The Benefits of a Mentor for Comedians

Series Summary

Some would say that improvisational comedy is the purest form of comedy. It is the art of feeding off of other comedians and making up jokes on the fly as a performance progresses. There are many different games and techniques that are associated with improv comedy and when these are applied in a performance setting they allow for not only character interaction but also audience interaction. A very good example of this is the show “Who’s Line Is It Anyway.” In this show the actors/ comedians are given assignments and must make up content as the game goes on. They use props, each other and even people in the crowd as proponents for laughs.

For any comedian, aspiring or professional, this video series is a must see. Actually for anyone at all, the value of these clips to help with social interaction is also astounding. There is more to improv than just games. We improvise on a daily basis in every situation. Improv is only a reaction to something. This series will teach you how to feed off of your surroundings and react in a positive and spontaneous way. You will also learn how to make better choices in your everyday experiences. So whether you are a comedian or not take a look at these videos. They may help you more than you think!

Video Transcript

"CHRIS MURPHY: Hi. On behalf of Expert Village, this is Chris Murphy. I'm here at the New York Comedy Club in New York City. Today we're going to talk about how to have a career in comedy. Okay. This is the comedy class; very important. I can't tell you how many times people make unnecessary mistakes because they haven't got a good coach to teach them something. Now having said this, you can't teach someone to be funny. That has to be born. I believe that you have to be born with a funny bone, but you can teach someone how to make this into a craft. Okay? Now in the beginning, many comics make a lot of mistakes on and off stage they never would have made if they had an experienced person coaching them through, telling them, "Hey, don't do that." Alright? Many people don't know what they're doing and so it's good to have a guy, kinda not judge them, but just tell them exactly step by step how they can get work and make their act better. So, a comedy class can be very valuable. Most important, after the class do open mics immediately. Do not lose momentum after the class."