My Future In Comedy

Like all other performing arts performing, ventriloquism takes both talent and skill. One of those skills is the ability to be funny. I don't mean funny like meatloaf that's been in the fridge for a month. I mean the ability to tell jokes and stories to make people laugh.

I have been known to make up a joke every now and then. So if you divide people into the categories of "funny" on "not funny" I consider myself in the former. But to be funny in front of people takes more than natural ability. There are necessary skills that must be learned and practiced.

I have been looking for opportunities to learn those skills and develop them to performance level. Being funny is very important to a ventriloquist.

I've been listening to some teaching on the skills of comedy from a couple of CDs I purchased by Darren LaCroix. He's an award winning public speaker who started out as a stand up comic.

One CD was a recording of LaCroix's Internet program, Humor 101, in which he interviews comedy teacher and author, Judy Carter. Carter teaches comedy classes in the Los Angeles California area. She's also written 2 very good books on learning to be funny: "Stand Up Comedy: the Book" and "The Comedy Bible".

The tips and pointers about writing jokes are very valuable things for me to learn. There's the "Magic of 3" rule. That's where you use 2 things that are similar to set up a 3rd thing which is not, as a punchline. Then there's the rule, it takes 10 to get 2. You have to write 10 jokes to get 2 good ones.

It was at the recommendation of LaCroix that I went to the open mic night at Zanies the other night. He said that you shouldn't look at the established comedians, like those on Comedy Central and such, and compare yourself. You should see those who are also, just starting out are like, to see how you compare.

At the open mic night I saw some pretty good comics and some not so good ones. I paid attention to their joke presentation and their set ups. I tried to picture myself up on stage.

I've always wanted to try stand up comedy and I will probably try it. My dream is to do an open mic night set at Zanies at least once. But I'm going to have to do some writing and practicing before I even think about it.

One thing I know for sure. I don't want a career in stand up comedy. The atmosphere and the culture that exists in places it's performed is not what I believe God wants for me. I'm not very comfortable in that environment at all. It's just like the night club scene when I was a party DJ.

I could have made more money playing at local bars and clubs but that just wasn't something I felt comfortable doing. It wasn't my niche. Instead, weddings and birthday parties was where I found I was most comfortable and successful.

I'm not sure exactly where God wants me to be performing in my ventriloquist career right now. Other than the occasional library performance and the Awana music ministry at my church, my opportunities to perform just aren't there. But that doesn't discourage me.

I believe that I need to continue to get better at writing and performing comedy and advance my ventriloquist skills. For one day soon God is going to open the door for my ministry and I want to be ready to walk through.

As far as stand up comedy is concerned. I may just do my "just once" wish of getting up on Zanies stage in front of that crowd. Just to say that I did it.

But learning to be the best and funniest ventriloquist I can be and being ready to go and minister where God shows me to go are the two most important things I need to do. That's how I see my future in comedy.