Expert: Matt McDonald - 12/9/2007

Question
Hello. My name is Will. And I live in the Northern Kentucky,greater Cincinnati area and I am 17 years old I was wondering if their is areas for a 17 year old to get started in the tristate and if there is any writing comedy type workshops that could help me in the Greater Cincinnat area. Another question is how can I get started into stand up comedy only being 17 and I don't think a club like the funny bone on the levee or Go bananas will let me perform in there clubs and what jokes to write I know I would need to write jokes that are for older people and not younger people like teenagers.
Thanks,
Will

Answer
Will,

>I know I would need to write jokes that are for older people and not younger people like teenagers.<

No. No. No. A thousand time no. Write YOUR material, not someone else's. Everybody else's expectations of what you should write, or what jokes they should be told, is crap. Crap I tell you!

It is impossible to write jokes that are not part of who you are. Well, it's possible, it's just that they won't be good jokes and you won't feel like doing them for very long. Write what interests you and what hold your attention because that's what'll feel right and natural and powerful.

Besides which, it's going to be 2,3,5 years before it even matters - you'll be seeking to hone and refine your persona and stage presence for the first phase of your career anyway. By the time you're ready for real work, you will have aged a little and your material will change to reflect that. Problem solved.

This is the only thing I am certain of: anybody who tells you otherwise, that you should bridle yourself or change the way you think to accommodate someone else, has no idea what in the heck they're talking about.

>Another question is how can I get started into stand up comedy only being 17 and I don't think a club like the funny bone on the levee or Go bananas will let me perform in there clubs<

That's most likely correct. I had a hard time getting into clubs when I was 20; at 17 I think you're going to be hard-pressed to find a lot of places that will work with you. I get this question pretty regularly and I'm going to direct you to a past answer from the archives, as I think it may help give you some direction:
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Jokes-Comedians-1535/Comedy-2.htm

>if there is any writing comedy type workshops that could help me in the Greater Cincinnat area<

It's hard because the landscape shifts constantly: open mics come and go in the course of two weeks a lot of times. I've found that there are usually some good resources:
1. Local comics. Most comics are willing to help newbies as long as you're respectful and not a pest. So maybe attend a local open mic or improv show and see if you can pick one of their brains for local opportunities that would work for you.
2. Local independent newspaper. Most larger cities have an independent arts newspaper that will list, among other things, upcoming comedy shows including open mics. They usually don't list stand-up workshops (if there are any) but will often list improv workshops. Workshops and "closed to the public" shows are best found through the local comics.
3. http://www.chucklemonkey.com/openmikes.htm They list 3 that are in the Dayton area (none in Cincy). If you hit Kentucky, you'll likely find some in Covington or the surrounding area. Indiana might be tough just because there aren't any really good sized cities that are likely to support comedy nearby. If you do decide to go to one ALWAYS call before you go: the listings might be out of date, or the show might require prior experience or something like that. So always call before you go to a show, especially since your age is an issue.

If you have time and the inclination, here's a link to my comprehensive overview of how to get started (for those who are over 21). It may give you some insight into writing and creating material, preparation and that sort of thing:
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Jokes-Comedians-1535/started.htm

Hope that helps.

Matt