Stand-up Comedy - Overview

Overview

Many smaller venues hold "open mic" events, where anyone can take the stage and perform for the audience, offering a way for amateur performers to hone their craft and possibly break into the profession.

Stand-up is an art form that is openly devoted to getting immediate laughs from an audience above all else, unlike theatrical comedy which creates comedy within the structure of a play with amusing characters and situations. In stand-up comedy, feedback of the audience is instant and crucial for the comedian's act. Audiences expect a stand-up comic to provide a steady stream of laughs, and a performer is always under great pressure to deliver. This pressure can be thrilling, but also threatening. Comedic actor Will Ferrell has called stand-up comedy "hard, lonely, and vicious".

While a stand-up comedy show may involve only one comedian, most shows feature a "headline" format, or a "showcase" format. A headline format typically features an opening act known as a host or master of ceremonies (MC) who usually warms up the crowd, makes announcements, and introduces the other performers. This is followed by one or two "middle" acts (sometimes called "featured" acts), who perform shorter 15-20 minute sets, followed by a headliner who performs for over 45 minutes (a period mandated by most headline clubs).

The "showcase" format consists of several acts who perform for roughly equal lengths of time, typical in smaller clubs such as the Comedy Cellar, or Jongleurs, or at large events where the billing of several names allows for a larger venue than the individual comedians could draw. A showcase format may still feature an MC.