TaPS MASTER CLASS RESOURCE PACK: Stand- Up Comedy Workbook by Sherri D Sutton
October 2011, London/New York
TaPS Master Class Resource Pack
Master Class: Stand up Comedy Workbook by Sherri D Sutton
“I donʼt make much distinction between being a stand-up comic and acting
Shakespeare-in fact, unless you are a good comedian, you are never going to be
able to play Hamlet properly.” Sir Ian McKellen
Tips, tricks, exercises, and advice from the masterʼs masters
Introduction
Can Stand- up comedy be taught? Well, the short answer to that is ʻyesʼ.
Delivery, timing, and being funny, now that is debatable. My road to learning the
craft has been a life-long process and I have turned to my favorite teachers of
this particular style of comedy for insights.
Comedy has numerous forms, but stand-up has its roots in Popular
Theatre, Music Hall, Vaudeville. It breaks the 4th Wall and usually means that the
comic reveals personal truths, observations, and incongruities.
It can take years to create one hour of material that is worthy to perform
for the masses. Comics usually work on developing 3-7 minutes of good material
and even that can take quite awhile. Writing becomes a critical element to how a
comic works. Performing material in front of different audiences is the only way
for learning and growth to occur. Overnight success takes years.
Stand up comedy workbook
Comedy worksheet by Judy Carter
Comedy rule of 3: Comedy uses things in 3 as a general rule
“Black people should get their social security check at 29. We die too soon.
High blood pressure, hypertension… NYPD.” Chris Rock
Itʼs a scary world out there, thereʼs global warming, terrorism, and
___________________________________________.
(This is where you would add a twist: the 3rd answer should take us on a turn- so
adding ʻthe war in Afghanistanʼ just sounds like more of the same. A reversal of
expectation is what can make the joke work).
You know your relationship is over when youʼre sleeping in separate bedrooms,
_______________________and_________________.
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About you
Current relationship status: __________________________________________.
This is a time in my life when Iʼm
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
Unique jobs within the last five
years?___________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
Characters in your life:
Who is making your life hard? And the stupid things they say:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
It was hard growing up with parents who
were____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
People have stupid stereotypes about me because I
look/am__________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
Daily workout
Just get your creative juices flowing by writing down daily events.
Day 1
Date:________________
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Best thing that happened today (factual):
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
Best thing that happened today (exaggerated):
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
Worst event or conflict of the day (factual):
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
Worst event or conflict of the day (exaggerated):
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
Event I want to note:
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
Stand- up
Comedy quick tips
1. Are you stuck for ideas? Try ranting.
Force yourself to rant for two minutes. Rant about topics that you feel
passionate about (remember passion does not mean ʻlikeʼ). Use crunchy
words: “I am frustrated by”… “I am stressed when”…
2. Be truthful and honest. Donʼt try to be funny. Your unique perception or
take on life is the key to good comedy. Base your comedy in your truth.
Make the material about you and your unique experiences. There are so
many comics out there and we need to stand out. Networks and sitcoms
are built around comicʼs personal truths.
3. Exaggerate (as long as itʼs based on the truth).
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ʻHer glasses were so thick you could see the past, present and future in
those things!ʼ If you are really angry, then it needs to go to the place where
you are about to explode or insanity.
4. Your flaws and imperfections are perfect for stand-up comedy…
Use them, address them, and get comfortable with yourself. Know thyself!
Celebrate your huge nose, your height, weight…remember if you have
something that the audience can see and do not address it, we are going
to be uncomfortable.
5. Bring the past into the present and use words that create visuals. You
didnʼt get pulled over by the police last year; make it happen to you on the
way to the club.
6. Find your attitude and commit to it. Attitude makes you memorable. I.e.
Sarcastic, ego-driven, underdog/poor me, victim, shy/reserved,
opinionated, observationalist. We all possess each of these attitudes, but
the key is to find the one attitude that works for you. Use one of these 4
attitude words from Judy Carter to help you slam your topic with attitude:
hard, weird, stupid, scary: to describe your topic.
7. Perception! Ask other people their perceptions about things to help you
get in touch with your perception. Understanding your perception and
others can help create a premise.
8. Understand that jokes have structure and beginning comics should use
the structure to help them find their comic voice.
•
Premise
To set up, introduce or inform the audience about the main subject
or topic. Thesis. “We are in need of more silence.” (Ellen)
•
Set-up
The story, what happened, your slant, or p.o.v. “I was at yoga the
other day, looking out of my third eye and it was amazing what
came out of the silence.”
•
Punch
The payoff, the one-line visual, the conclusion of the story. (Sings)
“Mama loves Clorox 2.”
The set-up doesnʼt need to be funny. In fact, serious truthful topics
can be in the set-up.
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•
Set-up
My doctor told me I have cancer and I need a hysterectomy. Why
do they have to remove a part of your body you need?
•
Punch
Why canʼt people get cancer of the fat? (as a Doctor) Julia, youʼve
got cancer of the fat. We are going to have to take it all out.
9. One- line visuals! Words that create a picture in the minds of your
audience. A great comic will draw you in so that the audience sees it
happen! “My wife picked up a stick and proceeded to beat the kids.”
Or: “My wife picked up a yard stick; she looked like a samurai warrior.”
Followed by an act-out.
10. Details are funny! Not rambling! Details. “I was at yoga, sitting in the lotus
position, looking out of my third eye.” Not: “ I was at yoga yesterday.”
11. Reversals! The unexpected is funny. Incongruity!
12. Avoid using “I or Me” in the set-up: You are assuming people care about
you and they donʼt. “I donʼt like dogs.” “Itʼs like when you try to open a cd
case.” Or engage the audience: “You ever tried to open a cellophane
wrapped cd case?” But you could say, “I canʼt open anything in
cellophane.” As long as you set yourself up to suffer…when speaking
about yourself it must be relatable and usually requires you to be a bit selfdeprecating.
13. Change negatives into positives: Avoid using the word “I hate” to describe
a person or a serious matter. Sarcasm can sometimes work: “I love
waking up to the sound of my mother screaming at me”. Audiences donʼt
care about happy insights or love. “I love my wife.” “I love bunnies.” We
usually want to see what frightens you, annoys you, freaks you out, etc.
14. Create conflict: Putting yourself in an unusual situation can do this.
Imagine seeing your dad leaving a nail salon. This creates an unusual set
of circumstances to build your set.
15. Keep it clean (Donʼt go ʻblueʼ!) It is too easy and audiences get tired of
hearing lots of profanity and potty humour. Networks want to see comicʼs
work clean and club managers know if you are using it as a crutch
because you really have nothing else to support your material.
16. Focus on emotions! Provoking emotions in the audience (anger, fear,
shock) is the key to connecting and forming a relationship with them.
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Reveal information about yourself so that the audience will feel and
emotionally connect with you.
17. Mix or twist: This is where the comic will connect two things that the
audience would not normally connect. Taking something personal and
making it universal or universal and making it personal.
18. Choose relatable topics!
19. Disenfranchised groups get to talk about other disenfranchised groups.
That is the rule! White, straight, men need to be very careful about talking
about other races, sexuality or genders. Even if you personally do not feel
empowered, you are a member of the most powerful group, so it makes
you look like a bully.
20. Use callbacks/reincorporation. Callbacks can be physical or verbal.
21. End your set with a blow line!
22. Use act-outs! Be physical!
23. Comedy happens in 3ʼs.
I The truth
Personal by Sandi Shore
In this section I donʼt want you to try and be funny…just write and try to write in
detail.
Taking stock in you
Make a list of all your physical and psychological traits (Remember: I am
not a therapist). Your flaws are ideal for stand up as long as you are comfortable
with yourself. Do not use the audience as a way for you to work out your junk.
Letʼs get personal: Write the truth. Donʼt try to be funny!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What is your view of current events, society, and politics?
What ticks you off about the world we live in?
A law or social rule that is ridiculous or unfair?
If you were in charge what would you do?
A law or society rule that is great.
Religious, Spiritual? Nothing…
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7. Parents…alcoholic, shopaholic, depression, divorce, perfect
8. In love, like, hate, divorced, married, single,
9. Sexuality- bi, tri, straight, dabbled, gay, pansexual, take what u can
get, given up?
We will spend quite a bit of time working on our unique truth and point of view!
Status & peer pressure
Are you popular or unpopular around your peers? Does this cause problems or a
conflict? Give example to support answer.
What do your peers think of you?
If your pet could talk, what would it say about you?
What happened last time you went to a party or social event? Did you have fun
or were you bored? Did anything annoy you?
Childhood
Depict where you were born in detail.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
What was your favorite game as a child?
Describe worst thing (experience) youʼve ever had with your mom?
Describe worst experience youʼve ever had with your dad?
Best thing mom/dad ever did for you?
3 conflicts in your family
What are your siblings like?
How would your friend describe your family?
Fears, phobias, nightmares & pet peeves
Name 3 pet peeves
What do you daydream about?
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Do you have a phobia (s)? What would it say if it could talk?
Name your 3 greatest fears
Why do you fear them?
How do you handle confrontation?
What is the last confrontation you had?
Write down what you really wanted to say
What was your worst nightmare and what would you do if you dreamed it again?
What are your sleeping habits?
When you look in the mirror after you wake up, what do you see?
School or job
If you didnʼt have to go to school, how would you spend your time? Why? Be
specific?
What is the best thing that has happened to you at school?
Describe a conflict you are having at school/work?
Describe a teacher/worker. The way they talk, an attitude or even what they wear
that bothers you.
Describe school lunch.
Are you part of a clique?
What is the one rule in school you would change? What would happen?
Possible topics
Siblings
School Lunch
Video Games
Peer Pressure
Fashion
Parents
Sports
The Boy Scouts/ The Girl Scouts
Tv
Music/Bands
Tests
Riding The Bus
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Divorce
Marriage
Parents Dating
Blended Families
Curfews
On-Line
Spend The Night
Dating
Summer Camp
School
Doctors
Commercials
Sexuality
Grandparents
Religion
Toys: IPods, Gameboys, Laptops
ADD or ADHD
Hairstyles
Politics
Current Events
Adoption
Being Sick
Add 5 topics to this list:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
*Pick topics that you feel passionate about (remember passion does not mean
“like” it usually means things that make you angry, worry you, frighten you, find
strange, find stupid or difficult).
*Creating 2 minutes of funny is better than 10 minutes of so-so funny.
The formula for funny by Judy Carter
Attitude + topic + premise + act out + mix + act- out
Attitude
Topic
Premise
= the set up (can be serious)
Act out
Mix
Act out (perhaps) = the punch-line or pay off (the funny and the money)
Another Mix (perhaps)
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Commit to your chosen attitude! Slam the topic with attitude!
Attitude and topic
Attitude words: hard, weird, scary, and stupid!
Pick an attitude to go with your topic. Choose one out of the four attitude words.
Your topic is important but needs to have relatability to the target
audience. Get the general details about the topic and then work to the specific
because comedy is in the details.
Premise
Finding your premise and making sure it answers the why of the chosen
attitude: like a thesis statement. Why is the topic hard, weird, scary or stupid?
Attitude and premise work together.
A premise is your point of view, your opinion, a slant, take of hit or spin,
your unique perception.
A good premise is more insightful than funny. It is specific about what
exactly is weird, hard, scary or stupid. Avoid Hack Material!
Premise exercise
Relationships are hard because why???
Relationships are scary because why???
Relationships are weird …
Relationships are stupid…
Go to your topic and attitude. Create a premise that answers the why of the
attitude.
Another premise exercise
Donʼt try to be funny!
TOPIC: _______________Drugs________________
Friendʼs view:
Mumʼs view:
Otherʼs view:
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Your view:
Attitude:
What attitude word works best with your premise? Hard, weird, scary or stupid?
Act out
Physically and/or vocally becoming the person(s), animals, plants, objects, God,
the Devil, your mum, celebrities, etc. that you used in your set-up.
Perform what you are talking about.
Find the tiniest details. Nobody knows your mumʼs voice, so just create a voice
but if you are doing an impersonation it better be great!
Act out exercise
What if animals had the same fears as humans?
Different generations are scared about different things.
When people travel they become scared of the stupidest things.
Act out mistakes: Turns into a story, becomes a dialogue back and forth, instead
of performing what you described.
Mix
Where the comic connects 2 elements that people would not associate. It
is how the comic connects the two that creates laughter. Often the comic uses
ʻWhat ifʼ Or: ʻCan you imagineʼ Or: ʻNext thing you knowʼ. Using those sentences
lets the audience know that you are going to take them somewhere unexpected.
When writing mixes you can take your joke from the personal to the universal or
vice versa.
One line visual helps with an act out and/or helps to create a mix.
Painting a picture with words. Donʼt try to be funny: “My wife picked up a stick
and beat the kids…” (Itʼs a one line visual but not strong) What size stick? What
did she look like?
Bill Cosby: “My wife picked up a yard stick (beat and strike pose) she looked like
a samurai warrior!”
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Gilson Luban: “Racism isnʼt over until licorice tastes better. Red candy tastes
like cherry, green candy tastes like apple, yellow tastes like lemon. Whatʼs up
with black candy? Black candy tastes like molasses and struggle. It makes you
want to fight. Whatʼs in it? Hate and sugar?”
Sherri D. Sutton: “Itʼs hard to come out of that closet. I was so deep in that
wardrobe, I was having tea and Turkish delight with a lion and a witch.”
The mix is taking racism and comparing it to candy. The mix in my joke is
taking homosexuality and comparing it to C.S Lewis. Also, itʼs an example of
taking the personal and making it universal.
“Kids are losing the ability to write, especially teenage girls. Everything is LOL.
And you know they are not laughing out loud when they text crap. (Act out
teenage girl texting) Parents divorcing (laugh)”….”threw up my cracker at lunch
(laugh)”….”pregnant…(laugh to cry). It was only about 60 years ago that a 13year-old girl, Anne Frank, wrote the most beautiful diary about her life in a
concentration camp. And Iʼm glad that the technology we have now wasnʼt
around then. Cause you know Anne would have had a blog. (This is the mix and
an act- out)… Dear blog, Naziʼs suck! LOL. Hitler is an A-hole. W.T.F.? But if she
did have the technology, she could have sent a message out to everyone to warn
us so maybe we could of acted a lot sooner (act out)…Dear world, Auschwitz:
not a summer camp. LOL” (The LOL is a call back).
In your act-out whatever character you create, a mix would take that character
and put them in an unexpected situation or place. For example:
•
•
Motivational speaker or Cheerleader at a funeral
A therapist or magician that canʼt keep a secret
Comedy writing exercise
Find humour in nouns (these are not jokes)
Adapted from ʻThe Complete Idiotʼs Guide to Comedy Writingʼ by James
Mendrinos, pp. 23-24
Goal
This exercise will help you to see the world in a funnier way.
Procedure
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1. Get a newspaper, a book, a dictionary, a magazine, or any other kind of
publication.
2. Open it at random points and start to list the nouns you find. Start small
with a list of twelve to twenty nouns. Put them in the first column.
3. In the second column, write down whatʼs funny about each of the nouns. If
you canʼt think of something right away, keep looking until you find
something funny about it.
Example:
1
2
3
Nouns
Nouns
Dance
clubs
Computers
Lawns
Whatʼs funny about it?
Most people in them canʼt dance.
I spent $2,000 to get spam.
I only spend time on my lawn when I mow it.
Whatʼs funny about it?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
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Perception exercise
Helps develop Premise. You will be given a one-word topic and you will write
down your perception of this word in a sentence. Then ask a couple of friends
(one your age and an adult) and have them answer in one word or a short
sentence. This is to help you get in touch with your unique perception and there
is no right or wrong.
Topic: Technology
You______________________________________________________
Friend 1 ________________________________________________
Friend 2_________________________________________________
Topic: Dancing
You______________________________________________________
Friend 1_________________________________________________
Friend 2_________________________________________________
Topic: Sports
You______________________________________________________
Friend 1_________________________________________________
Friend 2_________________________________________________
Topic: Summer Camp
You______________________________________________________
Friend 1_________________________________________________
Friend 2_________________________________________________
Topic: Math
You______________________________________________________
Friend 1_________________________________________________
Friend 2_________________________________________________
Topic: Divorce
You______________________________________________________
Friend 1_________________________________________________
Friend 2_________________________________________________
II Finding your attitude and committing
•
•
Attitude makes you memorable.
Be consistent in attitude and your appearance should reflect your comic
voice.
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•
•
Find your truthful attitude.
Anyone can tell a joke but it is the comic with the attitude, or strong
persona that we remember and adore.
Pick one of these four attitude words to connect to your topic:
Hard, scary, stupid, weird
The attitude must work with the premise; you must be able to answer why the
topic is hard, weird, scary or stupid. Work with a partner on your topic and
attitude and make sure your premise answers the attitude word. If the topic is
Macdonaldʼs and the attitude is weird “Macdonaldʼs is weird.” Your next response
is to answer why Macdonaldʼs is weird. Maybe you need to change your attitude
word.
Writing with attitude
Go back to the personal inventory worksheet and choose three topics that you
would like to explore after listing your topics, take the corresponding questions
and answers and rewrite each paragraph so that it reflects your chosen attitude.
1.
2.
3.
Your chosen attitude: (hard, scary, weird, stupid)______________________
Topic 1______________________________________________________
Your new answer with your chosen attitude (premise):
Your chosen attitude: _______________________________________
Topic 2 ______________________________________________________
Your new answer with your chosen attitude (premise):
Your chosen attitude____________________________________________
Topic 3_______________________________________________________
Your new answer with your chosen attitude (premise):
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C
A
YOUR PERSONAL
WORLD TOPICS
RELATABLE
TOPICS
B
THE WORLD’S
TOPICS
GENERAL ABOUT TOPIC
SPECIFIC ABOUT TOPIC
S
Put your topic in the centre and then break down every detail of the topic
(which just creates makes more topics)
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Main Idea
MIX
Comparison Chart
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Feature Topic
X: topic
Y: topic
1.
2.
3.
III. Tips of writing by Sandi Shore
Tip 1: Bring the past into the present
Donʼt talk about something that happened last week, make it last night, or
on your way to school, or ask the audience. On my way to work this
morning I saw a dog driving a car. Or ask the audience, “Did you guys see
that dog driving a car this morning?” The audience is more engaged if they
feel the experience is recent.
Tip 2: Exaggerate
Base the story in truth but it makes it more interesting then do it! ʻA toilet
that overflowed became the mighty Mississippi river.ʼ
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Tip 3: Add details
Be explicit in your description. ʻYour beds became a raft.ʼ
Tip 4: Take a left turn
Surprise the audience by ending your story in an unexpected way (go
back to your one-line visuals and see if you can create an unexpected
one-line visual). ʻYou offered up your house as a set for BIG RIVER and
landed the role of Tom Sawyer.ʼ
Tip 5: Make it personal
Try changing the ʻyouʼ to ʻIʼ in your set- if it will work. Example, “Itʼs like
when you try to open a cellophane wrapped cassette tape.” Change it to,
“I canʼt open anything wrapped in cellophane.” But you can try the, “Have
you guys ever tried to open a cellophane wrapped cassette tape?”
Tip 6: Change the negatives into positives
Try changing words like ʻI hateʼ to ʻI LOOOOOOVEʼ (sarcastically). It
makes it lighter. Never use the word ʻhateʼ to describe a person or a
serious matter. Itʼs ok to use it for pet peeves, like wet hands (one of my
pet peeves is being touched with wet hands).
Tip 7: Create conflict
Putting yourself in unusual situations can do this. Imagine seeing your
dad leaving a nail salon. Why is he in that situation? This creates an
unusual set of circumstances to build your set. Go back to part I and look
at your own different personalities.
Tip 8: Keep it clean
It is the easiest and audiences get TIRED of hearing lots of profanity and
oozing body parts. It doesnʼt require creativity and if you want
opportunities to perform, then club managers donʼt really like it. But
sometimes using a sound effect or not saying the word can make people
really laugh.
Tip 9: Focus on emotions
Think about this: Everything we do is emotionally based; provoking
emotions in the audience (anger, fear, shock) is the key to connecting and
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forming a relationship with them. Reveal information about yourself so
that the audience will feel and emotional tie with you.
IIII. You are now going to write your set!
Let me add that this is also the challenging part- donʼt quit!
We will focus on your topics and attitude from Part I and II, organizing material,
and of course more writing and editing your set. You will learn to write a ʻone line
visual.ʼ
•
•
•
1-2-3-4 is an exercise in editing your paragraphs from Part I and II into 3
sentence stories with a beginning, middle and end and the 4th sentence is
where you try to find the mix.
Applying the ʻone line visualʼ in your set.
You will organize your topics into material.
1-2-3-4 sentence exercise
Take a paragraph from Part I or II and condense it to four sentences. Get
to the point! When you take a topic from Part I or II, study it and ask:
•
•
•
How much of what I wrote is rambling?
What is the point I want to make? Your unique POV, insight, slant
What are the highlights and details of the topic?
1. The first sentence is where you will introduce your topic and attitude.
2. Second sentence is where you will inform the audience about your point of
view by answering the attitude word. This is your premise.
3. Third part is the Act Out
4. Forth part is the Mix
Learning to edit takes practice, but if you do everyday, yes everyday, then it
will be like breathing. Later we will expand and embellish your story and also try
out different delivery styles.
One-line visuals
They are words that create a picture in the minds of your audience. A
great comic will draw you in so that the audience ʻseesʼ it happen because of the
one-line visual.
Maybe one of your special skills may help or work to create a one-line visual.
You have to get rid of the fat in your writing. After you write your 3 sentence
story, explore several different endings to find out which one has the best impact.
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Try it out in a tape recorder and then play it back. Once you decide on your
sentence, you will be ready to try out your material. Ask these two questions:
•
•
Is my punch line a one-line visual?
Did I bring my situation into the present?
One-line visual exercise
The one-line visual is the most important concept to grasp. Donʼt try to be
funny, be funny. Donʼt force it- rewrite it. Learn how to paint a picture with words,
example from Bill Cosby: what if he would have just said, “My wife picked up a
stick and proceeded to beat the kids.” It is a one-line visual but it is not
strong…what size is the stick, what did she look like? So he said, “My wife picked
up a yard stick (beat) she looked like a samurai warrior!” He also struck a
physical pose to help with painting the picture.
In this next exercise, you will get three statements that donʼt create a
picture. Turn the statements around so that a picture is created in your mind (the
sentences are random and do not ʻconnectʼ, so donʼt try and make them work
together).
Try some:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Her head was large
My car wouldnʼt start
His bank statement
Their retirement plan
The toilet overflowed
I went for a long walk
Everything looks different to a (man, child, old people,)
My dog just stares at me
1._______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
2._______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
3._______________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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Resources
Books
ʻThe Comedy Bibleʼ by Judy Carter
ʻSecrets to Stand- Up Successʼ
ʻStep by Step Stand- Up Comedyʼ by Greg Dean
ʻThe Art of Stand- Up Comedyʼ by Franklyn Ajaye
ʻBorn Standing Upʼ by Steve Martin
Podcasts
The Nerdist
WTF by Marc Maron
The Apiary
Rooftop Comedy
Jimmy Doreʼs Comedy and Everything Else
Blog
John Rogerʼs Kung Fu Monkey
The Laugh Button
Dead-Frog
Online
www.sheckymagazine.com
effinfunny.com
www.ovguide.com
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Practitionerʼs pathway
When I was four years old, I created my first comedy routine…I stripped
naked for my first Baptist Church to the tune of “Let Me Entertain You.” The
reviews were mixed-mostly shock but there was laughter. I loved it; however I
had no idea how to make it happen over and over again.
Stand- up comedy Workbook
© Sherri D Sutton October 2011, London/New York
22
TaPS Master Class Resource Pack
When I was 12, I knew I wanted to be a stand-up comic, but had no idea
how to make that happen. How do I take my sense of humour and translate what
works with my friends to the stage? I watched and bought a lot of stand-up
comedy albums (I am guessing you have no idea what albums are, but letʼs just
say that they donʼt travel well).
It took quite some time for me to gather the courage to pursue stand-up as
a career, but a thirty-eight years of age, I sold everything but my dignity and my
dog in a yard sale, and moved to New York City where I would begin an amazing,
disappointing, rewarding, frustrating, exciting journey into the world of stand- up
comedy.
I signed up for classes where I learned about the craft comedy. It makes
all the difference in knowing how jokes are structured and what techniques and
exercises can help create material.
I have two critically acclaimed one-woman shows: ʻDon't Make Fun of
Jesusʼ and ʻTaking Out the White Trashʼ that have toured all over the world. My
style is a mixture of stand- up/storytelling, and theatre of confession. Iʼve opened
for Roseanne Barr, Kevin Hart, and was a featured TV guest at the Winnipeg
Comedy Festival. Iʼve performed in some of the best clubs in NYC and LA, but
my favourite gigs have been performing for the ISTA students in Malaysia and
Jakarta!
To learn more about me, please visit me at sherridsutton.com.
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Stand- up comedy Workbook
© Sherri D Sutton October 2011, London/New York
23