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Page 3
But, if you can keep your competitive juices down, contests again provide a solid opportunity for stage time. Like bringer shows, they usually offer good audiences and an opportunity to meet fellow comics.
The added bonus of contests is the fact that the club booker will usually be in attendance (and, most likely, judging). My home club, the Comedy Cabana in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is having a contest in May during which yours truly will be a judge (and, yes, we can be bought cheap).
Once you've signed up for your first time, welcome and congratulations. But we should go over some hard-and-fast rules that apply no matter what. 1. Show up early. You should get there at least half an hour before the club tells you to arrive. This will give you time to settle your nerves, check out the room, and relax. It will also give you time to meet club management, other comics, or even friendly customers who now have a personal reason to laugh at your act. 2. Do not, under any circumstances, go long on stage. Most shows have a set amount of time to offer you - do not go past your limit. There is no better way to make a bad first impression than to run past your time. 3. Watch the show. Don't wander back and forth, or make calls on your cell phone. You're young, you're new, you know nothing. Watch the other comedians - see their styles, their jokes, the audience reaction. Granted, some of the comedy will be interminably bad (possibly including yours). But you can learn much about what not to do as a comedian by watching one long, painful, open mike. 4. Stay after the show, for as long as possible. My first rule of the comedy business is simple: Nothing bad ever happened to a comedian in a comedy club. Stick around and see what happens. Meet other comedians, club owners, customers, or even attractive waitresses (or waiters - we don't discriminate here. Just keep in mind my second rule of the comedy business - don't date the staff. Ever. Seriously.) If you meet someone who saw the show, ask for feedback. If they say, "You were funny," or "Nice job," say, "Thank you." If a club manager or established comedian says something, ask for criticism. It might be painful, but it will help you learn quicker - and it will plant an image of you as a professional, eager comic.
The copyright of the article Making It On Stage – Finding A Place to Perform - Page 3 in Stand-Up Comedy is owned by Vince Martin. Permission to republish Making It On Stage – Finding A Place to Perform - Page 3 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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