I went to a plein-air poetry night on Saturday and was invited to read. Didn’t think about preparing. Found a story I’d written and only performed once, back at the Zen Center in SF. A modern-day parable, mixing The Princess and The Pea with The Prodigal Son. About coming home. Read more…
The Real Secret So here’s the other thing that happened that set the stage for my break down and breakthrough. Alien visitation. No I’m kidding. What actually happened was that after years of soldiering through on my own, I made a plan in advance to have a friend greet me Read more…
The Gift of Total Breakdown I recently had a complete breakdown on stage during a comedy show. And it was one of the best experiences of my performing life. I say that because during my breakdown which included swearing and crying and generally having a rough time, I was being Read more…
Check out an exploration I did live with an actor named Leah, who’s never done comedy before, and see how we find our way toward the funny together.
People will tell you things that are not helpful, for the sake of being helpful. Especially if you’re an artist, entrepreneur, activist, or person inspiring change… Sometimes they may even say it in the form of a question, so your answer appears to be your own, but your conclusion might Read more…
Ok, here's the good news… finally! Turns out learning your lines is really not so hard after all! I started writing and performing one woman shows in the last six years, and all you have to do to learn your lines is put the time in. That’s really it. My Read more…
I wanted to be an actor when I was a kid. Really intensely, starting around when I was 8 or so. But two things stopped me. Or rather, got the way of me thinking I could be successful at it, which in turn had me thing maybe I want to Read more…
A big part of producing your solo show is having people see it. Which means… selling tickets. If you’re thinking, “Ugh.” Think instead, “Selling tickets to your show makes it professional!” If it’s your first solo show ever, and you’re starting out, try selling tickets for $5. Cover your expenses. Read more…
There are several ways to get stage time. As a comic, I spent a dozen years honing my craft and got on stage about 1000 times doing standup comedy at open mics, showcases, road gigs, clubs, etc. There are so many opportunities to get stage time. Some are more appealing Read more…
There are a number of ways to find a venue for your one person show. Think outside the box! If it's your first time producing a show, you may want to start small. Managable. How about putting it on at home? Yours or someone else's… My friend Philip puts on Read more…