She Shed Comedy: Empowering Your Comedy Career

Have you ever been out to dinner with a group of friends and after a bunch of chit chat the table falls to a dead silence…

And as that awkward feeling starts creeping up your shoulders someone starts babbling again and relief washes over you?

What is it about silence that gets to people?

I think that we are so used to being bombarded by sound, that when silence arrives, it's so unfamiliar that we have an unconscious need to fill it back up.

Why?

Because nature abhors a vacuum.

We have an unconscious need to fill empty space.

What does this have to do with comedy?

Well, It's been said that "music happens in the silence between the notes".

This is also true for comedy.

Comedy happens in the pause.

And if we look at our job as being a conductor on stage, then we get to create magic between ourselves and the audience

And if you can master this one thing, it will make you a better comic in no time.

In fact, if you're new and you build this in to your set straight from the gate, you'll give off the essence of being a pro.

That's how powerful this is.

Today, we're joined by Bobbie Oliver, author of The Tao of Comedy – Embrace The Pause

And it was in her book, that I first read about the importance of pausing.

You'll hear first hand how pausing on and offstage will help you build confidence and a commanding stage presence.

-If you are going to do this, just decide to be a professional. Learn some skills; give it some time. It's not going to be easy; set proper expectations, go out there and give it your best and just keep doing it.- 'Go Pro' by Eric Worre.

For some people, being professional is synonymous with having years of experience on stage. For others, it could be the aura you emit, the way you carry yourself, what style you show up with, your outfit, and a host of others.

Robin Williams said, "Comedy is the only art form that you can use everything you know."

In this episode, Linda Schwartz takes us through a significant experience in network marketing that changed her mindset and set her on the path to going pro. She shares tips to help set you on your journey to becoming a professional comic.

You can be perceived as a professional during your first performance! Tune in to this episode as Linda talks about how you can stack the deck in your favor even if you haven't stepped foot on stage.

You might want to grab a book and pen for this!

Topics discussed in this episode.

1:09 Lessons from Network Marketing Companies.

6:42 What it means to be a professional comedian.

7:44 Set a standard of excellence.

8:18 Respect people's time always.

10:25 Learn a skill. Talent doesn't guarantee success.

12:50 Treat people nicely.

14:35 Tips on how to exude professionalism as a newbie comedian.

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Connect with Linda Schwartz:

Standup comedy is a personal development course in action, according to our host, Linda Schwartz. Her comedy is a work in progress, as is she, but she's sharing her (cringeworthy) experiences to help you improve, too.

On the last episode of She Shed Comedy, we dissected Linda's tight five from her 2022 Pretty Funny Women show. Today, we're taking a look at her seven-minute set, so get ready for some laughs and a few lessons!

Perhaps one of the most important things to remember about crafting a set is that the time of a set isn't how much time you actually have. This is comedy, after all, so you'll need to pause to leave room for laughs.

From "trimming the fat" to adding new jokes, Linda was able to achieve more cohesion and expand her set from five minutes to seven minutes. She'll explain how she did it by deconstructing the changes she made, and why she made them.

Linda also discusses her favorite way to end a set, listening to the audience, and her fears sharing these sets. Hear all this and more on this episode!

Topics discussed in this episode:

• Linda's tight five from the Pretty Funny Women show

• Linda's seven-minute set expanded from the tight five

• Linda explains what changes were made and why

• The new jokes added to the seven-minute set

• Paying attention to where people are laughing

• Following the line of logic

• Ending your set with a callback

• The importance of not rushing your set

• Sets are a work in progress

• Reflecting on a Jim Carrey quote

• Linda's self-care prompt, personal prompt, and comedy prompt for the week

Every comic starts out with a five-minute set or what the industry refers to as a 'tight five'. This tight five will evolve over time and eventually expand into a seven-minute set, then a 15-minute set, then a 45-minute set, and so on.

Since Linda started performing, her set has evolved constantly, with minor tweaks from show to show. Today, we deconstruct her tight five and take a look at how she put her set together to get it as tight and structurally cohesive as possible.

This episode offers insight into the methodology behind crafting a set using Linda's performance from the Pretty Funny Women show in May 2022 as an example. We take a look at the essential elements of this tight five, from setups to callbacks, and share some tips for cutting the fat (and keeping the laughs coming!)

If you're in your head, you're not connecting with your audience. That's why we want to help you get so comfortable with preparation, precision, and timing that you don't even have to think about it in the moment. Tune in today for all this and more!

Topics discussed in this episode:

• A cringe-worthy bombing experience (and what you can learn from it)

• The methodology and intention that goes into crafting a set

• Linda's tight five from the Pretty Funny Women show in May 2022

• Benefits of recording your live performances

• An understanding of word economy and sticky phrases

• Tips for getting a laugh within the first three seconds

• Creative context, setups, educational bits, and the rule of three

• Why you should keep a running tab of funny observations

• Deconstructing the set piece and the callback

• How to play on the assumptions of your audience

• A reminder that every set is a work in progress

• Giving your audience permission to laugh

• Your 2-in-1 self-care and personal development prompt

• This week's recommended comedy prompt on Netflix