Advice From the Pros

Where can I get ideas for jokes?
Carol Leifer, standup and writer/producer on Seinfeld:
I get my ideas from life. I was out at dinner and ordered a bottle of wine and the waiter gave me the cork to smell and I felt stupid sitting there sniffing it, 'Yeah, that's a cork.' And then the waiter laughed so I wrote it down and put it in my act: 'You feel like such an idiot, the guy hands you the cork and it's like, 'I don't know what I'm supposed to do...' like 'uh, yeah, yep, that's cork.'

I am worried about sharing too much with the audience. What if they don't like me?
Richard Lewis, comic, actor:
It's impossible to be as good as you can be if you hold back. If you start editing yourself, you might as well just stop, you won't be as pure as you can be and why not go for the gold. You are only as authentic as you allow yourself to be. And if you start putting roadblocks up voluntarily, you are just headed toward mediocrity.

I can't get onstage until I'm not afraid anymore. Right?
Phyllis Diller:
For 15 years I was terror stricken. Try flop sweat that ended up in your shoes! I never had to soak my feet, they got soaked every night. In fact, I am still wearing the same very expensive Herbert Levine boots and the inside leather lining has been eaten by the acid of my flop sweat. Just because you are frightened doesn't mean that you are never going to make it. In my case, I had to do it -- I had five hungry children. Poverty and motherhood together are the greatest motivation in this world.

How can I add new life to my material?
George Wallace, comic:
I started standup in New York with (Jerry) Seinfeld and we always bounced material off each other. When we had a bit that wasn't working, other NY comics would say, 'Try this and try that.' In New York, comics tend to hang out together, and network and get other jobs. Where in LA, they have cars and they've got to get back to their respective counties.

But I don't want to be a stand-up - why should I do it?
Rob Lotterstein, sitcom writer, TV producer, and former standup student:
My goal wasn't to be a standup comic, as anyone who saw me perform could tell you. But doing standup taught me how to pitch jokes and story ideas which get me work. And from working in front of an audience I got a real feel of what makes people laugh.

Tom Shadyac, feature director:
Having started as a standup comic, I can truly understand the concerns of the actors I work with, such as Jim Carrey, Robin Williams and Eddie Murphy. It really helps.

What opportunities are available for female comics?
Judi Brown, Senior Producer of HBO's US Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen:
Everyone is looking for women who have a unique voice and are truly funny. A lot of the female comics fall into stereotypes. For some reason, it's hard for them to embrace doing something completely different. Be original and embrace your own voice. The payoff is huge because there are so few females that actually succeed at it. If you can hang tough and keep your own voice, you'll definitely rise to the top.

But what if I bomb?
Johnny Carson (quoted from The Great Comedians by Larry Wilde, 1972):
Your delivery can save you if the material isn't up to par and your reaction to it. It always amazes me when I see guys working in front of an audience and they are not going -- they don't seem to realize it. They plunge right on doing the routine, like, 'I'm going to do this folks, come hell or high water,' rather than change it and going into different areas.

Someone asked for a tape of mine. What do I send?
Delilah Romo, New York City's Gotham Comedy Club's talent Coordinator:
We want to see that you can perform more than 5-10 minutes. Like specializing your resume for a specific job, check with the club to see what kind of tape they like and then send the appropriate one. A resume and photo is helpful and it shows that you are polished and professional. It's nice to see a professional package.

I keep getting turned away from clubs. Help!
Michelle Marx, publicist:
You have to keep going past the rejection. Don't take it to heart. When you put yourself out there it can make you feel naked. It helps to sometimes look at yourself as a business.