I remember the first comedy open mic that I ever did. I had typed out my jokes, printed them out, and was prepared to read them in front of a room of strangers. Being nervous and reading meant that my set was BAD. My voice was flat, my hands were shaky, and I was in a room full of jaded comics, who had no interest in supporting my first timer’s journey.
Worse, instead of just letting me bomb and move on, a Guy Fieri-looking comic went on after me and said, “Isn’t it ironic that the Asian girl was boring and reading from a printed piece of paper, like a little robot?” No one laughed at his dumb racist joke, but I felt humiliated.
Thankfully I didn’t give up standup after that night, but my bad open mic experience is actually common for a lot of aspiring comedians, many of whom DON’T keep going, not knowing that comedy doesn’t have to be brutal and suck.
At Astronaut City, it was important for me to create a supportive environment for comedy. I wanted comics to be able to showcase their talent, network, and grow in their careers. While there are other spots in the Los Angeles comedy scene that share my vision, many do not… which is why I created this handy guide for newbies who want to try comedy but also STAY in comedy.
1. Take a class
I got my standup start at Flappers University in Burbank, and I still love Flappers the comedy club and their comedy school. There, I learned joke structure, how to create a 5 minute set, how to overcome stage fright, and how to navigate the Los Angeles comedy scene as a beginner.
If you’re looking for more standup classes, I also highly recommend Cool Beans at the Ice House, Ahmed Bharoocha, Renee Percy, Leslie Wolf, and Tao Comedy Studio.
Besides learning the craft, classes are a great way to meet other comedians who are more than likely supportive and who you can go do comedy things together. For those who poo-poo classes, I think they’re full of crap cuz I know many high level comedians who have started with classes or a coach.
2. Perform as often as possible but be choosy on where you perform
Standup is different from just being funny offstage because you have to PERFORM. If you write a funny joke but never perform it on stage, you’re a joke writer, but not a standup. If you’re funny to your coworkers, will you have that same response on a stage? You won’t know until you get up there under the bright lights and talk into the mic.
To get good at standup, there. is no shortcut besides performing as much as possible. But like I mentioned earlier, not all mics are good. In fact, most mics are awful. Best case for a bad mic is a room full of comics immersed in their own material, not listening to you and off writing in their notebooks. But the worst open mics are actually TERRIFYING. Those mics are notorious for unhinged male comics who tell rape jokes with glee, bullies, racists, transphobes, incels, and every other type of person you would not want to be alone with or listen to for an extended period of time.
At Astronaut City, we offer open mics, and we try our best to make them a good time, but even we’ve had crazy nights. So when you’re choosing where to practice your reps or what shows to perform at, consider the mic’s reputation and who congregates there. You do not have to practice in terrible environments to work on your craft.
3. Make friends but be choosy on who you associate with
When you’re starting out, you will most likely spend most of your time with other newbies. Try to find people who are excited about the craft but not competitive where they try to sabotage you (Yes, some people do backstab for the low stakes of gigs that pay in drink tickets)
In comedy, you may also end up meeting comics at a higher level than you. Most of them are nice, but there are also predators, bringer producers, and crazies. You can be civil, but if someone makes you uncomfortable, trust your gut and keep your distance. If you hear rumors that someone is violent , unhinged, or a sexual predator, don’t be foolish enough to think you’ll escape being their next victim. You don’t have to associate with people like that, and associating after knowing their reputation is a CHOICE.
4. Write every day
Standup comedy is about JOKES. The best writers who can perform are the comics who rise to the top. There is no shortcut to having great jokes. You need to be constantly writing, coming up with new premises, workshopping your punchlines, and making sure your sets are unique.
I’d recommend you write at least an hour a day and then workshop your material at an open mic, with a friend, at a class, or in a writers group.
5. Stay focused and positive
Your goal with standup should be to get better and better at standup. If your goal is to be rich and famous, quit now. You’re more likely to find success doing a reality show than spending years of your life doing open mics and bar shows before you get to a headliner status. And even those at headliner status are often middle aged, living with roommates, and making 3-5 figures a year.
If you remember your goal is the craft, it’s easier to focus and stay positive because working on your craft is something you can control. Standup is an art form, and if you work on your art in a supportive environment with supportive people, then you will enjoy the process, which is the only thing that should matter.
If you still dream about getting rich and famous from standup, go to therapy and then talk about your therapist in your standup.
Good luck.
