2 posts tagged “stand up comedy”

So yesterday I posted about how, after two years of blissful couch-potatodom, I've decided to start performing, again.  It's funny, I know I was sober when I wrote that?  But it really seems like the kind of thing I would do to myself after four martinis and an Irish Carbomb.  I think I wanted to corner myself so I couldn't back down.  Now, friends will read this and if I don't follow through then they will never let me live it down. 

The actual performing is not a big issue.  Probably the greatest asset I have as performer is my complete lack of fear.  I'm not afraid to fail.  This is because I have nothing to prove to myself or anyone else.  I used to perform because I loved it.  I stopped because - for the first time in my life - it bored me.  I chose another career that was emotionally/financially fulfilling, and I thought, Wow, I can actually walk away.  And I did.  Haven't missed it one iota.

I suffer from chronic laziness, as I've mentioned before.  I could go the rest of my life with this affliction and not care.  This is because, with regard to my laziness, I also suffer from chronic apathy.  Friends and family, on occasion, have mentioned that they'd like to see me perform, again.  But until the last couple of months, I haven't seriously wanted to do it.  I guess I've been in an incubation period.  Gathering my energies and waiting until I was emotionally ready to plunge back into something that no sane person would ever want to do.  The real question now is, what exactly DO I want to do?  Or, I suppose, HOW do I want to do this?

I don't want to do this crap again unless I can do it on my own terms.  It'll be my money, and therefore my final say on all decisions.  I tend to trust my opinion more than anyone else's; and I'm a big believer in not having too many cooks in the kitchen.  The end goal is to produce a show that is theatrical in form, but has the interactive nature of stand-up.  I like the idea of basing the show around an exaggerated characterization of myself.  The faux "Ben Martini."  I picture a lounge singer trapped in the body of a lounge singer.  I want to make something that is akin to my blog posts, and directly tied to my main blog.  Only getting up and doing a scripted version of old blog posts seems boring.  I want to do the equivalent of "live" blogging.  I'm not exactly sure what that means yet.  But I'll know it when I see it.

So, what have I learned from this brainstorming session?  I want to do a show that consists of the following:

1) a character that is an extension of myself;

2) stand-up comedy, acting, audience interaction, (probably some lounge singing), blogging, and maybe some bingo;

3) a balance between scripted material and material that is created on the spot between myself and the audience.  Sometimes also referred to as "conversation."  

Well, that's a start anyway.  I think the next several months are going to be the initial period of putting all of this together.  Constant brainstorming and *gasp* going to see shows (I get bored REALLY quick with most Theatre) to make all of this gel.  By that time, I'd like to have an available venue to start getting back into the swing with stand-up.  Get my legs back, so to speak. 

I might need to develop a little material to launch from since I haven't done this in years.  When I used to do stand-up, I could never work from scripted material.  I would go in with some backup schtick, but mostly just to get the ball rolling.  I was always at my best just talking to people and playing off of them.  That's because I don't really like "jokes"; I don't like having to be "on" for people.  I love talking, I love conversation; especially when I'm the one doing most of the talking.  So stand-up for me is really just having a conversation with a room full of people.  (Maybe it's a desperate cry for temporary friendship that is mostly on my terms?  I'm ok with that.) 

My goal plan is to

A) continue developing concept through brainstorming and going to see solo performances;

B) track down some venues for working on my stand-up and commence to standing up;

C) develop my rapport with audiences so I can just "talk" to them instead of being their trained monkey. 

Wow, that was really productive.  And hard.  But it kept me away from the couch.  It also has made me late for my haircut appointment, so I need to go.  I'm liking this, though.  It feels like the wheels are moving, again.  I feel like Robert Redford from The Natural. 

I was thinking of subletting this space.  But instead, I'm going to start using it as a type of journal.  Excpet the kind that other people can read.  Making it less like a journal, actually, and more like a cry for help.

The more I think about it, it probably is a cry for help.  A cry of "for the love of God, someone, don't let me do this!"  After two years of hiatus from acting, I've decided to think about thinking about considering the possibility of a chance of starting back up again.

Wait!  Calm down!  Everyone!  Please!  Nothing is official yet.  Calm . . . calm . . . calm . . .

(the sound of crickets, and, in the distance, a falling tree)

It's going to be a long trek back.  I need a place to vent about the assholes I will inevitably encounter.  And also a place to vent about what an asshole these assholes will undoubtedly turn me into.  (Thanks in advance, assholes.)  As well as a place to brag about my successes, lie about my failures, and "workshop" my ideas.  Did I mention lying about my failures?  Oh, good.

A person I know (is that diplomatic enough?) wants to help me develop a one man show based on my blog.  I'm thinking of calling it www.benmartini.com.  Or maybe just calling it Ben Martini's Happy Hour with the web address underneath.  They've volunteered to help me produce, so we'll see what happens.  I trust their experience, as their a veteran of Second City and a comedy writer to boot.  The problem is that this potentially could take a lot of time.  I'm already behind on watching movies and television shows.  Not to mention, I just recently started to hit my stride with Karaoke Revolution and this "show" could really set me back.  I don't know.  I'm weary.  I'm confused.  I'm lazy and scared of doing anything productive.

My thought is to work up to something like this by doing stand up, again.  But where the hell in Chicago is there to do stand up?  This is Improv City, man.  Stand up is a lonely animal in this place.  A one man show (which is really just glorified stand up in this case) is a little scary.  It costs money to produce.  Critics come, and then they tell everyone how much you suck.  If it bombs, then I get to hear from Spacecase, "I guess we can't go on vacation this year because you blew your time and money SUCKING IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE CITY!"  (Just kidding, she would never say that.  My mother would say that.)  Yeah, I don't know.  This will take some serious consideration and drinking of martinis.

If, by the way, anyone happens to read this who knows of open venues in Chicago for testing material, I'd appreciate a tip off.  I am so out of the know.