and special comics, and above all...get the comics the information they need to get to their gigs. Bookers who book mainly COMEDY CLUBS are hired because the club owner simply has gotten fed up with trying to book the room. In all honesty, I've talked to MANY comedy club owners that say that dealing with all the comics is just a big fat pain in the ass. That's not to say that ALL comics are a pain, it's just sometimes taking the calls from everyone looking for work and dealing with schedule changes and whether or not you have pictures for the ad becomes a gruesome task. If a club were to try and do this all themselves, they might find it cost prohibitive because they can't route dates together and they don't have enough contacts. There are also many bookers out there who book special events for a variety of other clients - not just clubs. People call bookers or agents all of the time looking for talent for an event they are having. Without these bookers, many road comics would not have the extra work that comes from these sources simply because the availablity of sources for these "special clients" would not be as accessible. Q: Where can I find bookers, Bret? A: Comedy Bookers (http://members.aol.com/bookerlist/comlist.html) Q: I'm about to go out on the road. Any tips, Lawrence/Steve?? A: Get delivery menus to the nearest pizza place, chinese place or whatever. Have a calling card because most condos don't have phones you can dial out. Ask the desk clerk for a room on the top floor, away from the housekeeping closet, vending machines, and elevators. That will be the quietest room in the hotel. Carry a fan for "white noise" so it is easier to sleep if the hotel or condo is loud. When the gig's in the hotel, and they try to stick you in a meeting room with a murphey-bed, and they try to use the line "Sorry, but this is what we assign as 'comp' rooms", try politely replying, "My room is not comped, it's part of my compensation, just like my paycheck." 9 times out of 10, that will work. When you bring some chippie back to the hotel/condo for a one-night stand, hide your jewelry and wallet while she's in the bathroom. On Saturdays The Instant Oil Change place is usually managed by a young assistant manager. They will usually trade passes for an oil change. Eat at alot of happy hours. Become a AAA delux member. You may need the free 100 mile tow. You can pull the corner of carpet up in most hotel rooms and hide money, it can easily be put back on the tack strip. Tip the bartender or waitstaff that serves you. Bring your laptop to the show. No telling how many people have keys to the condo. Before you go buy smut, check under the mattress in your hotel room, salesman buy mags, and don't want to take them home so they put them under the nattress where the maid can't reach. Be polite to the staff at the club, not only is it the right thing to do, but many club owners listen to them about the comics. If two comics are of equal talent, one is a dick and one is a good guy, who do you think is coming back? When a club offers you a fistful of free passes to give away to promote the show, there are creative ways to distribute them. If you are aware of how the barter system works, you can often trade free passes to one of your shows for pizza, sandwiches, games of bowling, old magazines, discounts in the mall and more. Write your name on the passes you distribute, and tell them they need to use it this week. People are more likely to come out that week, giving you a bigger crowd. And all those passes with your name on them at the box office tends to impress the management. Q: What does it mean when a club owner/bar manager says, "We don't have enough cash to cash your check.", Kevin? A: This often means it's going to bounce or be cancelled, so go to HIS bank at opening time the VERY NEXT DAY and present the check. He will probably sleep late and try to cancel it around noon, by which time you'll already have the $$$. If it bounces at the bank, go see a local attorney. It's illegal to bounce a check, and you can often recover triple the amount in damages, however, it usually doesn't get that far. A letter from an attorney usually does the trick. Q: What can you tell me about corporate gigs, Laphboy? A: Corporate gigs can range anywhere from a banquet hall in the Four Seasons to an area cordoned off by an accordian pull-divider in the back of a Shoney's. The one consistent element is that no one ever thinks you'll need a microphone or lighting, because you're a professional. If there is a mic, it's usually attached to a podium, leaving you delivering your act like a White House Press Secretary at an official briefing. You're generally stuck into the program immediately after a large meal has been consumed, during what is traditionally the 'drinking and napping' hour. If they aren't dining, you will follow a Senior Vice-President with no sense of timing who would walk half the room, if they were allowed to go anywhere. You can do well at corporate gigs if you stick to your act (if it's not overly offensive), but that they'll gladly carry you around the banquet room on their shoulders if you slam The Boss. It's as simple as that. Learn his name, and at some point in your act, use it where you would normally say the word "asshole". NOTE: Don't use this tried and true technique in conventions held by religious organizations. In closing, corporate gigs do very little to enhance the edginess of your act, but they pay anywhere from 2 to 10 times better than the average one nighter, less 40% for the booker who answered the phone and then called you. Q: Hey Stu, real comics should be spending their time working on their acts instead of reading the newsgroup! A: Most, if not all, of the comics here are not quite as busy or successful as they would like to be. Most will take responsibility for their lives, and are doing what they can to be as successful as they can be. They look to the future, and the present is seen as a stepping stone. There are some other whiners, however, who just get angry. They want to blame everyone but themselves for whatever has gone wrong in their lives. Instead of trying to make things better, they run around complaining that things aren't better. The first group are, to me, a joy to interact with, even when things are not going well or I don't agree with them. Even at their lowest they have a spark of optimism that can't be missed, a knowledge that where there's life, there's hope. The second group, however, are a pain, and I would prefer to do without them. Q: Any interesting Web pages? A: Cathe B, Internut Comedienne (http://www.catheb.com) Rabbi Bob Alper (http://www.bobalper.com) Alternative Entertainment Network (http://www.aentv.com) Ask Mr. Hack (http://members.aol.com/IMPROVFOOL/AskMrHack.html) BBC Comedy Writing (http://www.bbc.co.uk/tventertainment/comedy.html) Rob Bartlett (http://www.robshow.com) Sandra Bernhard (http://www.internetcity.com/bernhard/) Albert Brooks (http://members.aol.com/shmuggs/abrooks.html) Brother Theodore's Dark Humor (http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/8135/) Lenny Bruce (http://member.aol.com/dcspohr/lenny/lenny1.htm) Christopher Cannon (http://www.comediancannon.com) John Carfi (http://www.johncarfi.com) Jim Carrey (http://pages.prodigy.com/jcarrey/tojc.htm) Rodney Carrington (http://www.rodneycarrington.com/rodney.htm) Judy Carter (http://www.judycarter.com) CBC Comics (http://www.tv.cbc.ca/comics/) Chicago Comedy Festival (http://www.comedytown.com) Chortle: Your Guide To Stand-Up Comedy In London (http://www.chortle.co.uk) Ian Cognito (http://www.netvision.co.uk/cognito/) Comedian Web Ring (http://fp.iserve.net/khoffman/comweb.htm) The Comedy Bit Network of Australia (http://www.comedy.bit.net.au/) The Comedy Catch (http://bertha.chattanooga.net/comedy/) Comedy Central (http://www.comcentral.com/) Comedy-o-Rama (http://www.comedyorama.com) Comedy Town (http://www.comedytown.com/menu.htm) Comedyzine (http://www.comedyzine.com/) The Comedy Zone (http://bcsdesign.com/comedyzone/) Billy Connolly (http://btinternet.com/~sarsen/billy/billy.html) Bill Cosby (http://www.netwalk.com/~hammer) Bob Crawford (http://members.aol.com/Comic228/crawford.html) Steve Curtiss (http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/hills/8970) Rodney Dangerfield (http://www.rodney.com/) Tanyalee Davis (http://home.earthlink.net/~tanyalee) Matthew Dean (http://hometown.aol.com/lafnrhino/index.html) Doctor Demento (http://www.ns.net/~densibb/drd.html) Denmark Stand Up Comedy (http://www.stand-up.dk) Nick DiPaolo (http://www.nickdipaolo.com) Dona Ana Repertory Theater (http://www.barking.com/comedy) Will Durst (http://www.willdurst.com) Dame Edna (http://users.aol.com/dameedna2) Bill Engvall (http://www.countrystars.com/artists/bengvall.html) Will Everett (http://1home.wnm.net/~wehjr) FREE comedy web page (http://www.comedy.com) Janeane Garofalo (http://biz.swcp.com/synth/janeane.html) Steve Gelder (http://hometown.aol.com/Laphboy/homepage.html) Wally Glenn (http://www.halcyon.com/gwally/www/wallpage2.html) Allan Goodwin (http://exit1.com/al/) Linda Haggar (http://www.ozemail.com.au/~madstove2) Bill Hicks (http://www.auschron.com/issues/vol16/issue5/xtra.billhicks.side.html) Bill Hicks Sound Archive (http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/5190/) Keith Hoffman (http://fp.iserve.net/khoffman) Bob Hope (http://www.bobhope.com) Humor Links (http://humorlinks.com) Interactive Humor Database (http://humor.ncy.com) Eddie Izzard (http://www.izzard.com) Richard Jeni (http://www.richardjeni.com) The Amazing Jonathan (http://www.amazingj.com) Andy Kaufman (http://andykaufman.jvlnet.com/) Dan Kaufman (http://home.att.net/~danielk) Sheila Kay (http://www.sheilakay.com/) Lauire Kilmartin (http://www.kilmartin.com/) Sam Kinison (http://www.kinison.com/) Bill Kirchenbauer (http://www.legendsofcomedy.com) Steve Kravitz (http://www.freeyellow.com/members2/sjk56/index.htm) LA Performance Venues (http://www.breakaway.org/openstudio/danasnow/wr/act/where la.htm) The Laugh Dome (http://www.laugh.com) Laugh Traxx E-Zine (http://www.cartooncrossroads.com/traxx) David Letterman (http://www.cbs.com/lateshow) Wendy Liebman (http://www.wendyliebman.com) Dave Little (http://www.lovedavelittle.com) London Comedy Venues (http://www.cool-stuff.co.uk/cgi/Venues.pl) M2C Comedy Links (http://www.surfinglinks.com/comedy.htm) Norm MacDonald (http://www.thefakenews.com) Kathleen Madigan (http://www.kathleenmadigan.com) Steve McGrew (http://members.aol.com/stevmcgrew/mcgrew.html) Steve McGrew (http://www.steve-mcgrew.com/) Steve Marmel (http://www.marmel.com) Steve Marmel, non-sanctioned (http://www.threedee.com/news/marmel.html) Jackie "the Joke Man" Martling (http://www.jackiejokeman.com) Mark Matusof (http://www.matusof.com) Dobie Maxwell (http://www.dobiemaxwell.com) Tim McIntire (http://www.cris.com/~macadoo) Brian McKim (http://www.sheckymagazine.com) Shayne Michael (http://www.swiftsite.com/shayne-michael/index.htm) Dennis Miller (http://www.hbo.com/dml/) Scott Miller (http://home.earthlink.net/~limpet/) Tim Mitchell (http://www.graphicacts.com) John Moloney (http://www.cool-stuff.co.uk/Moloney/) Bob Newhart (http://www.bob-newhart.com) Open Casting (http://www.opencasting.com) Open Mic U.K. (http://www.openmic.co.uk) Sue Paluh (http://www.eskimo.com/~comic/) Mike "Wheels" Parise (http://www.angelfire.com/ca2/wheelsp) Phalliqua (http://members.aol.com/PHALLIQUA/index.html) Prairienet British Comedy Clearinghouse (http://www.prairienet.org/britcom) Rick Presley (http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Stage/5191/index.htm) Greg Proops (http://members.xoom.com/Greg_Proops/main.html) Daniel Rosen (http://members.aol.com/ucanjuggle/misc.html) Mort Sahl (http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/3217/) Mark Saltveit (http://www.realchange.org/funnystuff) Adam Sandler (http://www.adamsandler.com) Saturday Night Live (http://www.nbc.com/snl/) Mark Scalia (http://members.aol.com/Msxprs/index.html) Jerry Seinfeld (http://www.seinfeld.com) Seinfeld Sound Archive (http://members.aol.com/~croifer/sein/index.htm) SHECKY Magazine! (http://www.sheckymagazine.com) Todd Shilkin (http://www.iinet.net.au/~funnyguy/) Traci Skene (http://www.sheckymagazine.com) Leif Skyving, Sweden's Funniest Export (http://www.leifskyving.com) Bobby Slayton (http://www.shamash.org/jb/bk980814/etayid.htm) Steve Smith (http://members.aol.com/IMPROVFOOL/index.html) South African Standup Comedy and Comedians (http://comedyclub.co.za) Stand-Up Comedy Bingo (http://www.fadetoblack.com/bingo.htm) Stand-Up Norge As (Norway) (http://www.standup.no/) The Stand Up Show (http://www.comedyzone.beeb.com/standupshow/) Ben Stiller Show (http://members.tripod.com/~stillershow/) Strauss-McGarr Entertainment (http://www.straussmcgarr.com) Gary Thison (http://www.metrodetroit.com/comedy) Ty's Humorous Domain (http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/7462/index.html) UK Laughter Links (http://www.linkit.com/comedy) UnCabaret Page! (http://www.uncabaret.com) The Van Gogh-Goghs! (http://www.vgg.com) We're Funny That Way Comedy Festival (http://members.aol.com/werefunny/index.html) Mike Welch (http://members.tripod.com/~mwelch/index.html) Kevin Bloody Wilson (http://kevin.bloody.wilson.com.au) Steven Wright (http://www.newbie.net/JumpStations/StevenWright/) Bob Zany (http://www.bobzany.com/) Joel Zimmer (http://joelzimmer.com) Adrienne Zurub (http://hometown.aol.com/azurub7950/myhomepage/index.html) Q: Any Improv Web pages? A: Who cares? Q: No, really. A: Dizzy Squid (http://www.worldlink.ca/~dzsquid/welcome.htm) General Improv Page (ftp://ftp.crl.com/users/ro/zot/improv.html) The Improv Page (http://sunee.uwaterloo.ca/~broehl/improv/index.html) Fourclaps (ftp://ftp.crl.com/users/ro/zot/fourclaps.html) Laughing Matters (http://www.mindspring.com/users/bsack/lam.html) Part Time Theater Company (http://members.aol.com/QWikLaff/index.html) Second City (http://www.secondcity.com) The Toasted Marshmallows (http://www.ozemail.com.au/~liamcody/toasted.home.html) Q: Any ancillary web sites of interest? A: Comic Press News (http://www.comicpress.com/) SHECKY! A magazine about standup... (http:// www.sheckymagazine.com) The World Wide Willie (http://www.WorldWideWillie.com/) You Can Juggle (http://members.aol.com/ucanjuggle/) Q: Any related news groups? A: alt.fan.howard-stern alt.fan.letterman alt.fan.letterman.top-ten alt.fan.chris-elliott alt.fan.conan-obrien alt.fan.dave_barry alt.fan.dice-man alt.fan.j-garofalo alt.fan.jay-leno alt.fan.monty-python alt.fan.mst3k alt.fan.woody-allen alt.comedy.british alt.comedy.firesgn-thtre alt.comedy.slapstick.3-stooges alt.comedy.vaudeville alt.tv.comedy-central rec.humor Q: How about comedy chat? A: Yes, there is a comedy chat line. To find out more, E-mail the founder, Richard Scott (limpet@earthlink.net) or the current host David Kelman (kelman@jax-inter.net). The server is irc.superlink.net and the room is #greenroom. Chat is regularly schedule for 9PM - midnight EST on Mondays. 3. Tips for comedy writers: Obtain the Comedy USA directory. Send material to comics listed in the directory in advance of an appearance at a club or hotel. They may buy your material. Agents generally prefer a project such as screen play, script or book which is a moneymaker for them, however they may send material to Letterman, Leno or a sketch show for you as well. People become staff writers after selling a few one-shot scripts to a series. People almost always get those jobs from pitch sessions after hearing many, many times "We've already done that" or "We have that idea in the works already." People get pitch sessions after a recognised, licensed agent -- a list of them is available from the Writers' Guild of America West -- usually someone IN L.A. or Hollywood --- has sent out a sample script. You usually do a sample script for Series A to sell to Series B. Usually "they" only buy pilots from people who have already been staff writers for an existing series ("of Cheers" helps sell a series). Don't bother attempting to sell a premise or treatment: that game is reserved for proven writers and that's because they have a track record of delivering a tight, polished script. Agents must represent your WRITING, therefore they must see your WRITING, like in a finished script, to sell your skills. Most of the time, that wonderful spec script idea will NOT be what you (THELMA & LOUISE a notable exception that proves the rule) but your writing skills will be what that agent will sell to most likely get you an editing or rewriting job. Consider collaboration. Writing by yourself can be fun and you are ultimate master of your work, but you tend to get tunnel vision. The work can end up suffering. Two people can write a script together, but you tend to reach an impasse rather quickly. e.g. One thinks the bystander should say "Grape Nuts" and the other thinks the bystander should say "intestinal wall". Three people shouldn't write a script together, however having three people in a "riff" session can be optimal. Plus, there's always someone to break the deadlock. Four people is too many to get anything done. Always know who you are sending material to. Unsolicited material sent to a general address shows the intended recipient that you're not connected. Thus you can't touch them. If you write for T.V/Film - Writers Guild the stuff. (See address below) Write as often and as much as you can. Find a network of comics (always know the names) and work with them. They may not be famous now, but in a couple of years... $$$. Trust me. Have a really dysfunctional background. Probably the single most important thing about collaborative writing is LEAVE YOUR EGO AT THE DOOR. 4. Protecting your work: Copyright your work. Visit http://www.aimnet.com/~carroll/copyright/faq-home.html Or, get a form TX (free from your local public library, or downloadable from http://www.loc.gov/copyright/reg.html) and fill it out. Send it, with $30, to: Copyright Office Library of Congress 101 Independence Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20559-6000 Send it certified mail. For more info, call the U.S. Copyright Office (http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/) at 1-800-688-9889. Register it with the Writer's Guild of America (http://www.wga.org/) Registration is valid for five years and may be renewed for an additional five years at the same registration rate. To register by mail, send One unbound, loose-leaf copy of your material on 8 1/2" x 11" in. paper. A cover sheet requesting registration that contains the title of the material and all writers' full legal names. Your social security number, return address, and phone number. The registration fee ($20 per script for non-members). to: WGAw Registration Department 7000 W. 3rd St. Los Angeles, CA 90048 They'll send back a receipt. Save the receipt -- it's your official proof of registration. For more info, call (323) 782-4500 or visit http://www.wga.org/manual/registration.html 5. In order to appear in any major motion picture, you must have a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) card. It's a catch-22, though. You can't appear on screen until you get a card, and you can't get a card until you appear on screen. There's more info on their "So ya wanna be an actor?" page (http://www.sag.org/wannabe.html). You can contact the Screen Actors Guild's main HQ (http://www.sag.org/) at: 5757 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036-3600 323) 954-1600 saginfo@sag.org The Screen Actors Guild also has a New York branch. You can contact them at: 1515 Broadway, 44th Floor New York, NY 10036 (212) 944-1030 nypr@sagorg 6. Here is a list of comedy clubs by city. Addresses, phone numbers, show times, and open mike opportunities are listed if available. ATLANTA Punchline Sandy Springs, GA (404) 252-0394 Open Mike Tuesdays @ 8PM. Lottery drawing for spots. Call if you are from out of town. AUSTIN, TX Velveeta Room 6th St. A rite of passage. Open Mike Thursdays @ 10 pm. Call by 9 to sign up 512.469.9116 Capitol City Comedy Club Formerly know as The Laff Stop Open Mike Mondays (sporadically). Call for details 512.467.2333 AUSTRALIA Crazies (http://www.powerup.com.au/~crazies) Cnr CAXTON & JUDGE STREETS PETRIE TERRACE Brisbane (07) 3369 0555 Sydney Comedy Store Cnr Parramatta Rd Crystal Street, Petersham Open Mike on Wednesdays Harold Park Hotel Harold Park Racecourse, Glebe Open Mike: Monday nights (call early) BIRMINGHAM The Star Dome Hoover, AL Open Mike - Sporadic - call club. Contact Tim Spinosi or Deena. (205) 444-0008 BOSTON Comedy Connection Faneuil Hall 617-248-9700 Showcases Sun-Wed. Hypnotist Thurs. Headliners Fri & Sat. Comedy Studio Hong Kong Restaurant 1236 Mass Ave Cambridge, MA Open Mike Sundays @ 8:00 Dick Doherty's Comedy Vault at Remington's Restaurant (http://www.dickdoherty.com) 124 Boylston St., Boston, MA. 800-401-2221 Showtimes: Thur, Fri and Sat 9:00pm Sunday Open Mike 9pm, $10 per person Giggles Prince Restaurant Rt. 1 Saugus, MA Try the scorpion bowls" The Kowloon Nick's Comedy Stop Route 1 Saugus, MA Call Mike Clark. Nick's Comedy Stop Warrenton St. Boston, MA Call Vinnie Favorito. 617-482-0930. Showcases Wednesday night Ramada Inn lounge Rt. 1 Norwood, MA 617-341-5101 Showcase Fri @ 9. Call Jeff The Vault at Remingtons (http://www.dickdoherty.com) Open Mike on Sundays Contact Dick Doherty. 617-729-2565. 800-401-2221. Call on Wednesday, ask for Tom. Bring 2 or 3 people at $5 each for the show. Jimbo's South Restaurant 405 Franklin St. Braintree, MA 617-848-0300. BRISTOL, UK Virginmirth (http://www.desirable.demon.co.uk) Le Chateau (Basement Bar) Park St, Bristol, UK (+44) 0966-175-530 Open shows every second Wednesday. BUFFALO Comedy Trap 874-5233 Open mike nites on Thurs. Comix Cafe 835-4242 Open mikes on Thurs Nite. Call Sunday at midnight. The first five messages left on the answering machine will get a spot. Funnybone 838-2800 Hiccups Comedy Club (http://www.rochesterny.com/mall/21b2.htm) 120 E Main St (in the Rochester Riverside Hotel) Rochester, NY 325-YUKS CALGARY, ALBERTA Yuk Yuk's Komedy Kabaret Blackfoot Inn 5940 Blackfoot Trail SE 403-258-2028 Open mike on Thursdays, but allots time to amateurs according to how well the staff knows you. This is 2-3 minutes if you're new to them, and more if they like you. CHATTANOOGA, TN The Comedy Catch For booking call (423) 629-2233 Steve Plemmons (423) 855-1052 Open mike Sunday nights. Local openers during the week. CHICAGO The Subterranean Cafe & Cabaret 2011 W. North Avenue (Wicker Park) Chicago, IL 312-878-6898 CINCINNATI Go Bananas (513) 984-9288 Shows every Thursday @ 9:00. Guest sets available if you call. COLORADO SPRINGS Loonee's 1305 N. Academy Blvd. Colo. Springs, CO 80909 (719) 591-0707 COLUMBUS, OH The Lobby 2390 S. Hamilton Rd. (614) 863-0650 Mondays @ 10:PM Clancy's Down Under 520 S. High St. (614) 863-0650 CONNECTICUT Treehouse Comedy Club Norwalk, CT 203-371-5696 Treehouse Comedy Longhorn Cafe, I-84 Exit 15 Southbury, CT 06488 Shows Saturday night @ 9:00. 203-264-4343. 203-794-1222 DALLAS, TX Backdoor Comedy Club Don Carter's East, Skillman & NW Highway Dallas, TX Showcases Thu - Sat 9PM. Contact Jan or Linda. 214-601-2204 Comics on Tap The Village Clubhouse Southwestern Ave Dallas, TX. Thursdays 10:00. Contact Bill Cheek (bcheek@onramp.net) 214-891-8267 Hyena's Entertainment Showcase 604 Main St. Fort Worth, TX (817) 877-LAFF Wed-Sun 8:00. 2nd show Fri & Sat 10:30 Sign up during the week for Wed & Thurs. Improv Comedy Club 4980 Beltline #250 Addison, TX (214) 404-8501 (214) 404-0323 Shows every night 8:30. 2nd show Fri & Sat 10:30. Best of Dallas on Wednesdays, call at noon to get a spot. Tough to find stage time here. Easier if you're from out of town. DAYTON, OH Joker's DENVER, CO The Comedy Club Aurora, CO Comedy Works 1226 15th St. Denver, CO (303) 595-3637 Open mike every Tuesday Wits End Harlan St Westminster, CO DETROIT Joey's Comedy Club/ Kickers All American Grill 36071 Plymouth Rd. Livonia, MI 48150 FLORIDA Coconuts Lakeland, FL Friday nights @ 8:30 Call Wed. before show (941) 687-2678 GEORGIA Comedy House Theater Savannah, GA Tuesdays @ 8:30 Call that morning for spots. (912) 356-1045 3-5 CLEAN minutes. NOTE: This room is ALWAYS packed, including open mike night.They seat 300, and usually turn people away due to overcrowding. Love's Downtown Jazz and Comedy Club 610 S. Lee St. P.O. Box 1541 Kingsland, GA 31548-1541 912-729-2727 HOUSTON,TX (http://www.houston-press.com/1997/current/lcomedy.html) The Comedy Showcase Gulf Freeway HUNTSVILLE, AL The Comedy Club Shows Fri & Sat 7:30 and 9:45. Second show Friday is Open Mic Contact Darlene Jolley INDIANAPOLIS, IN Crackers at Broad Ripple 6281 N. College Ave. Indianapolis, IN 46220 317-253-4211 One show Tues.-Thurs., 2 shows on Fri. and Sat. Manager: Ruth Ann Herber Crackers Downtown 247 S. Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46225 317-631-3536 One show Tues.-Thurs., 2 shows on Fri. and Sat. Elaine from the Ice House makes most of the booking decisions for both Crackers rooms. One Liners Comedy Club 50 Airport Parkway Greenwood, IN 46142 317-889-LAFF Started by Dave "The King" Wilson. Dave used to work regularly at Crackers as a headliner. When he opened this club, the other clubs in town refused to hire anyone who worked for him. Comics who don't work for him can work both of the other clubs. IRELAND City Limits Coburg St., Cork Tel/Fax: +353 21 501206 Contact Brian Coughlan JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA Hysterix Comedy Bar LAKE TAHOE Thirsty Duck Elk Point Rd. Stateline, NV Ask for Dick Clark. 702-588-3899 Just For Laughs Reno Hilton Shows 7 nights @ 8:30, plus Fri & Sat @ 10:30. LAS VEGAS The Beach Open Mike on Sat. Buzzy's Espresso Open Mike every other Thursday @ 9PM. Sign up @ 8 PM. 5-10 min. Cafe Copioh Open Mike on Sat. La Bombadier Open Mike on Sat. Melrose Bar and Grill 2327 S. Eastern Ave. (702) 641-7673 Fri. and Sat. nights, in between band sets 10 min. They're Nobodys Comedy Club Thu & Fri 8:30. 15-20 minute showcases World Trade Center Casino 1067 Griffith Avenue (702) 387-5581 Tues. nights 7:00 sign up for 8:00 show 5-10 min. PG material preferred. LOS ANGELES A regularly updated list of L.A. clubs and open mics is available at Twohy & Klein's Open-Mic List. (http://www.heylady.com/tk/open_mic/CA.htm#California) The Comedy Store Alternative Comedy Show every Monday. The Ice House 24 N. Mentor Ave Pasadena, CA Open Mike 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month 818-577-1894 LA Cabaret Comedy Club 17271 Ventura Boulevard Encino, CA 91316 (818) 501-3737 Fax: (818) 501 3749 Velveeta Underground (213) 882-1986 OPEN MICS: Call first, stop by, to check on their policy for comedy. Some may require advance sign-up; some may only allow music. The Basement Coffeehouse Echo Park United Methodist Church 1226 Alvarado St. (213) 413-9111 Saturday open mic (comedy okay) Coffee Junction 19221 Ventura Blvd. Tarzana, CA (818) 342-3405 Sunday open mic 3-5 pm (comedy?) Common Grounds 9250 Reseda Blvd. Northridge, CA (818) 882-3666 Thursday comedy open mic w/ Stacey Jill Jackin Darkwater Cafe 10780 Jefferson Blvd. Culver City, CA (310) 839-6739 Wednesday, Circus de Cafe, open mic (comedy?) 5th St. Dick's Coffee Co. 3347 1/2 w. 43rd Place Leimert Park Village (213) 296-3970 Monday: comedy night (could be open mic) Greens & Grounds 124 N. San Fernando Blvd. Burbank, CA 818-238-9100 You get 5-7 minutes. Not exclusively comics. The Horseshoe Coffee House 14568 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA (818) 986-4262 Every Wed "Wise Guys" Comedy Open Mic Sign up: 8:00 Show 9:00 p.m. Hyperdisc music store and coffeehouse 2623 Main Street Santa Monica, CA (310) 581-3545 Monday open mic night with Maureen Davis-Russak 6:30 sign-up (comedy?) Little Frida's Coffee House 8730 Santa Monica Blvd West Hollywood, CA (310) 854-5421 Wednesday: Women with Balls comedy showcase (don't know if this is open or not, don't know if this is lesbian club or not, but...) Sacred Grounds 399 West Sixth Street San Pedro, CA (310) 514-0800 Wednesday open mic (comedy?) San Gennaro Cafe 9543 Culver Blvd. Culver City CA (310) 202-8132 (Night) (310) 813-8332 (M-F, Day) (310) 836-0400 Sign up 6:30pm show at 7:00pm Tuesdays. Showcase night: Friday. Tsunami 4019 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA Every Wed. Open Mic hosted by Pammy Sue Comics (213) 661-3476 to pre-sign Show at 8:15 pm Un-Urban Coffee House 3301 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica (310) 315-0056 Thursday: Comedy Crunch comedy open-mic LONDON, ENGLAND Barracuda Comedy Club 38 Hampstead High Street London NW3 0171-586 0674 The Comedy Store Haymarket House No 1 Oxendon Street London SW1 LONDON, ONTARIO Yuk Yuk's Komedy Klub (519) 680-1090. (519)680-1091 Open Mic last Thursday of every month. Contact Gerry Blais. LOUISVILLE, KY Comedy Caravan 502-459-5532 (ask for Sueann). 502-459-0022 (Bret) Booked by: TSM artists P.O. Box, 4129 Louisville, KY 40219 MANCHESTER, ENGLAND The Laughter Lounge (http://www.personal.u-net.com/~zy/comedy.htm) Steve Vernon on 0374 978634 MEMPHIS Bonkerz inside Bally's Casino Robinsonville, MS (20 min. from downtown Memphis) Shows at 8PM & 10PM Friday & Saturday and 5PM Sundays MIAMI Cheers Fort Lauderdale, FL Open Mike on Tuesdays Christopher's Fort Lauderdale, FL Open Mike on Tuesdays The Comedy Corner West Palm Beach, FL The Comedy Zone Miami Beach, FL 10 minute spots on Wednesdays. One Night Stan's Hollywood, FL Tuesdays 8:30 Just show up Uncle Funny's Davie, FL (305) 474-5653 Open Mike on Sundays. Call on Wednesday. MINNEAPOLIS Knucklehead's Comedy Club Located in the Mall of the Americas Bloomington, Minnesota. Mostly major national acts. Acme Comedy Co. 708 N. 1st Street Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612) 378-6393 National headliners and features Tue-Sat. Open Mike / Showcase Monday nights, 6:30 - 7:00 signup, 8:00 showtime. Performance comes down to a random drawing. Out-of-towners who want to audition for a feature spot contact Greg Langer and ask for a guest set. Laughing Cup 18th & Nicollet Tuesday nights open mike. Show up around 7:30 and ask for Dave Basham. Scott Hansen's Comedy Gallery St. Paul, Minnesota. (612) 331 5653 MONTREAL, CANADA The Comedy Nest (http://www.iti.qc.ca/iti/users/sean/cn/cnhome.html) E-Mail: comedynest@iti.qc.ca 514-982-9644 NASHVILLE, TN Coconuts Zanies NEW JERSEY THE LAUGHING LADY OPEN MIKE Mixed Grill 516 Jersey Ave. Jersey City, NJ 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays. 201-332-9023 Stress Factory New Brunswick, NJ (908) 545-HAHA. Open Mike Wednesdays. Call first. Rascals (http://www.rascalscomedyclub.com/sitemap.html) 425 Pleasant Valley Way Ocean Township West Orange, New Jersey (973) 736 - 2726 Open Mike on Mondays in warm weather. NEW MEXICO Dona Ana Repertory Theater (http://www.barking.com/comedy) PO BOX 8437 Las Cruces, NM 88006-8437 (505)525-0904. Contact Mark Kuker (dart@zianet.com) NEW YORK CITY Boston Comedy Club 82 W. 3rd St. 212-477-1000 Caroline's 1626 Broadway (212) 757-4100 Catch 22 East Village Send material to Steve Po PO Box 515 Millrift, PA 18340. Please do not call the club. Catch a Rising Star 1487 First Ave. near 77th Street. (212) 794-1906. (212) GO-CATCH. Shows: Sunday -Thursday 9pm, Friday 8:30pm and 11pm, Saturday 8pm and 12:30am. Collective Unconscious (http://www.weird.org/) --Reverend Jen's Anti-Slam 145 Ludlow Street between Stanton and Rivington Open Mic Wednesday nights 7:45-11:15, signup at 7:30 Comedy Cellar 117 MacDougal Street between W. 3rd. and Bleecker. (212) 254-3480 Reservations (http://www.ComedyCellar.com/reserve.htm) The Comic Strip 1568 Second Ave. between 81st and 82nd St. (212) 861-9386 Shows: Monday - Thursday 9pm, Friday 8:30 and 10:45, Saturday 10:30pm and 12:30am. Open mike on Mondays. You have to wait in line every 3 months or so to get a number which determines your night. Your night can be 4 months down the road. Creations 21st St. between 5th & 6th Ave Monday 8PM. Dangerfield's 1118 First Ave. between 61st & 62nd St. (212) 593-1650 Shows: Sunday - Thursday 8:45pm, Friday 9pm and 11:30pm, Saturday 8pm, 10:30pm, and 12:30am. Down The Hatch 179 W. 4th St. Greenwich Village Gladys Comedy Room (In Hamburger Harry's) 145 West 45th (212) 832-1762 Open Mike on Wednesday @ 8:00. Open Mike Tues & Thurs 4:30-7:30 PM. Other shows Fri & Sat. Call Club Manager, Chris. Gotham Comedy Club 212-367-9000 34 W. 22nd St. between 5th & 6th Ave. Open Mic Tue & Thu 5PM- 7:30PM The Improv 358 W. 44th St. between Eigth and Ninth Ave. Shows: Sunday - Thursday 9pm, Friday - Saturday 9pm and 11:15pm. The New York Comedy Club (http://members.aol.com/nycomclub/index.html) 241 East 24th Street 212-696-5233 Open Mic Mondays, 4PM. Ask for Steve or Al. Two Drink Minimum. 1-800-32-FUNNY Rebar 8th Ave & 16th St. Open Mike Mondays 7-midnight. Sign up 6:45. NOTE: This open mike is NOT the famous Rebar show Spoon Open Mike Monday @ 9PM. 12 Avenue A Contact Bill Sherman (sherman@equitynet.net) Stand Up-NY 236 West 78th Street, near Broadway. (212) 595-0850 Surf Reality--Faceboy's Open Mike Night 172 Allen Street between Stanton and Rivington Open Mic Sunday nights, signup at 7:45. Show runs until 4 AM. Talk of the Village Bleecker St. between Thompson & Sullivan Contact Jim McCue West End Gate Broadway between 113th & 114th Open Mike Tue & Wed 4-8PM Tough room. Easiest room to get time in. OAKLAND Dorsey's Locker 5817 Shattuck Oakland, CA 510-428-1935 Monday night - 10PM Host - Leunell End Zone 1466 High Street Oakland, CA Open Mike Tues @ 9:00 PM 510-536-9332 Geoffrey's Inner Circle 410 14th St. Oakland, CA Open Mike Wed @ 8:30 PM 510-839-4644 Mambo Mambo 1803 Webster Oakland at 19th 510-832-9422 Friday 9PM Host - Tony Sparks Emery Bar and Grill 5800 Shellmond Street Emeryville, CA (510)-653-0444 8-10 PM Monday Nights M.C. Deborah Douglas Borders Books Emeryville, CA Showcases Monday Nites. Must be clean. Carribean Spice Berkeley 510-843-3035 Thursday 9PM Host - Norman Hazzard (Also see listings for SAN FRANCISCO) OKLAHOMA CITY Bricktown Joker's 229 E. Sheridan Oklahoma City, OK 405-236-JOKE (5653) Free Comedy workshop every Sunday at One O'Clock. Laff It Off Showcase, first Tuesday of the month. OMAHA, NE The Funny Bone 402-493-8036 ORLANDO, FL Adventurer's Club Address: Pleasure Island at Disney Lake Buena Vista Phone: (407) 934-7781. Seven shows nightly from 8:15 p.m., stage shows and comedic characters. Bonkerz Address: 25 S. Orange Ave., downtown Orlando Phone: (407) 629-2665 Shows at 8 PM every Friday & Saturday Coconuts Comedy Club Cappuccino's Restaurant Address: 927 W. State Road 436, Altamonte Springs Phone: (407) 682-0071. Hours: 8:30 p.m. Fri. & Sat. PALO ALTO Rose & Crown University & Emerson Palo Alto, CA 650-327-7673 Mondays 8PM Host - Greg Bedford PENNSYLVANIA CARROLL VALLEY COMEDY CLUB Call Sheree (overrule@cvn.net) 717-642-8211 PHILADELPHIA The Comedy Cabaret Best Western Roosevelt Blvd (Rte 1) Open Mike Wednesday at 8:30 - be there before 8:15 to get on the list. PHOENIX, AZ The Star Theater (602) 423-0120 Ask for Louis PORTLAND, ME The Comedy Connection Portland, ME PORTLAND, OR Harvey's Comedy Club 436 NW 6th Portland, OR (503) 241-0338 The owner is Barry Kolin. Or call David Tribble, he has a bunch of one niters around the area (360) 693-2613 It's A Beautiful Pizza 33rd & Belmont Phone: 503-233-5444 Open Mic Sunday 9PM; signup around 8:30PM Host: Joel Clemmens Jimmy Mak's NW 10th and Everett Phone: 503-295-6542 Open Mic Monday at 9PM Host: Randy Portofino Caffe Italiano 8075 SE 13th Ave. (in Sellwood District) Phone: 503-234-8259 Open Mic Thursday at 8PM Host: Rob Lewis Suki's Open-Mic Comedy Thursdays 2401 SW 4th Ave. Phone: 503-226-1181 Thursdays at 9PM RALEIGH, NC Charlie Goodnight's Restaurant-club 861 W. Morgan St., Raleigh, NC 919-828-5233. 919-833-8356. SAN FRANCISCO, CA A web page for the latest San Francisco standup information is available at BayComedy.com (http://www.baycomedy.com) Cameron's 108 Cabrillo Hwy. N. Half Moon Bay Open Mike, Thursdays @7:30 PM Talk to Aury - 415-726-1304 or 415-726-5705 Cobb's Comedy Club (http://www.webcom.com/shownet/cobbs/) 2801 Leavenworth (at The Cannery) San Francisco, CA (415) 928-4320. (415) 928-4445 Ireland's 32 3920 Geary at 3rd 415-386-6173 Alternate Tuesdays at 9:30PM Host - Gary Cannon Java N' More Open Mike on Saturday @ 7:30 PM Church St. & Clipper St. Jean Armstrong 415-824-6601 Java Source Clement and 5th Ave San Francisco, CA Open Mike, Tues & Sat. 9:30 PM Lost & Found Saloon 1351 Grant 415-392-9126 Tuesdays 8PM Host - David Kleinberg Luggage Store Open Mike on Tuesdays @ 7PM 1007 Market St. 415-255-5971 The Marshs Mock Cafe (http://www.saber.net/~mearth/MockCafe.htm) 1074 Valencia Street SF, CA 94110 (415) 826-5750 #2 Contact Mike Spiegelman (sketchnight@yahoo.com) Open Mic 9-10 pm every Saturday (sign up as early as 7 pm) followed by Late Night Laughs with featured stand-up comics, 10 p.m. $5-7. Nervous Laughter 252-9697 One World Cafe 1799 McAllister St. SFCA Open Mike on Friday @ 7:30 PM 415-776-9358 The Punchline 444 Battery St. SFCA (415) 397-7573 Open Mike on Sundays @ 9:00. Ask for Melissa 415-397-4337 (Also see listings for OAKLAND) SAN JOSE Knuckleheads San Jose, CA SAN RAFAEL Belrose Dinner Theatre 1415 Fifth Avenue San Rafael, CA 415-454-6422 Thursday 7:30PM Mostly singers, Clean Comics Only Host - Maggie Belrose SANTA MONICA 123 Broadway Upfront Comedy Classics Fridays and Saturdays at 11:30PM. Contact Cash Landy. (310) 319-3477 (310) 572-6373 SEATTLE, WA Belltown Theatre Center 115 Blanchard Seattle, WA 206-728-7609 Open Mike 1st & 3rd Friday of the month, 11 PM Club Broadway Everett, WA Open Mike Thursday The Dubliner 3405 Fremont N Seattle, WA 206-548-1508 Open Mike Sunday, 9 PM Giggles Comedy Nite Club 53rd & Roosevelt Seattle, WA 206-526-JOKE Open Mike Sundays, 8 PM Swannie's Comedy Underground (www.comedyunderground.com) 222 S. Main Open Mike Monday and Tuesday 8:30 206-628-0303 University Sports Bar & Grill 5260 University Way NE Seattle, WA 206-526-1489 Open Mike Wednesday, 8:30 SARASOTA, FL McCurdy's Comedy Club Sarasota, FL Contact Les McCurdy SUNNYVALE, CA Rooster T Feathers Comedy Club (http://www.roostertfeathers.com/) 157 W. El Camino Real Open Mike Mon @ 8:00 PM Talk to Jessica (408)736-0921 SYRACUSE, NY Wiseguy's TOLEDO, OH Connextions Comedy Club (419) 867-9040 (recording) (419) 867-9041 (person) Amateur Showcase Wednesday Nights Be one of the first 3 callers that Monday before noon. TORONTO The Ben Wick's Pub 24 Parliament St. Toronto, Canada (416) 923-6089 Alternative Comedy Thursdays at 9PM. An open stage to any and all comedians. Comedy Handbag Red Spot Lounge & Bar 459 Church St. 9 PM. Contact David MacLean (cf767@freenet.toronto.on.ca) Comedywood (http://webhome.idirect.com/~comedywd/) 800 Steeles Ave. W. Unit 11B Thornhill, ONT L4J7L2 Canada (905) 761-0543 Contact Boris Chernak Yuk Yuk's Komedy Kabaret Superclub Toronto 2335 Yonge Street Toronto, Ontario (416) 967-6431 ext. #228 Sink or Swim Mondays. Call 10:00 AM Monday morning to be one of 14 comedians that night. TUCSON, AZ Laff's 520-323-8669 Open Mike Tuesdays at 8:00. Call Dave (?) Tues. afternoon to get on list. TULSA, OK Tulsa Comedy Club 71st & Sheridan Tulsa, OK Open Mike most Tuesdays 8pm, no call ahead needed UTAH The Comedy Circuit Midvale, UT Johnny B's Comedy Club 177 West 300 South Provo, UT 84601 (801) 377-6910 Showtimes: Thurs 9, Fri & Sat 8 & 10. Contact Johnny Biscuit (owner), Terry Taylor TV clean comedy in the heart of Mormon country. Open Mike Thursday only. Mildred's Roy, UT Once a month showcase primarily for local talent. David's 2324 S. Redwood Road Salt Lake City, UT 84119 Call Carmen @ (801) 972- 9688 or (801) 531-8280 for showcase or booking. VANCOUVER, CANADA Lafflines Corner of 4th & Columbia New Westminster (Columbia Street Skytrain Station) Phone: 604-525-2262 Contact: Mark Dennison Urban Well 1516 Yew Street Jazz Bar/Cafe with 2 shows Tuesday. Open mic available. Phone: 604-737-7770 Contact: Jamie Hutchison (hutchy@home.com) Yuk Yuks 750 Pacific Blvd. South Phone: 604-687-5233 Open mic Wednesdays Contact: Dave Copeman (comedy@bc.sympatico.ca) 7. Agents and Promotional Agencies UNITED KINGDOM AVALON 25 Litchfield Street, London. WC2H 9NJ. Tel: 0171 497 2656 Fax: 0171 379 0325 Avalon is one of Britain`s leading comedy management and promotions agency. Avalon is credited with the National Comedy Network, Britain's largest network of regional comedy clubs. INTERNATIONAL ARTISTES Mezzanine floor, 235 Regent Street, London. W1R 8AX. Tel: 0171 439 8401 / 0171 872 0089 Fax: 0171 409 2070 Established in the entertainment biz for 50 years. OFF THE KERB PRODUCTIONS The Old Bakery, 6a Philip Walk, London. SE15 3NH. Tel: 0171 732 4018/1473 Fax: 0171 639 7021 Off the Kerb Productions has been providing the best alternative comedy since 1993. It programmes comedy for a variety of festivals including Glasgow Mayfest, Reading, Phoenix and Manchester. RBM Garden Studios 11/15 Betterton Street, London. WC2H 9BP. Tel: 0171 379 0344 Fax: 0171 379 0801 Multi-award winning agency - one Perrier winner, four Perrier nominees, three Time Out winners - RBM has presented a varied and stimulating number of acts over the last seven years. RICHARD STONE PARTNERSHIP 25 Whitehall, London. SW1A 2BS. Tel: 0171 839 6421 Fax: 0171 839 5002 RSP represents performers, writers and producers. 8. Books about being a stand-up comedian. Be a Stand-Up Comic, or Just Look Like One. A Comedy Career Guide. Bob Stobener, R. Scott Edwards. Laughs Unlimited. 1989 ISBN 0-9624792-0-9 Decent how-to book. Small book 120 p. Comedy Writing Step By Step How to Write and Sell Your Sense of Humor Gene Perret Distributed by Samuel French Trade This book is full of useful tips from a veteran comic writer. Makes a good addition to the comic's reference bookshelf. Comic Lives - Inside the World of American Stand-Up Comedy. By Betsy Borns, Simon & Schuster, 1987. Great inside look at what it was like in the clubs and on the road for over 50 headline comics like Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Wright and Paul Reiser. The Comic Toolbox John Vorhaus Ha Bloody Ha By William Cook. Fourth Estate, 1994 ISBN 1-85702-180-0 Interviews with successful stand-up comedians, mostly British. The bulk of the book is thirty comics talking about their life, experiences and art. How To Be A Working Comic: An Insider's Guide To A Career In Stand-Up Comedy (http://www.thecomedybook.com) By Dave Schwensen (DSEntertainment@centurytel.net) Back Stage Books Hell Gig By Andrew Llessat (Brad Tassell) (llessat@aol.com) 527 N Greenriver Rd. Box 176 Evansville, IN 47715 Send $10 to get a signed copy. Hell Gig is one mans journey through the business of stand up comedy. Working on the road fifty weeks a year. It's funny, poignent and has been called required reading for anyone interested in how much it takes for a comedian to get his act to the stage, and more. How to be a Stand-up Comic Richard Belzer, Larry Charles, and Rick Newman. Carol Publishing Citadel Book. 1988 ISBN 0-8065-1319-5. Meant to be more entertaining then enlightening. How To Be Funny. Discovering the Comic in You Steve Allen with Jane Wollman Prometheus Books. 1992 ISBN 0-87975-792-2 Good book about the stand-up as an art form. How it works, what not to do, etc. Good to tap into his experience (which is vast). The Laugh-Makers. How to Make 'Em Laugh 'Til it Hurts Gerald Wolfe (wolfe@wavenet.com) Wolfe Publishing 2514 34th St. Santa Monica, CA 90405 This book details the secrets of 20 great comedians. Make 'Em Laugh Steve Allen Prometheus Books. 1993 ISBN 0-87975-837-6 Good book written in a conversational style. As if you visited with Steve and he talked about comedy. Lots of history and anecdotes. The Penguin Book of Women's Humor Talks about the differnce between male and female humor. Slapstick: An Illustrated History By Tony Staveacre Stand-Up Comedy as Art, Business, and Life Style. McGill-Queen's University Press. 1990 High-brow analysis by interview of many comics about the comedy business in Canada. Kind of stuffy reading, but some good content and statistical information about the business. Stand-Up Comedy, The Book (http://www.judycarter.com) Judy Carter. Dell Trade Paperback. 1989 ISBN 0-440-50243-8 Excellent book derived from her experience teaching a comedy workshop. Highly recommended by some. Successful Stand-Up Comedy Advice from a Comic Writer. Gene Perret. Samuel French Trade. 1993 ISBN 0-573-69916-X Great book from one of Bob Hope's writers. Great insight into the inner workings of stand-up. Wake Me When It's Funny Garry Marshall. A good book worth reading, half of which deals with sitcoms. Zen & the Art of Stand-Up Comedy Jay Sankey. Routledge: NY, London. 1999 ISBN 0-87830-074-0 "Great, great book." - Mark Saltveit 9. Comedy Periodicals The Comedy USA Guide (A must for any comedian working the road) I'm not sure which address is correct. The Talent Directory: $45.95 (In The U.S.) The Trade Directory: $35.95 (In The U.S.) Or get both books together for only: $68.95 (In The U.S.) COMEDY USA (old?) 2107 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 306 San Francisco, CA 94109 (415) 749-0990 COMEDY USA (new?) PO Box 69-252 Los Angeles, CA 90069 (213) 658-7447 The Comic Bible $10 per issue, $55 for six months. 718-548-7907 Primarily focuses on New York City, but useful for all comics. Gene Perret's Round Table Newsletter 30941 W. Agoura Rd. #228 Westlake Village CA 91361 (818) 865-783 Gene Perret's Round Table And Comedy Services 2135 Huntington Drive, # 205 San Marino, CA 91108 LA Standup Directory $10. *Standup Comedy* (http://www.realpages.com/standup) Newsletter Online and In Print Contact: Craig Ralls 1-800-807-3828 1370 W Sixth St, Suite 305 Cleveland OH 44113 10. Comedy Software COMEDY GYM (http://www.instar.com/comedygym) 8413 Stillwood Lane Austin, Texas 78757 (512) 467-0886 comedygym@aol.com Milton Berle's Comedy Software Beverly Hills, CA 800 645-8432 Improv Maker Software (http://village.ios.com/~kassj/improv.html) By James Kass (kassj@village.ios.com) Comedy Generator Software (http://coulomb.uwaterloo.ca/~broehl/improv/cwdemo.html) By Vince Constantino Comedy Writer Software (http://members.aol.com/ideascapes/comedy.htm) By Vince Constantino ScriptWright - Script Writing Software (http://www.columbia.edu/~gg2/) Compuserve ShowBiz forum, Lib 14& 11. Miscellaneous Bill Hicks' Mailing List Sacred Cow Productions Fossil Creek Studio PO Box 26231 Austin, TX 78755 THE COMEDY COACH (http://www.comedycoach.com/) 480 9th Avenue Suite A San Francisco, CA 94118 Phone (800) LAUGH-OK (415) 668-7955 Contact Neil Leiberman (Comedy@comedycoach.com) Comic Relief (http://www.comicrelief.org.uk/menu.html) 800-528-1000 Jay Leno's FAX line 818-840-2249 First, you have to have a contract with Big Dog Entertainment. You can get paid from 1-50 dollars, but the going rate is 10 dollars a line, more for a complete monologue Judy Carter's Stand-Up Comedy Workshops 2112 Walnut Ave. Venice,CA 90291 800 426-6427 310-915-0555 Just For Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival 51 Sherbrooke Street East Montreal, Quebec H2X 1X2 Andy Nulman (nulman@vir.com) or Andre Gloutenay (514) 845-3155. (514) 845-4140 fax. Humber Comedy Workshop (http://admin.humberc.on.ca:80/~comedy/) NewsJoke Inc. (http://www.newsjoke.com) Seems to be a fax/e-mail (info@newsjoke.com) service for morning DJ's and the like. Jim Richardson (jim@jimrichardson.com) Coaching comics for 30 years. ORGANIZED COMEDY (http://www.jimrichardson.com) 413 Furlong Road Sebastopol, California 95472 Telephone: 707-829-1313 Al Rae's Online Comedy Workshop (yeats@autobahn.mb.ca) Greg Dean's College of Comedy Knowledge (http://www.business1.com/comedy/) 310-285-3799 (outside Southern California) 800-3STANDUP (inside Southern California) Contact Greg Dean (gregdean@primenet.com) ON-LINE HUMOR course (http://www.dialnsa.edu) (212)229-5880 info & free bulletin. FAX (212) 989-2928 Prof. Elliot Tiber (info@dialnsa.edu) The Sitcom Writer's Workshop Jack Gilbert LA, CA 818-506-0429 Thanks go to: Bernard Aboba (legalese) actual3@greenheart.com Cathe Alleger (CatheB@aol.com) Alooohaha (Alooohaha@aol.com) Dave Anthony Mary Armstrong (smith@in.net) BaldGuy (baldguy96@aol.com) Rick Barnes Allison Bell (albell@vnet.net) Stuart O. Bronstein (sab@idiom.com) Kevin Burke (klownhuntr@aol.com) Bob Crawford (comic228@aol.com) Mark Farrell (mark.farrell@sympatico.ca) Nancy Gold (nancyg@esd.sgi.com) Bill Harper (harper@asgard.net.au) Marc Hershon (hershco@delphi.com) Paul "Peekay" Hooper Chris Kania (chriskania@aol.com) David Kelman (kelman@jax-inter.net) Fred Kerr (kerrf@cia.com) Jennifer Laurie (jlaurie@columbia.edu) Karen Lee (klee@connectnet.com) Dave Little (davel@onramp.net) Sue Lyon (100433.2577@compuserve.com) Steve Marmel (marmel@earthlink.net) Liam McEneaney (mceneaneyl@aol.com) Kim Millwater (LobstrLady@aol.com) Eugene Mirman (ebmF92@hamp.hampshire.edu) Billy Mitchell Pepperskul (pepperskul@aol.com) Brent Piaskoski (mdlchld@io.org) Tim "Swordfish" Mitchell (sic@graphicacts.com) John O'Connell (mrjohno@concentric.net) James O'Connor JustStu (JustStu@aol.com) Sue Paluh (ay591@freenet.carleton.ca) Erik Passoja (bigbaderik@aol.com) Robin Pike Jim Robinson (jrob@istar.ca) Mark Saldanha (lafftrak@aol.com) Mark Saltveit (funnystuff@realchange.org) Dan Savage (dans@tiac.net) Tim Shell (ak123@lafn.org) Siggy (sigilind@direct.ca) Dana Snow (ap910@lafn.org) Ralph Tetta (PamPRD918@aol.com) Lawrence Thomas (peppor@aol.com) Mike Welch (welch@ix.netcom.com) Jamie West (kinetic@cyberbeach.net) Jim Wright Author's Home Page (http://rampages.onramp.net/~stevebo/) This FAQ is Copyright 1999 - 2000 by Steve Gelder, Copyright 1995-1999 by Steven J. Silberberg, and is made available as a service to the Internet community. It may not be sold in any medium, including electronic, CD-ROM, or database, packaged with any commercial product, or published in print, without the explicit, written permission of Steve Silberberg and/or Steve Gelder. Copyright (C) 1999-2000 Steve Gelder Copyright (C) 1995-1999 Steven J. Silberberg