Finding your Voice
Standup comedy is one of the most personal forms of comedy—and it works best when your set feels authentic.
In our comedy classes, we never lead with the question:"What's FUNNY?" Funny is subjective! What's funny to us might not be funny to you, and vice versa! We lead with our principles which are Honesty, Specificity and a Strong Point of View. You can read more about our principles here!
As tempting as it is, when you're trying to find your comedic voice it's best if you don't try to imitate your standup comedy heroes. In the best case this could lead to a bomb, while in the worst case scenario you could end up doing okay, but never develop into your authentic hilarious self.
Instead, think deeply and critically about who you are in real life and who you want to be onstage. Make sure the two images complement each other, even if they aren’t exactly the same.
You can start by Thinking like a Comedian. Answer these 2 questions:
When am I laughing?
When am I making others laugh?
Get as granular as possible with your answers! This is a fantastic way to develop your comedic voice, aka your PERSONA.
What's a PERSONA?
Your persona is who you are on stage! Nine times out of 10 it's a heightened version of you. Your persona is your perspective, opinion and the general lens in which you see the world! It takes performers years to discover their personas, and they can and should evolve over time. It's important your persona doesn't box you in and not to rush when developing your persona but rather, paying attention to what happens organically.
A good way to start the process of tapping into your authenticity, thus finding your persona is by asking yourself direct questions, such as:
How do people see me?
What stereotype(s) do I most easily fit into?
What would my class superlative be?
What do you love the most about yourself?
What do you NOT LIKE about yourself?
When someone interacts with you, how are you described?
Whip out your journals and start soul-searching! Have fun answering these questions and don't be afraid to explore different avenues.
Lastly, watch some of your favorite comedians and write down how you'd describe their personas! Are they energetic? Or chilled out? Super sarcastic and dry or really emotional and sincere?
You've got this! :)
