Mastering Stand-Up: The Complete Guide to Becoming a Successful Comedian

Stephen Rosenfield has written the “Bible” of stand-up comedy. As an ex-comedian, I only wish I had had this book to refer to over and over again. I would have loved to have known the author “back in the day” when I was running from club to club and very often letting the “voice” enter my head which reiterated all the reasons why I should quit, not get on stage or why I wasn’t as funny as the other stand ups. Rosenfield is the kind of teacher who can help anyone get beyond the self-doubt and severe stage fright and re-channel those emotions for much better use –great comedy! I walked away from this book realizing no comedian is “undeniably good” until the material is worked out over and over and over again. What separates great comedians from average comedians for the most part comes down to who can hang in there and do the extraordinary work required and who simply can’t. Surprisingly there is no magic bullet, but if you take Rosenfield’s subscription and follow his recipe ingredient by ingredient, you too can become a paid comedian. Hard work is the centerpiece no doubt, but persona development, connecting with the audience, and the commitment to tirelessly refining the joke is too. The author teaches us that stand ups must painstakingly listen for the laughs and cut away the extraneous words that don’t contribute to the laugh, as deftly as an artist carving wood. The author also gets us to recognize and understand when and why it’s time to let go of that “A+ joke” that has ‘killed’ for years but may now be laying flat like a pancake. It may be that the “truth” of that joke is no longer true for us, or could be that it simply is no longer as good as the rest of our material. Rosenfield not only shows us the nuts and bolts of organizing jokes by subject, but urges us not to underestimate the importance of being present for the audience and how that plays into how the audience feels about the standup—“the audience feels what the comedian is feeling”. If the comedian is not having fun, sadly neither is the audience. Even if some of the jokes are bombing, but the comedian is likable, extremely committed to his material and having fun---all is not lost. The author expertly illustrates this by sharing how Johnny Carson would stare into the camera as if befuddled the laugh didn’t come, or how David Letterman would throw the joke card behind him accompanied by the sound of breaking glass. This also illustrates the importance of being present and not ignoring the reality of the situation which ultimately sends the message to your audience that you really want to be there and are somehow connected to them. There are so many other great aspects of this book like how to MC a show, the standard etiquette around performing at clubs, and the dark side of stealing jokes, but also this books reads like the most interesting history book you’ve ever read about many of the greatest comedians of all time---whom apparently many the author has personally known and worked with. As I read Steve’s book, I would constantly go to YouTube to witness the great works of Jonathan Winters, Jackie “Mom’s” Mabley (Loretta Mary Aiken), Bob Newhart, Andy Kaufman, and many more rising stars I’ve never heard of but will certainly see in the future. Rosenfield is whip-smart and knows his stuff inside and out which makes this a thoroughly enjoyable read for this ex-comedian. But honestly for anyone interested in comedy or just wants to better understand how comedians do what they do, this is THE MOST compelling book on standup to read.

A month ago, at age 72, I decided to try stand-up at a local open mic night. I was scared to death, but it went well and people laughed. I appeared at a second mic night and it went okay, but not as well as before. Then I got Stephen Rosenfield's excellent book, and through the clear instruction and explanations on these pages, I think I know a few things I need to work on. Stephen knows what he's talking about - it is inspiring, very educational, funny, and clearly explains different kinds of humor and how one or more of them could work for you. I also enjoyed the last chapters on what to do before and during showtime, building an all-"A" set, and the chapter on creating a persona is gold, even including how to thank the audience with warmth. This is a valuable book for anyone writing or performing humor for stand-up comics, either yourself or someone else. I could not recommend it higher and it will become one of my go-to resources as I see what happens in my new passion of stand-up comedy.

Full Disclosure: I am not a Stand-Up Comedian and I don't ever aspire to become one. BUT... I do a lot of public speaking at conferences; mostly keynote addresses for audiences of up to several thousand people. I speak about topics that are really interesting (at least I think so) but that could not be considered inherently entertaining (specifically, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Future Trends). And yet (and not to pat myself on the back so hard I dislocate a shoulder)... I've consistently been the highest-rated speaker in the history of several conferences and events. Why? I'm so glad you asked. It's because I think of what I do as "edutainment". I believe that unless people are interested, engaged, and attentive, it doesn't matter what you're trying to tell them (particularly if you're on the stage for 20-60 minutes, as I usually am). It's hard to engage an audience if you're putting them to sleep. I consequently decided several years ago to take the delivery of my "performances" as seriously as the subject matter. To that end, I've read and taken classes on storytelling, improv, speech, speaking, teaching, and comedy. I've read at least a dozen other books on comedy to help improve my skills, and several have been very good. But none has held even a candle to Mastering Stand-Up: The Complete Guide to Becoming a Successful Comedian by Stephen Rosenfield. This book is a master class on how to go from accidentally amusing to consistently hilarious, practically overnight! Steve has trained countless comedians over his many years in the business - including headliners like Jim Gaffigan - and in this quick read, he gives all of his secrets away! I was so blown away by the book that the day I finished it I signed up for one of the courses Steve teaches through the American Comedy Institute. This book, and a few days of his coaching, and (I kid you not) I feel completely ready to take the stage for my upcoming performance at the Gotham Comedy Club in New York! I've already been using the lessons I've learned from Steve on the stage (both live and virtual) and on the new podcast that I'm launching. The payoff has been phenomenal! I never would have guessed that learning to be funny could be so fun - and I never imagined I could acquire comedic skills I've admired for most of my life so quickly. If you're even thinking about improving your ability to engage your audiences - from the stage, on the page, or in the room - this book (and one of Steve's classes) will be the best investment you'll ever make in your career.

There's a lot of basic stuff that is useful, and you find in many books. I liked his sections on attitude on stage, hadn't seen that before. Too many suggestions that you need to hire a teacher. I've read books by many comedians. The comedy teacher is the only one that talks about getting teachers. Go figure. Most seem to learn from watching other comedians, and talking to peers. It is worth the time and money to read, if you want to do stand up.

Mr. Rosenfield’s approach is amazing. As a new comedian this has helped me write jokes better and refine the ones I had that I “thought” were good. Thank you for writing his book. If I make it big it will because of the tools I learned in this book.

Mastering Stand-Up is an exceptionally insightful, well-written, comprehensive, and empowering guide to the art and craft of writing and performing stand-up comedy, as well as to the business side of being a stand-up comedian at any level. It offers wisdom and perspective about searching for one's comic identity, which requires courage and experimentation. The author makes no bones about it: getting and being good at stand-up is an unending journey of work. Mastering Stand-Up offers advice, techniques, and practices that can help productively guide you on this journey and keep you from wandering astray. I could not more highly recommend this work. I purchased both the printed and audio versions. The audio version is read by the author himself, Stephen Rosenfield, who enlivens the text with his own engaging and entertaining voice.

Incredible. Mr. Rosenfield takes you on a step by step approach to being a stand-up comic. It is informative, insightful and hilarious all at the same time. It is not a text book. This book is a hands on approach in helping you bring out the unique essence of "you" through comedy. I couldn't put it down. Even if you never thought of being a stand-up comic Mr. Rosenfield takes you on a journey through the history of comedy and how it relates to events of the day that will make you laugh out loud and give you a good feeling.. I have been a professional actor for over 46 years and if your like me the thought of doing stand-up has always been frightening but after reading this wonderful book and and through Mr. Rosenfield's experienced technique he has instilled in me the confidence to think " maybe I could really do this." After you read MASTERING STAND-UP I think you will feel the same way to. PJ Benjamin

There are a lot of books out there about creating comedy, but I have never read one with as much clarity, warmth, humour, intelligence, honesty, wisdom, humanity and dedication as Mastering Stand-up Comedy. Stephen Rosenfield speaks from the heart (and from many years of experience as a teacher and comedy writer) to help potential (and working) comedians fulfill their comedy dreams. He does it by creating a masterful set of chapters which move step by step through the whole process from neophyte to pro, along with brilliant advice about the psychology of both audiences and comedians. It is as if he’s talking to the reader personally and with empathy. He even supplies an email address in case you have questions for him. There are chapters on the forms of stand-up comedy, writing material, performing, dealing with nerves, creating a stand-up persona, getting “undeniably good”, dealing with fear and doubts, the importance of hard and consistent work, and the business of stand-up—all with a very personal voice. There is also insightful analysis of the work of actual comedians, including how some of the jokes were re-written make them stronger. Full disclosure: I have seen Steve at work in the classroom, and have also worked extensively in the comedy and teaching world. People who are as knowledgeable and supportive and so absolutely dedicated to their students are relatively rare. If you have a burning desire to do stand-up, or even just a curiosity about what it takes to do it well, read this book.