Mastering Stand-Up

The Complete Guide to Becoming a Successful Comedian

by Stephen Rosenfield

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Pub Date Nov 01 2017 | Archive Date Oct 31 2017

Description

This entertaining and sharply written guide—for both beginners breaking into comedy and professionals seeking to improve their sets and advance their careers—examines the work of great comedians such as Louis C.K., Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Izzard, Moms Mabley, Hannibal Buress, Sarah Silverman, Richard Pryor, and more as a means of illustrating the most important techniques of performing and writing stand-up.

Here, Stephen Rosenfield lays out a clear plan for achieving success, candidly explaining what works, what doesn’t, and why. Including a 12-item “Successful Comedian’s To-Do List,” Rosenfield states, “Get undeniably good at each of these and you can kiss your day job good-bye. You will be a pro.”

The New York Times heralded Stephen Rosenfield as “probably the best known comedy teacher in the country.” His alumni include some of today’s most prominent comedians and comedy writers, such as Lena Dunham, Jim Gaffigan, Eric Slovin, and Jessica Kirson. Rosenfield has directed, coached, and/or written for these and hundreds of other comedians. As a pioneer in the field of teaching comedy, he founded the American Comedy Institute, the premier stand-up comedy school in the United States, in 1989.

Advance Praise

“My dream was to be a stand-up comedian, but I never thought I could do it. Steve’s class was exactly what I needed. Steve helped me get over my fears. He taught me the techniques I needed to learn and, most importantly, he taught me to be genuine off-stage. He is a brilliant writer and an amazing teacher.” —Jessica Kirson, comedian

“When I wanted to start stand-up, I knew I had a voice but had no idea how to write a joke, think outside the box, or conduct myself on stage. I’m really so thankful for taking Steve’s class: it’s the 101 in comedy I needed . . . and the 101 in life I didn’t know I needed!” —Michelle Buteau, comedian

“Steve has taught many of the great comics that perform on our stages. This is an invaluable guide.” —Chris Mazzilli, owner/founder, Gotham Comedy Club

“There is nobody like Steve. He has accelerated so many careers, including mine. Without him it would be much more difficult to move ahead in stand-up comedy.” —Ted Greenburg, comedian and Emmy Award–winning writer for Late Night with David Letterman

“My dream was to be a stand-up comedian, but I never thought I could do it. Steve’s class was exactly what I needed. Steve helped me get over my fears. He taught me the techniques I needed to...