Hey Dave – I’ve had some crazy experiences in my life that resonate in my memory and in my opinion are very comical. But also, these were very serious moments. It’s hard to bring these stories out on the stand-up stage because they take a lot to build to a punchline. I am still very new to the stand-up world, let alone theater acting. I’ve taken a few classes, but don’t have a solid background yet. I’ve written about these crazy moments in a journal form but am unsure of how I build a show based on them because I am no playwright. I guess my overall question is if you have a little experience, how can you start to build up to putting together a great one man show? Thanks! J.W.
Funny drama?
Hey J.W. – The best advice I’ve ever heard from any working comic or writer is to just keep writing. You’re already doing that by keeping a journal and creating stand-up sets. The idea is not to get too far ahead of yourself. A one-person show is a big project, so you’ll want to create a few shorter ones – like laugh out loud five-minute comedy sets – first.
You say you’re not a playwright, but that doesn’t always mean having to sit down at a computer keyboard and “write “a show. As I say in my workshops, some people can do that –most can’t.
Most stand-ups and speakers must talk it out.
And by this, I mean in front of an audience. It makes the material and delivery real. I think this way of working will suit you best. You don’t need to be a playwright to talk and convey your message in front of an audience.
Talk your stories into an audio recorder. Then transcribe (write them out). Edit, make changes, add your humor, and tweak the material. Then do it again and write some more. Take it on stage and try it out in front of an audience. Are they interested? Are they laughing? If yes, then it’s working. If not, then you go back to work. Write some more and continue to repeat the process until you get the audience reaction you want.
Keep in mind this is not easy.
Working Actor
Working writers, speakers and comedians dedicate themselves to these careers. Emotions range from failure to success and every hard knock in between. But if you’re serious, have a thick skin and really want it then you’ll continue.
Okay, so let’s say you have very funny stand-up sets and get great audience reaction (laughs). Now you also want to add “serious stuff “so the result is more of a one-person show (theatrical) rather than a Comedy Central stand-up special.
Create an outline for a planned show.
What is it you want to say? Who is your audience? But don’t knock yourself out trying to make it perfect, like a finished and polished script for a successful Broadway show. Everything always changes when you start to do it live in front of an audience. That’s why Broadway shows go on the road for previews in various cities around the country (like stand-up comics) followed by multiple re-writes, re-casting, and more previews.
These changes are based on audience response. If audiences don’t like the second act or a certain character, the playwrights and producers fix it before bringing it to Broadway for the definitive make-it or break-it reviews.
Shows, comedy sets, motivational speeches, books, plays, movies – whatever – go through many drafts before they are considered finished.
That’s important to remember so you’re not discouraged after each preview. My first book was re-written several times before I had a literary agent accept it. Then she made me rewrite it a few times before she would shop it around to publishers. Then after a publisher bought it, I had to rewrite a few more times before they printed and got it into stores. It was at least a dozen re-writes total.
You will experience the same thing.
But as I said earlier, don’t get too far ahead of yourself. You’re still in the first draft stage of creating your show.
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Concentrate on what you’re doing now, which is getting stage experience in stand-up, improvisation and acting. Keep creating short (3 to 5 minute) comedy sets and trying them out in front of audiences at open-mics and in clubs. The comedians I’ve worked with find their comedy voice first. After that they “write for “their comedy voice.”
Okay – got that? Now, if you want to continue into one man (or one woman) show-land, let’s visit television sitcom-land for a quick example…
One of my favorite sitcoms in the 1990’s was The Drew Carey Show. The pilot for that show was written around Drew’s stand-up act. In fact, when you watch the first episode you can see him doing bits that he did countless times in comedy clubs. The storyline for the episode was written around his comedy voice and what he was already doing on stage.
It was the same with Everybody Loves Raymond, Home Improvement and many others that starred stand-up comedians.
Take one of your stories and see if you can make into a five-minute stand-up comedy bit – as a storyteller. But keep your personality (comedy voice) and don’t try to be an actor. Right now, it’s you talking about you. Later as it develops, you might want to try acting out some of the other characters involved.
The best advice I can give is to realize a one-person show is also a theatrical production.
Creating and starring in a one-person show was a very popular career goal in the comedy biz during the 1990′s and many comedians failed because they didn’t realize that. It’s more than just doing your stand-up act on a stage with a couch and a table. It needs to be more of a night at the theater, rather than a set at a comedy club.
My favorite example of a comedian-writer-actor developing his own successful one-person show is Inside the Male Intellect: An Oxymoron by Robert Dubac. I’ve seen it many times –from its earliest first draft performed at The Santa Monica Improv to a sold-out Palace Theater in Cleveland – and highly recommend it whenever I can.
It takes work to write and create anything. But hopefully it’s work you enjoy. Just keep writing and trying out your material out on stage. With talent, creativity, experience, and luck you might wind up with something great. You never know unless you try.
Thanks for reading and as always – keep laughing!
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For comments, questions about workshops and coaching please email – Dave@TheComedyBook.com
