Finding a comic's voice in stand-up comedy

The history of stand-up comedy concerns an art form involving a stand-up comic and an audience, which originated in various traditions of popular entertainment in the late 19th century.

2 articles, 1 book · about 19 min of reading and viewing

The reading path

1. Read
   

   the history of stand-up comedy · Wikipedia · 14 min read

   Anecdotal comedy tells a story and uses exaggeration and humor to make it land.

2. Read
   

   "10 Great Fictional Characters From Stand-Up Comedy" · pastemagazine.com · 5 min read

   Andrew Clay's Diceman is performed from the minute Clay steps onto the stage and into his silent cigarette bit, a short routine, to the end of his show, with no visible transitions between personalities or third-person introductions. The confusion is largely due to this, and Clay's stand-up shows are entirely based on one character.

3. Book
   

   Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life · Bookshop.org

   Born Standing Up by Steve Martin traces how Martin practiced and honed his craft, describing the sacrifice, discipline, and originality behind his work and how a comedian's approach develops over time.

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