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Question
Sir,
my question goes this way, if you are on a stage and you crake joke which you expect people to laugh but nobody smile, what we u doforthatmoment?
Isaac --
It's good that you're thinking ahead about such a situation, because it's bound to happen once in a while.
A fairly common approach, and one that I think works pretty well, is to be ready to make a joke *about* the lack of response to the original joke. For example, one could say "Thank you for your applause" (as a joke about the fact that there was no applause) or "I can feel the warmth...and I certainly hope none of you are armed."
This will only work for an *occasional* joke that falls flat -- it won't help very much if the routine is going badly overall (but it probably won't hurt, either).
Good luck!
-- Tom
Related Articles
Tom
Expertise
I can answer questions about The Capitol Steps, a political (mostly musical) satire group based in Washington, DC which performs in Washington, around the U.S., and four times a year on public radio. I can answer questions about who is performing which role in Capitol Steps sketches and songs on albumns and can help identify a routine (and which albumn or radio show includes it) based on partial lyrics. I can also provide tips and suggestions for those interested in writing and performing spoonerism-based comedy similar to the Steps` "Lirty Dies."
Experience
I have been a Capitol Steps fan since about 1995. I own all the albumns and have listened to each dozens of times. I have particularly studied (and particularly admire) the "Lirty Dies" routines and I have written and performed material of this sort. Despite the fact that I live halfway across the U.S. from Washington, I've attended many live Capitol Steps performances, including several at their permanent locations in the DC area.
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