"A ticket for the 6pm Open Mic, please"
This weekend I witnessed my first live standup comedy show ever. Cherry on top? It was an open mic.
An open mic is a live show where amateurs are given a stage to showcase and polish their work and professionals are trying out new content.This is raw comedy at its finest.
During the 2 hour duration, as 12 comedians took their turns to try make their audience laugh and it became evident to me that -
Stand up comedy is the hardest type of public speaking.
You're putting yourself out there on the stage under the spotlight while the audience looks like you owe them laughs. Not just one but many. They are sometimes forgiving, but usually would be pissed if you don't make them cry enough tears of joy. (Bonus points for making them cry out of regret to be there in the first place)
The pressure is immense because the feedback is immediate.
Usually when the comedian on stage is cracking jokes, he is assessing the mood of audience. He tries a couple of jokes to check what works with this audience and also to see how far can he go and get away with. He gazes at every individual trying to decipher their expressions and analyze the success by the applause and cheer after each punchline or not. It's easy to know - they either like it or they don't.
The success of the gig is also immediately obvious to everyone in the audience. Vibes, they don't lie.
Stand up comedy is popular today and everybody seems to jump on the bandwagon.
I also noticed a few similarities in their sketches. The jokes included heavy usage of stereotyping followed by self deprecating humor. I couldn't make out if this is because they assume this style would guarantee laughs (seems to trend in the YT videos, might work in mine too) or if they just haven't found their own style yet.
Comic timing and delivery is crucial and so is improv. The maximum laughs were gathered by those who were able to crack jokes on the very situation they were in at that very instant.
Nevertheless, it made me happy to see these people doing what they love and were there to hone their skills. There were participants from all age groups, from different professional backgrounds. A lawyer, a doctor, a student - all celebrating the art of comedy.
Everyone there wanted to make people laugh, to make a world a happier place. How bad can it be?
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