Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Stage Fright....


I was at The Comedy Store getting ready for my standup set. I was beyond nervous, I had flop sweats so bad I soaked my jacket. I knew I wasn't prepared but it was too late to back out.  With my set list in hand and a water bottle in the other I took the stage.  I managed to bungle every joke I had written it front of a large crowd, which included some friends. I tried everything I could think of to elicit laughs. Even my old blue material didn't help. They smelled the fear and needless to say I bombed. Afterwards, people felt so sorry for me that one customer offered to buy me a drink, another said he wanted to try standup because he knew he could at least be better than me. My friends said I had real stage presence; which was kind because I didn't.

I learned more in bombing that night which lead me to have a major transformation in my standup comedy career.
Judy Carter says be prepared to ease nerves and she couldn't be more right. I ran my material at any open mic that would let me go up. Until I knew my jazz backwards.

But here's that most important thing that changed.
I gave up my need to be funny, impress and be a "standup". Which allowed me to have fun on stage.
I continue to rehearse material in preparation and with that I say before I go up..."I release and destroy my need to be funny, and impress these people, be a standup, I'll just take it from where I am and have FUN!"
After auditioning, I was recently put on the books as a regular at FLAPPERS!


For more information on Stage Fright see the teachings of these folks....
jackplotnick.com
judycarter.com

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