5. It’s a pain in the butt. Solo shows are so much work. You gotta decide what you’re going to talk about. You gotta get over the fear of not being good enough. You gotta put in the time to write it. You gotta actually write it and not just Read more…
Next thing you do is get an email list provider. Why? Cause you can’t sent two hundred emails out from your Gmail account every time you have a show. Doing that triggers spam filters and then your email doesn’t show up in regular inboxes. Oh, and if you don’t give Read more…
There are several ways to “incentivize” people to buy tickets early. If you can get them to buy in advance, they’re committed, whereas if they buy them at the door, they could get to that moment in the evening and just say, “I’m tired… let’s stay home and watch a 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…
Logistically, this can seem complex. It’s good to set a date far enough into the future that you have time to prepare and make a great show. But it’s important you don’t make it so far away that it becomes an imaginary goal. Generally, one year is too much time Read more…
Ever try to look at the back of your head in the mirror? It’s very difficult if you don’t have another mirror. That’s what trying to direct your own show is like. Even comedians get feedback on their work. If you’re just starting out and this is your first show, Read more…
You may choose to tell your story in chronological order, or you may choose to do something postmodern. Either way, put it all together and you’ve got your first draft. Read it out loud to a patient and/or kind friend. Don’t get feedback. Just have them be there so you Read more…
I’ve written whole sets of posts on how to write a show, which you can refer to here. But I’ll encapsulate it by saying that basically you write every day. Write every day for a month. Same time, same place. Write about just the topic you chose. In all different Read more…
Lists that come in 3's are almost always funny. Normal thing, normal thing, suprise thing! Ha! "When I was younger and I was dating in my 20's, guys always say things to me to put me off… 'Let's just be friends', 'I'm not ready for a relationship right now.' 'You Read more…