Translate

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Open Mic Aggravation

I really try to be nice and supportive towards everyone, especially the newer comedians.  I was new once, and in some respects, I still am a new comedian.  I am a new comer to each stage of my career and I'm constantly looking towards the next step.  As long as we are constantly advancing, we will always be new to something.  But it is difficult for me to have respect for those who absolutely refuse put in the work.  If you want something in this business, you have to constantly put in the work to get it.  There are no handouts in comedy or the arts.  If you want the respect of audience, peers and producers it must be earned though writing, dedication to the craft, rewriting, working over and over and over to improve and perfect.  When comedians bring the same five minutes of horrible material to every open mic, it's an absolute disgrace to the craft.  It's one thing when comedians are testing new material, trying out new concepts or polishing there top five minutes...  But, it's quite another when comedians are wasting everyone's time including their own by repeatedly doing the same horrible material.  I don't want to be the bad guy, but if I don't start seeing some comedians challenge themselves by writing new material or improving their existing material, I'm no longer going to be so generous with stage time!
So, if you're working and reworking the same five to ten minutes repeatedly, that's alright so long as it's improving.  But, if you refuse to buckle down, write, create and attempt to advance your craft, then you're wasting my and everyone's time.  To try and fail and try again is noble...  But, to just keep failing without putting any work in is painfully horrible for everyone.

No comments:

Post a Comment