Shayne-Michael.COMedy

Performing Like A Pro - by Shayne Michael

ORBITER is an acronym that stands for:

• Organizing Thoughts
• Rehearsing
• Before The Show
• Improv
• Timing
• Evaluation
• Restructuring

The acronym comes from ten years as a comic. This is how I prepare from creating my set list to evaluating and restructuring it after I leave the stage. After ten years, this is how I make the most of my rehearsal time and how I develop great set lists I can use over and over again.

Organizing Thoughts

Start creating a set list by developing a purpose for your show and a target for improvement. For instance, with each set say, "I'm going to develop the perfect set list for a four and a half minute spot for Leno. In addition, I'm going to focus on improving the bits about my dad, compared to the way I did it last time. Then based on that purpose and your goal for improvement create a set list. I keep new jokes to a minimum for professional shows, but I never cut new material out all together. Remember if the show's not fresh to you, it won't be fresh to the audience either.

A set list is simply a list of topics, bits or jokes you'll be delivering that night. I don't use index cards. I tried but they kept getting lost. Due to the odd size, they tend to fall out of my notebook. It was simply easier for me to list my topics on a small piece of notebook paper. Very few comics I know use index cards. But then, there is no one style that fits everyone.

Still, have a set list, even if it's on toilet paper. Most books will suggest you order your set using a strong opening, a weak middle and a strong closing. Instead try this, have your weak material in the middle but keep the weakest material out of your act all together. The middle of your act is not an excuse for doing half-ass jokes. It's simply where the audience expects the least from you. Try not to live up to their expectations.

Rehearsal

I visualize characters, not settings. When I rehearse I don't rehearse like this. "Okay, the couch is there, so I'll have to move my leg 15 degrees to the left (to avoid the imaginary coffee table that must be next to it). Then when I turn backwards to talk to my mom (who is sitting on that imaginary couch) I'll have to drop my line of sight 25 degrees to meet her (imaginary) line of sight since she is sitting on the imaginary couch, (that I'm visualizing for no other reason than to make this bit more believable)."

I visualize the couch if it's critical to understand the joke. If it's not, my mom's standing next to me and there is no couch.

I do a joke where I say, "How many of you remember the show Kung Fu? Quick impression of my dad, if he were on that show, playing the part of the old guy, talking to his son. As quickly as you can, take the pebble from my hand. When you can take the pebble from my hand, it will be time for you to leave." Then I throw the pebble at the microphone stand and say, "Now, get out."

In that joke, what's important is who my dad is talking to. You have to make that connection between father and son to make that joke work. Nobody cares if there's a couch next to him or a television set behind him. It doesn't make the joke stronger; it just gives me more to worry about. I don't need to make the audience picture anything except my father and myself talking to each other to clearly communicate the joke. So I don't waste time by imagining the colors of the room, the pictures on the wall or what I had for breakfast that morning.

Sometimes I make the settings more complicated, but only when the setting becomes a part of the joke. I developed a tag for the Kung Fu joke. In that tag, I started open an imaginary door, pick up the microphone stand and place it off stage (which represents my father kicking me out of the house). Then I mimic my dad closing an locking the door. The visual of opening the door and closing is critical to the joke, so it can't be eliminated. However, whatever's to the side of, the left, right or the side of that imaginary door is irrelevant.

Mirrors do not allow blocking and result in exaggerated facial expressions. When you rehearse with a mirror, you're not seeing yourself the way the audience is. First off, your act will look like one big close up. The audience will see all of you, not just your face. You're better off using a video camera. But even if you don't stay away from mirrors.

Also, don't over rehearse. I usually do my act three times. At least once, I deliver it out loud, with minor emphasis on blocking. I can usually do that as I go for a walk without getting arrested. I never do my act more than five times before a show. There's a point where rehearsing starts to make you rigid. On stage you need to be a little flexible so it's better not to know exactly what you're going to say. After I get my act right, I stop. That way the last thing in my mind is me doing my act right. Then, thirty minutes later, I'll practice it again. I never do one rehearsal right after the other. That type of monotonous rehearsal leads to a monotonous delivery. And anyone who knows me will tell you, monotony is not my friend.

Before The Show

Be polite to the emcee. If he asks what to say, come up with something simple. Don't write a novel. If you can't sum up your recent accomplishments in a single sentence, you need to practice your editing skills.

Yeah but I'm important. True, but so is the show. And the emcee is more important than you are. If he's spending so much time memorizing your introduction that he's not paying attention to the show, you may find yourself in a show that falls apart. If your introduction is so involved that he's mentioning credits that you earned in high school, he won't have time to pay attention. Besides, nobody cares what talent shows you did in high school. Not even the people you went to school with.

Before you go up note the physical limitations of the stage and equipment. Observe how much movement the stage allows. If the last 200 pound act made the stage collapse, cut out the jumping jack routine. No matter how many laughs you'll get, think how many laughs you'll loose if someone has to spend five minutes rebuilding the stage. Also, note which acts are in and out of the light. If the lights are off center, and you're there for a tape, you'll need to adjust where you stand.

How did the person do who went before you? If that person sucked, don't experiment. The show's loosing ground and it's your job to bring it back. Also, note your spot in the line up. Keep in mind each spot has its limitations and expectations. You're goal may be to have the performance of a life-time, but you won't get invited back if you don't fill the needs of the spot you're selected for. You won't even reach your own potential if you don't understand the challenges each slot faces and how best to overcome them.

Position	Goal	Complications	Solution
Opener	Warm up the audience	They're not really ready yet	Ease into material
Emcee	Introduce acts professionally	The audience thinks you're not funny	Don't expect to be the star. Focus on a smooth show.
Middle	Speed up the pace	None aside from longer times	Considered cush position
Headliner	Do the longest, best set	Audience may be too drunk to follow	Longer pauses on smarter jokes. Take more time for setups.
Guest Set	Audition for paid spot	You're not really a part of the lineup	Make them want more. Do less time
Open Mic	Develop new material	Seeing the stage as a rehearsal area	Gauge maximum reaction, and adjust expectations

Improv

"Be in the moment." What does that mean?

Very few audience members look forward to getting picked on. Yet, they want to feel like a part of the show. There's very a small difference in the intonation of a comic that's talking "at them" and a comic that's talking "to them". How can you tell which mode you're in? If you never stop to think about which mode you're in, you're in a robotic mode. In other words, the audience has no influence on the direction of your set.

"But if they make me change directions aren't they controlling me?"

Not if you choose which direction they turn. Let the audience suggest you steer a new course. However, you should always be the one to decide if that new course involves a left or a right turn.

If I cut out my joke about the idiots killed at the Great White concert fans because the audience played Once Bitten Twice Shy eight times before the show and I know the bartender slept with the band's third lead drummer, who's controlling who? Are they controlling me, or am I controlling their impression of me, by cutting a joke that guarantees they'll turn on me?

Timing

A lot is made of the concept of timing. Timing is a lot of things. Timing is pausing so you don't run over the laughter. Still, you should never pause for laughter. Instead, pause to allow the audience to take in information. If you're about to take a sharp left turn that nobody expects, pause.

People's mind follows a logical path. If the audience thinks they know where I'm going, they'll go there while I pause. Then, when I go somewhere else, they laugh because they were fooled into moving the wrong way. Without the pause, that can't happen. That's also where comics make a mistake by pausing too long. Stay silent too long and the audience will guess that sharp left turn is coming. Groans come when the audience knows it and beats you to the punch.

There was a debate on our message board about taking notes on stage. The debate get's complicated by the fact, many of us have seen comics do this and do well. Most of these comics though are actors who were use to reading scripts to get parts. If you aren't use to reading scripts to audition, reading from notes on stage will messes up your timing. It generates pauses where none should exist. It forces you to loose eye contact and disconnect from the audience. If you are using your stage time to memorize your set, how will you be able to listen and take in the audience reactions? It's unprofessional. Don't do it.

Evaluation

After the show a lot of things happen. Girls proposition you. Agents buy you cars. NBC execs will offer your million dollar contracts. Men will ask you for tips on how to make love to two women at once.

Here are some things that will really happen. After the show audience members will come up to you and say good job. Even if you disagree say "thank you" and pretend you had fun. Don't piss off a fan who thinks you did a great job by asking, "I did great? What kind of moron are you?" If someone likes what you did, they're right. Be gracious and say "thank you".

I don't listen to my act on tape. On stage, I'm very sensitive to where people do and don't laugh. I really don't need to tape things to know where I killed. However, if more than three other comics you respect have ever called you "tone-deaf" you should probably tape every set and listen after the show because you obviously aren't listening to the audience.

Should you rewrite bits that fail or drop them? My own answer to this question depends on how close the bit is to my heart. If it's something I really want to talk about, I will try again, if I think the underlying premise is important. But remember, I keep working on the joke, if I feel the premise needs to be discussed. I won't keep the original joke, just what I was trying to say with that joke.

Restructuring

To start restructuring go back to your original purpose. Did the set list meet your original goal? Would it have been appropriate for that set on Leno if that's what you were building this set for? Were some of the jokes too dated? Were some jokes too dirty? When you set the goal for improvement, did you meet it? Answer all these questions, and then decide how you can make that set even better.

When you finish with a set list, I suggest you keep the set list the same way you keep notes. Develop a set list you can use for auditions. Develop a set list you can use for ten minute showcases. Develop a set list for testing out new material. Build set lists for the next time you headline, even if you've never headlined before and monkeys may fly before anyone asks you to for the first time.

Take those set lists out from time to time and improve them. What could you do differently to make the overall story more compelling? What topics should you leave out this time? Which are now dated? If the set list was for TV, which topics are no longer appropriate? Then reuse them and repeat until each set list kills every night.

Summary

The acronym ORBITER stands for: Organize, Rehearse, Before The Show, Improv, Timing, Evaluation and Restructuring. It begins by setting a goal as you create your set list. Then you follow a circular path that insures you reach that goal. Make sure your set list includes a strong beginning, middle and end. Don't settle for a weak middle. Remember a mediocre middle to your act is what all average acts include. When have people ever flocked to an average movie?

Rehearse your set list. However, don't rehearse so much that your blocking becomes unadaptable. The audience will change what material you can and can't get away with. Before the show, give the emcee an introduction that doesn't require a degree in advanced mnemonics. Observe the limitations of the stage and the equipment provided by the venue. If the microphone cuts out when someone talks too loudly, put the drum set away.

Remember being in the moment simply means that your show is a dialog with the audience and not a monolog within your head. You'll know it's not a dialog if the audience has no influence on the direction of your show. The audience should always be allowed to suggest you take a new direction. However, you will decide which direction you turn. Timing is time allotted to take in information. It's a chance for the audience to move to the punchline they're expecting, while you get ready to take a sharp left they aren't. It's not, I pause here; they laugh here.

When you evaluate your show, simply listen on stage, unless you're tone deaf. If the audience doesn't laugh at material, decide if the premises are important enough to rewrite. Evaluation should bring you back to the goal you established with the set list. If you created the set list for TV, would it have done the job? If the answer is yes, feel proud. However, even if the answer is yes, start asking yourself, how could I make it even better. If it's good enough for Leno, how can you make it better than any other set ever seen on Leno. Work towards a set nobody will ever forget.