How to Adjust to Different Set Lengths in a Short Span of Time
What A Perspective Shift (Comedy Mindhacks #85)
There’s a strange kind of mental gymnastics that comes with having multiple comedy shows in a short span of time. This is especially true when the set lengths for those are different. Tonight, for instance, I have a show and my set length is twenty five minutes. Tomorrow night it’s fifteen minutes. A few days from now it’s 60 minutes. Of course, I’m dealing with the same brain and, to a degree, the same jokes. Even so, each set calls for its own pacing, rhythm, and emotional arc. I can’t simply stretch or shrink the same set like elastic and hope it lands the same way. So, how do I handle this?
Well, one strategy is to build my material in chunks, that is, “bits.” In doing this, bits become moveable and, depending on the room, the crowd, the time constraint, and the overall energy needed, it’s not a huge task to reorder things. This kind of practice can help me stop thinking of a show in terms of a single script and, instead, to start thinking in terms of building blocks. The upshot of this is that it gives me options, and options are great when the clock is staring at me down from the back of the room.
Another strategy is memory. Real memory. Or, should I say “internalization.” This is what I prefer. It’s the kind of internalization that allows me to reorder bits and individual jokes, from five to well over one hundred, super fast. That is exactly what I do! And, because of it, I don’t panic when the host says, “We need you to do ten instead of fifteen,” or “Can you stretch to thirty?” I can quickly rearrange, swap, tighten, and expand the set if I need to. If you want to learn how to build that kind of mental flexibility, I teach the entire system inside my Udemy course, “The Comedian’s Memory Lab.” It is designed specifically for comedians who want to move material around without losing their place or their confidence. And best of all, it’s simple, tried and true, and absolutely works.
The truth is: When you can control your structure, you stop fearing the clock or anything else that might get thrown your way. And when there are no worries, you get to keep enjoying the craft. Multiple shows in a short window? No worries. The different sets just feel like different reps. And all those reps, when handled correctly, build not just longer sets, but stronger comedians. So, check out “The Comedian’s Memory Lab.” You won’t regret it.
JOKE WRITING COURSE: By the way, if you have any interest at all in learning about your persona, how to write some jokes, or doing stand-up comedy, check out my online joke writing course, “The Joke Writer’s Lab,” HERE.