Comedy is hard. But producing comedy shows is the type of torture you shouldn't wish on your worst enemy. There are so many steps to producing a show. You have to find the venue, book it, make sure there is working equipment, confirm the bookings, make a flyer, advertise, deal with last minute venue requests, drop-ins, drop-outs, the waitstaff's needs and protocols, the actual show, and cleaning up after. So when comics show up late or come too early there are issues to deal with. Then there is the dreaded fear of ticket sales sliding for no reason or the embarrassing possibility the mic goes out. If you run a show or want to, you find yourself always fighting an uphill battle. If you currently run a show or are thinking of running a show, here are a few simple guidelines to make it the most successful it can be. And if you're a comic, then keep these things in mind as you navigate from show to show so you aren't the reason it gets dropped.  

Make Sure You and the Venue Are On the Same Page
Too often a show producer, aka the go-to person for a show, doesn't go over the expectations with the venue, and before the first show is over, the next one is canceled. This can include a clear start time, if there is a budget to pay, what the cut of the door is, the drink or food discounts for talent, and how many waiters and bartenders will be there.

So many times, I've seen a show producer deal with a manager upset that there aren't enough people, or the venue won't turn off the music or TV's, becoming a huge distraction for the comics and crowd. Most comedy clubs don't have that issue, but they will cancel shows if ticket sales aren't solid. At one room I run, if we do an off night, we tell the comics, if we don't sell at least 20 tickets within two days before, the show is canceled so the venue can call off unneeded staff and bartenders.

And when I need to cancel, I do. And it's that type of communication that allow the venue and I to continue having off night shows occasionally. 

By having expectations explained and met, the show will last longer at that place. So comics, when you ask to do a drop in, which bumps the show another ten to fifteen minutes, keep in mind, you are creating anxiety between the venue and the producer.         

Don't Beg People To Stay and Watch 
One time I did a show where after the headliner finished the room turned into an open mic. The headliner killed it. Everyone applauded. The host got up and said, "The show is over, but we have an open mic if you want to see more comedy." Guess what? Everyone left. And the open mic comic on the stage was begging them to stay to hear his jokes. Within five minutes, the room was empty (with 7-8 comics waiting to get up) and he was forced to try jokes to a bustling crowd on their way out. It was sad. Almost pathetic. And when a producer has a low turn out and tries to wrangle people up enjoying dinner or walking down the street (we call that barking), they are no better. 

We cannot beg people to watch our art. Either you did a good job marketing the show or you didn't. And sometimes it's your fault and sometimes it's bad luck. But you don't beg people. Because they will feel free to heckle, to walk out, and to get easily offended. Too many people have had their evenings ruined by a surprise comedy show. One time I was walking in equipment and heard a guy go, "Crap, it's comedy night. Let's go!" Less is more in this situation. A willing crowd of six is better than a held hostage, guilted group of twenty.   

Be Clear With Comics on Expectations 
I'm a bit of a control freak. So when I'm booked on a poorly ran show, I usually have to remind myself that most people are incompetent at their jobs, and why would a comedy person be any different. Yet, setting up the comics with clear expectations is how you get the results you want from a professionalism standpoint. Producers should do the following things through an email or DM chat:

• Send a flyer with address, date, start time, cost and lineup 
• Have a call time 
• Have a start time 
• Tell them how much time to do
• Send a ticket or RSVP link 
• Discuss any show restrictions in material  
• Tell them if they can leave after their set
• Be clear on payment and stick to it 

If you are a comic, feel free to ask these questions a day before if they haven't freely given this info to you. 

When I show up and ask when I'm going up, and the producer says, "I don't know, and can you do more than ten minutes? Everyone is running late." I know this is going to be a s**t show. Listen, I can make the best of a bad situation, but I'm not doing this again at this stage in my career. 

If you are a comic, don't even bother giving them advice. If they are this incompetent, they wouldn't understand it anyway.

But when a producer acts all stressed, it is because they just thought shows magically happen, when in fact, they are produced. And giving comics clear instructions - in writing - can solve a lot of those worries.    

Get a Good Host Who Can Set the Tone 
Maybe the greatest sin any producer does is put a rookie up to host, creating a dead room. Shows shouldn't get progressively better. The host should get them going, the middles should maintain momentum, and the headliner should be able to kill it at the end. A host has many jobs. They might have to give some announcements, collect intros, and do minimal time in between if the previous comic bombs. Hosts are a representation of your show. In fact, many audience members assume the host booked the show. So when you book a rookie or a bad crowd work guy up front, the crowd is going to think that's you (and if it is you, then maybe don't host). 

Hosts should be aware of what is going on, letting comics know they are next, etc. If your host is all about themselves, then they won't keep the energy up, and you as the producer will be trying to explain to other comics and the venue owner why the show went long or ran out of steam.     

Less is More in Booking the Show
When starting a show, I always encourage people to start slow and build out. So start with a monthly or quarterly show first. Then if you see there's a need, expand as needed. If you can consistently get a number that makes you and the venue happy, then keep it there. Building out a show is a marathon, not a race. If you book too many shows, you'll only find yourself trying to fill a room that might have a limited number of fans. 

When booking a show, try to limit the show to 5-7 TOTAL comics when running a show. No one likes these 10-14 comics doing five minute sets, from the crowd to the comics themselves. I like giving away 15 minutes to 5-6 comics so they can have time to get in a groove. This usually comes out to a 90 minute show. A shorter show can also make the venue more relaxed, out of fear of having to keep staff later than planned. I've lost shows because comics wanted to run more time and the 90 minute show went over to 120 minutes, and they had to pay the staff time and a half for staying late.

People are usually fine with a shorter show if it's funny. They want a longer show when the comics are actually famous. That's why some of these headliners can do an hour and half in the Belly Room and get away with it. So when a non-famous comic asks to do a drop in, all they are doing is prolonging a show that most likely no one asked to go longer anyway. 

The only exception to the 15 minute sets is when you have someone who is not ready. If you have "development" spots on your shows, then they should be 5 minutes max. As a producer, you can't put someone on who sends the show off the tracks just to fill time or swap show favors with. In this case, give the remaining ten minutes to a more establish comic on the lineup. 

​Final Thoughts
Remember that when you are running a show, you are asking everyone involved to give you their time. The comics. The crowd. The venue. Don't waste anyone's time. If you keep that in the back of your mind, and not treat producing like a vanity project, you'll do fine. 
Running a show is hard. I've ran shows in clubs, bars, patios, country clubs, corporate venues, parking lots, churches, and colleges. While every show is it's own beast, you should be committed to excellence, demanding more of yourself than the talent or venue. But if you can get the pre-production down, you usually find the night of the show works itself out as it should.   

One reason I encourage comics to do all types of shows, from the glamorous to the wildly unprepared, is because they can learn something about themselves, their performing abilities, and their actual love of stand up. Everyone can have fun at a bringer show on the main stage on a Thursday night or Sunday. That's easy. But try performing at a bar show on a Monday at 9PM in front of two people is hard. Worse than that, you can't tell if they are either:

A) A couple 
B) Brother and Sister 
C) Both 

And you won't know until you do the worst crowd work you've ever done.

If you break down what stand up really is, it is a series of shows strung together that help you build off past successes and failures to prepare you for future successes and failures. No one wants to run a bad show. But sometimes you'll walk into terrible situation, and instead of seeing it as a wasted night, you should see it as the opportunity of a lifetime. There are so many types of shows you can do if you stick it out. In the past decade I've played:

• Comedy Clubs
• Colleges 
• Backyards 
• Warehouses
• Restaurants 
• Black Box Rooms the size of bathrooms 
• In parking lots in front of honking cars 
• Old Folks Homes 
• Churches 
• Casino Bars 
• RV Homes 
• Outdoor Camp Sites
• Wineries 
• Breweries 
• High School Football Stadium Bleachers 
• Hooters Pageants 
• Living Rooms (in actual homes)
• Aquariums
• Shopping Mall Rooftops 
• Bars 
• Herbalife Smoothie Bars 
• Performing Arts Centers 
• Acting Theaters 
• Movie Theaters 
• Country Clubs 

 ...and the list goes on. I'm just waiting for a show at a zoo at this point. 

Because I've played every weird and massive type of venue, there are two things I've learned:

1. Not every show is what the producer promises 
2. Not every show goes as planned

What becomes your greatest fear starting out (the show going off the rails) becomes your greatest test and accomplishment when you're more seasoned. There are so many things that can occur that you have to be able to enjoy the moment or you'll find comedy to be too frustrating to navigate. There are a series of issues that can be discouraging, but once you learn how to battle them, and it is a battle, then no show is too hard to do well in. 

Even though most shows will start on time and end within reason, here are a few types of obstacles you might have to overcome:

• Show starts really late 
• Faulty mic and sound system
• Smaller crowd than expected (2-5 people)
• Larger crowd than building can handle 
• Change of content rules (suddenly it's a clean show)
• Weird seating (can't see half the crowd)
• A really bad comic before you that turns the crowd    
  ​
  

Yet, while each of the above issues are frustrating, there is one simple solution to all the above problems: Eliminate all expectations you had the second the shows turns on you. It's a classic Buddhist philosophy. Once you've emptied all expectations, you'll be free to accept all current realities.

Too many times, we have expectations that cloud our experience. We thought this show would be "the one" where we get the big break, are discovered, or become a regular with the booker. But then we show up and it's not what we expected. Once you become okay with any outcome, you can enjoy the process of learning how to be a better comic in the moment. 

In the summer of 2023, while working at Flappers, I wasn't booked for any shows during the Burbank Comedy Festival. It was always a surprise to people when I told them I rarely got up at the club I worked at. Often, I was told the "employee spots" were for other people working there (the booker) or "potential" celebrity drop-ins (the booker). It became a fight every time. In 2022's festival I hadn't performed at all because my one booking was taken away mysteriously.

Anyway, I decided I was going to do a spot in the 2023 festival, so when I noticed there were four 5 minute spots remaining, I asked for it, and since there was no reason on God's green earth to say no, I got on stage. Here's the catch, there were only 6 people, and three were industry judges begrudgingly there to watch. The host did okay, but the crowd was so dead. During the host's set a group of interns, staff, and the owner tried to fill the seats. I was walking into a no win situation. So instead of moping, I decided to make it fun for me. (You can watch the 5 minute clip at the top)

I asked for a funky song and intro. I decided to make light of the low turnout and the fact that the club owner was in the front row. I riffed a lot. I made call backs to the other comic's jokes. I went Albert Brooks mode. I had a ball. Because my job was to make them laugh, and the best way was to cut through the BS and just be in the moment. I turned a disappointing moment into a joyous one, and in the process, I got more out of it than reading off twenty jokes. Ironically, that would be my last set at Flappers. I wasn't asked to be booked from August to December. I knew they'd just have a lame excuse not to book me, and to be honest, doing 5 minutes in the YooHoo room on a Tuesday didn't sound fun anyway.  

Back to the main point. When in doubt, the best thing you can do is trust your comedic instincts and not your human instincts. Your human instincts want to be bitter, upset, flustered, etc. Your comedic instincts want the laugh. So release the negative energy and allow yourself to be funny.

Don't worry about the jokes. The crowd doesn't know the script. Just be funny within the weird situation. The show isn't perfect - but that doesn't mean you can't be perfect for the show. 

The crowd too small? Talk to them. 

The crowd too noisy? Talk to a few people in the front row listening. 

Can't see a portion of the crowd because of a wall? Joke about it. 

The sound going in and out? Use it like a sound effect. 

Don't feel trapped by your own expectations and desires. Because one day, when the rumors of your excellence get out there, the bigger stars and venues will ask you to work with them.

And in that moment, all your hard work of being free will give you the ability to tell the jokes in the environment best suited for them.          

​When I was a wrestler and wrestling coach, there were three styles of wrestling to try. Folkstyle, freestyle, and Greco-Roman. Folkstyle was the primary one. It was the high school sanctioned one. But in the off season we would try freestyle and greco. While all three had similarities, the off season styles broke Folkstyle rules. You could throw harder, lock your hands around your opponent, and points were awarded differently. Some coaches forbid their athletes from doing the off season style, afraid they'd develop bad habits for when high school season started, but one coach told me that by trying different styles he learned how to accomplish more in the high school season. He taught his body to move more freely, and he taught his mind to treat different positioning as feeling less vulnerable. While I'm not encouraging you to join an MMA sports club to improve your stand up (though it wouldn't hurt), the philosophy of trying other forms of "funny" to help stand up still applies. Too often we limit ourselves to just talking on stage, confining ourselves to only one artform. But if you are willing to get out of your comfort zone and find time in your day, today's ideas can really help your overall comedy game. So let's look at five other types of writing that can help your stand up become a better experience for you and the crowd. 

Journaling Random Thoughts 
Ever watch a comic make weird side remarks while on stage? Ever wonder why a comic feels the need to talk about things that feel out of place? Ever just think, "This comic needs therapy," not stand up. Well, you're not wrong. What you are witnessing is a suppressed individual. They are getting on stage and trauma dumping their lives on an undeserved crowd. Instead of writing well-crafted jokes or funny ideas, they are basically journaling on stage. So instead of wasting the crowd's time, just journal at home. Buy a notebook and write your frustrations, your fears, your sexual desires, etc. By doing this, you get it out of your system. You found a forum to platform the darker parts of your soul, and it will allow you to go on stage to focus on the funny and not the therapeutic. By purging your conscious and subconscious, you free your mind to be in the moment and not in your head.    
Later, go back and read your journal and see if there are ways to craft your thoughts into jokes.     

Writing a Sketch 
Sometimes your funny story or idea isn't really a stand up bit. It requires too many moving pieces, characters, and back story. That's why there are sketches. That story about visiting the doctor still not funny until the second half? Convert it into a five page sketch. For one thing, the sketch doesn't have to have a laugh every twenty seconds. You can create characters that allow different freedoms in response. You also learn to turn ideas and form them into structured jokes by reflecting on the story and not just the jokes. 

This works even if you just have a funny idea you are afraid to try on stage. Let's say you came up with a funny thought that your dog is trying to communicate with you. On stage, it might bomb because it feels forced, but in the format of a sketch, you can shape the story to fit the idea. Maybe you went on the date from hell. You find the crowd doesn't agree. It might be they need the visual, so you write a sketch to show how awful it was, as opposed to telling how awful it was. By doing this, you open your mind to unlimited jokes, and then you can look back on the sketch and find the funniest lines and see if you can adapt it back into stand up.     

Writing a Pilot or Screenplay 
Every comic should have a 22-30 page TV show pilot ready to show someone. In all reality, the real money in comedy is writing. Writing for a late night show, a TV show, a reality show, or even a web series. But you have to have examples and samples. Pilots are the first episode of a TV show. This show should platform your brand of comedy. Even if it's a dramedy like Ted Lasso or The Bear, it should be a way to express yourself and give yourself a break from daily life. If you don't know where to start, think about your life and give it a twist. Then when you pitch it, combine two similar shows so show producers or showrunners get the vibe.
Examples: 

• A school teacher finds out a beloved principal is wrongfully accused of murder and they have to solve the case. (Abbott Elementary meets Only Murderers in the Building)  
• A single mom challenges her kid's football coach and gets handed the whistle to coach the team. (Gilmore Girls meets Ted Lasso)  
• A marketing director is given a promotion to work with a influencer from hell. (Technically, everyone in marketing now)

Writing a feature length script is the next step. This is a 90-120 page monster, but you will have the opportunity to world build like never before. You also get to showcase your comedic talents through fully fleshed out stories and characters. The trick: Write what you know. Either from personal experience or general expertise. Anything from a small town love story to a big science fiction epic. Either way, a writing sample of this magnitude can turn you into a serious contender for other projects. In fact, Harry Potter director Chris Columbus wrote Gremlins as a spec script and it changed his life forever.       

Just for the record, Final Draft has a $10 app that can be the best way to start writing and saving scripts.   

Write a Joke on Facebook or X Daily       
I know you're busy. I get you might not have the time or energy to spend an hour or two a day writing. But you can write one joke a day on the platform you get the most traction on. Just one simple joke. The test is to see what jokes get the most likes and comments. On X I love following Drew Landry @MrDrewLandry and on Facebook I have 5,000 friends cracking jokes all the time.

Writing a joke a day does three things:
1. Forces you to write 
2. Helps you see what people like from you 
3. Proves you're still alive and not dead

If you cannot find time 5-7 days a week to write one joke about your day or something in the news, then are you really trying to be a comic? Because if you got a job writing for John Oliver's show, you'd be expected to write 50 jokes a day. So start the practice now. 

​Final Thoughts 
Writing is painful and tiresome sometimes. I've been writing professionally since 2008, and as an English major, I've written more papers on Hamlet and John Updike than I'd like to remember. But writing is therapeutic. I've had short correspondences with many famous writers. In the mid-2000's I used to write emails back and forth with Roger Ebert. George Will once told me to never stop writing. And I've written with some of television's biggest writers back in my Nickelodeon days. Taking on one of these writing exercises above will help expand your comedy mindset, and most importantly, once done, even if just a joke a day, will give you a feeling of accomplishment - and that's something no one can take away from you.        

​Starting out in comedy, there two comics inside you, the one you are and the one you want to be. The voice of your comedy heroes, and the voice inside your head. The things you want to say and the things you have the actual courage to say. The voice wanting to fight through, and the voice protecting you from getting into a fight. There's a clean and corporate voice you use at work, and then there is the dirty, sarcastic voice you use around your friends. While both voices are you, in some way this division can trample your creative spirit and stop you from committing to the bit. Somewhere in all that existential mess is your "comedic voice." Most people just call it your "voice," but I would encourage you to call it your "comedic voice," because there are many voices in your head, and to maximize each one within their proper platform will help you create a comedy career that makes money and gets you booked more often. 

What Do You Mean By "Comedic Voice?"
Most of the time, when comics tell you to find your voice, they don't realize something they already know: Your voice on stage that gets maximum laughter is not the same voice you might use in other areas of life. If you acted in the adult world like you did on stage, you'd probably get fired from your job or relationships. Like, you would literally get written notifications from your spouse that it's time to break up because you've become insufferable. In fact, ever look at the divorce rate of comics? Just a thought.  

In the adult world (I don't like the "real world" terminology) you have a customer service voice, a son or daughter voice, a parent voice, a voice you use when Amazon over charges you, and even a dating voice. Each is a voice, some would call it a persona, that you use as a way to communicate effectively. But imagine your spouse walked into the kitchen and you said, "What's the deal with you making a mess in the kitchen?" followed by "What's the deal with you riding my ass all week?" That type of comedic setup/punch would quickly become unwanted sarcasm, and potentially a night on the couch for someone. But on stage, it quickly gets you to the punchline.  

When I was a teacher, my voice was more carefree and inspirational, like Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting. When I was a wrestling coach later in the day, it was way more aggressive and borderline psychotic, like Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman. Same man. Different voices. Had I switched them, my students would have me fired, and my wrestlers would probably enjoy practice more but hate all the losing. Just for the record, my AP students and freshman English students regularly performed highest in the country in writing exams, and my wrestling teams won a lot of league titles. 
Comedy is no different. Once you tap into your "comedic voice," you will find your act flying higher than Seth Rogan at a pot shop. 

How Do I Find My Comedic Voice? 
This is where it gets tricky and sometimes disappointing. In my above examples, the key take-a-way was that each voice was received well by its audience, and I had to tap into different versions of myself to earn their respect and willingness to listen. The same goes for a comedian. Jerry Seinfeld said it best: "The audience trains you." Basically, your "comedic voice" is the voice people enjoy you using when you are on stage.

George Carlin talked politics. 
Chris Rock talks about male/female relationships. 
Carrot Top uses props. 

If Carrot top started rambling about the Clinton administration in the 1990's he might have written some great jokes, but the audience received him best as a prop comic, and now he is one of the wealthiest comics of all time. Rock could have put clock on a dildo and called it a "ticking cum bomb," but it would have been way out of place considering his racial and relationship jokes. And his buddies would have disowned him out of embarrassment. If Carlin had complained how women are gold diggers, it would have felt creepy and made him rather unlikable. Instead, Carlin trashed baby boomers for being greedy, and the crowd roared. 

Jim Gaffigan was once interviewed and said early in his career he had dick jokes and avocado jokes, and the audience enjoyed the "mundane" material more. Gaffigan has proven himself to be a very thoughtful and intelligent man in interviews since, but his material remains within the same wheelhouse where the audience enjoys his perspectives on food and theme parks.

Your "comedic voice," if desiring a profitable career, will come out of where the biggest laughs come from. It's not about becoming the comic you want to be, but finding what version of a comic others respond to. Now, your range of topics and attitudes can change. Louis CK went from observational comic to middle age crude philosopher. Taylor Tomlinson went from church girl to cynical millennial. And Jon Stewart had a very traditional  observational act before becoming the political voice of reason. For everyone, it's a journey, with trial and error. But the key is to find what works and double down on that.

Do you get laughs on being a stoner doofus? Are audience members coming up to you after saying your jokes on dating were relatable? What clips on IG Reels or Tik Tok are getting the most love? If you get out of your own way, you'll find where your voice shines bright.  

How Long Does It Take?
Everyone is different. When I started out, I thought I would be a Christian comic playing churches. At the time I was a educator at a Christian high school and college. I was teaching Children's Sunday School and Bible studies. But since church crowds like marriage and kid material, I wasn't their cup of tea. You think 50 year old couples are on Bumble? They didn't even know what Bumble was! Then when I took my Christian jokes to clubs, they got laughs, but the jokes never "popped" until I doubled down on embarrassing stories and jokes where I had a slight "George Constanza" vibe.

So my act became this theme: I win when I lose, and I lose when I win. What I've learned is as long this theme drives the joke, it will work 100% of the time - For Me. The rest of my jokes that don't follow this formula, they are hit and miss or fall flat. I'll give you a recent example. 

I recently wrote a bit how I stayed at my best friend's place at Christmas and how his 3 year old son kept asking when was I leaving. So I'm winning because I'm hanging with my best friend's family, but I'm losing because I'm getting heckled by his kid. Big laughs every time.

When I expanded the bit to talk about how his in-laws stay with them a few times a year, I joked I only want to date orphans to prevent that problem. I even wrote a tag about using the dating app Orphans Only. I thought that was hysterical. Crickets. Nothing. Why? Because it's not the "comedic voice" the audience enjoys. Maybe my friends who know me would laugh, but strangers just pulled back.  

It took me about three years to stumble unto this realization, but most comics will tell you that it takes at least 8-10 years to find a voice, and another 8-10 years to perfect that voice. Will there be hits and misses? Of course. But the faster you let the audience train you, you'll find that voice.    

Here's An Exercise to Try 
This is an exercise I use to give students at their next 5 minute set. Open with one joke about your identity. This can be a joke about your looks, sexual identity, political leanings, etc. Then rant for 2 minutes about a small problem in your life. Then do one minute on a big problem/issue in society - like the president, war, religion, Super Bowl observations, etc. This will allow you to see the shift in the audience. Watch what they're responding to. Then wrap it up with a final joke. That should be 4-5 minutes. But instead of focusing on perfecting the jokes, just gage the audience. Look into their eyes. Are they with you? If they are or aren't, take that away with you. Learn from what works and what doesn't that way.  

Then at the next 5 minute mic ONLY do jokes that match the one that worked. Then at the next 5 minute mic ONLY do jokes in the vein of those that didn't. Feel the energies. I mean it. Learning to understand audience energy is a faster way than just trying anything and seeing it it works.  

Final Thoughts                 
Your "comedic voice" is your comedic identity. You don't want finding it to take forever because you will become frustrated and bitter. You will also lose out on bigger gigs down the line. The process is hard, and you have to be vulnerable. If you are afraid to bomb, you'll never get there. But once you do, you'll have a "comedic voice" you can share with everyone. 

​Whether it's Jerry Seinfeld's "Ever notice how weird this little part life is?" voice, Amy Schumer's "Walk of Shame Cool Aunt Advice" voice, or Keven Hart's "Can you believe this is happening?" voice, every great comic has a unique "comedic voice," and once you tap into it, your writing, performing, and confidence will skyrocket.