Safety First

Tags: amateur comedians, Saskatoon, Saskatoon comedians, stand-up comedy, The Stand-Up Diaries, trevor dean, Trevor Dean comedian, writing

My physiotherapist told me earlier today that the ailments in my knee and back would be less painful if I got more sleep.  He said that when you get your optimum sleep of eight hours, it helps the body repair itself during rest.  It’s kind of hard to get a decent nights sleep with so much going on to try and figure out.

First, I’ve started the process of rehearsing for the Laugh Shop shows at the end of April.  In my 30 minutes of material, I have about eight pages of brand new material, with about half of that being tested on stage once.  After the eight pages I will probably need roughly five minutes of additional material.  The good thing is that I have more than enough material to draw from for those five minutes.  So far, I have two pages down cold, so six more to go!

It was recommended to me that I break up the material into five minute chunks.  What I’m trying to do is focus instead on the central theme of the material (subject matter) and remember the jokes within that subject.  I suppose that’s the same as breaking it into five minute segments, but my explanation sounds more cooler.

It’s going to be a difficult task for me to do a half hour, and I don’t say that because I’m worried about my ability to get laughs over 30 minutes worth of stage time.  It’s going to be a challenge for me to remember everything I want to talk about while being able to deliver it in an effortless manner.  Some guys will have cheat sheets on stage with them, or they will go to their phone for their set list, or like I mentioned before how some will have their set list written out on a sheet of paper that they put with their drink.  Whenever they go for a drink, it’s a perfect time to remind them of what they need to do.  I’m not knocking anyone who does that, as I’ve done that a few times myself.

But this is a professional comedy club.  Everyone up there is supposed to give the impression that they are professionals in the way they deliver the material.  It’s easy to see oneself as a professional in a sense, when you are surrounded by other professional comics in a professional setting where the attitudes are professional as well. My material has to have a logical sequence of order, easy to follow and it has to flow together.  Over 30 minutes of stage time it’s important to build a story or a central theme with mini stories to tie it all together and bring it back to the main theme of your set.  As of right now, I have no idea how that will be possible, but the practice has started.

I go two hours a night, every night.  The first hour is spent on strictly the opening and crowd work.  There were a few missed opportunities in the last shows I did at the Laugh Shop where I could have taken advantage of the situation better.  Had I been more relaxed the ad-lib skills and ability to think on my feet would have come into play. If I am relaxed it will allow me to recognize the situations easier where I can have a quick comeback or a funny quip to make.

Now, I was supposed to be attending an open mic tonight.  I was supposed to be, but things didn’t quite work out that way.

I ran into a local comic a couple nights ago and was invited by him to catch his headlining set at an open mic last night.  The same open mic shows that I was told I could be a part of.  Well, when the one who runs the Saskatoon shows was told that I would be in attendance and probably doing a set, let’s just say it didn’t go over well.  Given the fact that I was threatened of being put in the hospital once before, it made sense for me to stay home and not take away from my friends night.  Besides that, I am 41 years old going on 42 at the end of May.  The last time I dealt with people who said one thing and did another on a regular basis was in high school.  I don’t need the drama or to worry about my physical well being when I am making huge strides with the help of my comedy coach.

I wouldn’t be scared going up on stage at an open mic in the city again.  I know my material works so I really have nothing to fear.  Over the coming weeks I will get back with the Saskatoon comedy scene, albeit on a limited basis.

What makes me proud of my growth is that I was able to grow without being a part of the Saskatoon comedy scene for an extended period of time.  I am forever indebted to the Regina comedy scene for their open invites and willingness to have me share the comedy stage with them.  For this I am forever grateful.

Now, if you will excuse me, it’s time to rehearse.

Be blessed!