Friday Free-For-All
It's time for another installment of Claire Zulkey's brainchild Funny Ha Ha at The Hideout. This one's next Wednesday, July 30th, and it's Ladies Night, featuring readings and performances from "Amy Shearn, author of "How Far is the Ocean from Here", Wendy McClure, author of "I'm Not the New Me", renowned blogger Mimi Smartypants, Megan Stielstra, 2nd Story reading series curator, Cameron Esposito, local beloved comedienne, Chicagoist and Time Out Chicago's Margaret Lyons, and filmmaker Steve Delahoyde (who will only show films featuring ladies)."
Speaking of Cameron Esposito, she has been tapped by Seth Thomas to take over producing duties at Fourth Fridays at Town Hall Pub (3340 N. Halsted) starting with tonight's 9:30 show, which features Adam Burke, Andrew Dewitt, Brendan McGowan, Beth Stelling, and Seth Thomas. Free to get in, $7 pitchers, lots of laid-back comedy camaraderie. If anyone goes and takes photos, send us links!
Dan Telfer on AST, encapsulating the stand-up advice he is frequently asked for:
"Since I took over producing Chicago Underground Comedy, I get emails every day from people who want advice on doing stand-up in town. So I thought I would post a thread here specifically dedicated to it...First of all, as many ASTers will tell you, some of the best general stand-up advice out there is on Paul F. Tompkins' MySpace page. Read it now!...Go up before you're ready. Fail. Learn. If you "wait until you are ready" you will never go up, and you will die and that will be it...Go to open mics. Get on stage. Sit through rough sets and stand through rough crowds. Lose your nerve. Nothing is an indicator you shouldn't do it. You'll be great. Not great? Get back onstage. Do something that challenges you. Do something that makes you focus on your material. Do something the audience wants to see. But don't sit offstage pondering what goes wrong. Get back onstage and do something else...But back to Paul F. Tompkins' advice on his MySpace... Advice is stupid. Who the fuck am I? You can't do things that I did. I did them already. You going out there and finding yourself and your own brand of confidence is more valuable than anything another comedian can "give" you. So just go out. All the time. And find out what it is you want to be doing by just doing something and keeping the good parts."
Comments
For everyone who is thinking it, I didn't post that first comment. I will say however anyone who wants to get started in stand-up should come to our open mic at the Chicago Center for the Performing Arts 777 N Green St on Wednesdays at 8:30. It's become a haven for new and first time comics for a reason, it's welcoming and has a real audience. I have also been performing for 10 years, producing for 7, and on the road for 5 years so I have a lot of insight to give and am always willing to help out new comics with advice.
Posted by: Dave Odd | July 26, 2008 5:30 AM
Yes, I deleted a few comments from this thread.
Please, people, put your name on your comments if you want them to be published.
If you're firm enough in your opinion, you won't have any problem attaching your name to it.
Posted by: Elizabeth McQuern | July 26, 2008 10:54 AM
I have no advice to give at all...How could I? All I can say is go and watch the amazing comedians in the chicago area at all venues,all open mics. No one show is better than another you can learn from them all but then again what do I know. right? The point is you will never know unless you try and sometimes you succeed sometimes you fail. Dont let anyone bring you down and keep your head up.
Posted by: matthew | July 26, 2008 5:39 PM
Or you can make some inflammatory comments about someones life work on a public forum that you know nothing about, and then when they question you, blow it off even though it's entirely obvious who you were referring to, and then close the thread so they can't even respond to your ridiculous reasoning.
I love Chicago comedy.
Posted by: Dave Odd | July 28, 2008 4:45 AM
Well, everyone, as the patron-saint of Stand-Up Comedy, my recommendation is that you wear sparkly vests and tell silly jokes as characters "Sasha and The Noob." Then start a game show, and get people to come to it, and tell jokes there. Then become really famous and have a TV show. Then, friends, and only then, are you ready to try stand-up comedy.
Posted by: Steve Gadlin | July 28, 2008 10:00 AM
umm...excuse me...but could more people focus on the fact that there are two, TWO, mentions of my name on this page? can we please steer the conversation toward my career? i'll give you a talking point to start: jean shorts...don't they look good on me even though i have a weird calf tan from passing out sierra mist on navy pier?
Posted by: cameron "frayed jeans shorts" esposito | July 28, 2008 1:19 PM
and does anyone know what happened to that kid from jerry mcguire? you know, "the human head weighs eight pounds" kid? he was hilarious. i'm thinking about booking him for an upcoming show...
Posted by: cameron "the producer" esposito | July 28, 2008 1:30 PM
Cameron,
Here is the page for Jonathan Lipnicki. He is doing quite well. As you can see, he has his own page and it has nothing to do with myspace.
http://www.jonathanlipnicki.com/
He still has the magic.
Posted by: Jeff Tobin | July 29, 2008 2:25 PM