Skip to main content
search
0

Home › Forums

    • Forum
    • Topics
    • Posts
    • Last Post
    • After the Pandemic
      Right now things are discombobulated...but they will get back to normal. Are there things you are doing now to jump start your career? What steps are you taking so you can pick up where you left off?
    • 2
    • 2
    • 3 years, 11 months ago

      ddogguy

    • Comfort Zone
      Sometimes as writers and performers we get stuck in our comfort zone. We have our markets or audience and we cater to them. We don't push ourselves to go further. Often, it's this habit that keeps us from furthering our careers.  What have you done or continue to do to step outside your comfort zone in hopes of moving up the ladder?
    • 1
    • 3
    • 5 years, 9 months ago

      Karen

    • Improving ROUND TABLE
      This is your chance to tell us what you would like to see in ROUND TABLE. Give us your ideas, suggestions on what you would like to see on the website. Hopefully, we can take some of those and incorporate into RT. Of course it may not be possible to do everything but we want to make this site a tool that you can turn to to further your career.
    • 0
    • 0
    • No Topics

    • Insulting your Market Place
      A comedian recently told a story about his experience booking a room and a comedian who contacted him looking for stage time. In her email she said the club doesn't book very good acts so he shouldn't have a problem booking her. His response was, "You just knocked a room that I've worked very hard on and now you want me to hire you?" I would love to say that this is  abnormal, but surprisingly it's not. I remember one person who contacted us at ROUND TABLE. He wanted us to read his book, contact an agent, and submit it to our publisher. He started his request with, "I don't find your books to be very helpful, but..." There's really no question here, just something to remember when reaching out to people for advice, work or a favor.
    • 1
    • 1
    • 5 years, 8 months ago

      Karen

    • Material vs. Performance
      From Gene:  When I was writing for a top-rated sitcom, one of the performers asked me over lunch, “What’s more important to this show – the writing or the performing?”  Remember this is an actor talking to a writer, so one had to be careful with the response.  I do remember what I said then and we can discuss that if you like.  However, a similar question could be asked about stand-up comedy.  Which is more important – the material itself or the presentation of the material by the comic?  Perhaps another way of looking at this questions is:  if you see an act that you thoroughly enjoy, was it because the material was superb, or was it because the comic had a personality and a delivery that was extraordinary.  Or was it both?  Let’s hear your thoughts on this.
    • 3
    • 9
    • 5 years, 2 months ago

      rnrnrn45

    • Networking
      Everyone keeps telling me how important networking is in the comedy business but I find it so hard to master. Does anyone have any tips on how to improve my networking skills?
    • 2
    • 4
    • 5 years, 6 months ago

      Linda Perret

    • Pick Your Battles
      We posted an article on this topic and we thought it might be a good topic to discuss. Have you been involved or witness a fight or feud in the comedy business? And if so, how did you handle it? Did it have lasting repercussions? We don't want names or details but rather your approach to the situation.
    • 0
    • 0
    • No Topics

    • Room Setup
      This is probably more for performers than writers but it would be nice to get feedback from everyone. I recently went to a show to see a performer I know.  I sat towards the back of the room. My friend came on and did “okay.” The material was tried and true but the reaction was lackluster.  I was stymied and thought about it for quite a bit.  It dawned on me that the first 4 rows (maybe 20 rows total) were all the comedian’s friends and family. They’ve seen the act lots of times and there were no real surprises for them.  It felt like, to me, that this created a barrier between the performer and the paying audience (and yes, I did pay for my ticket!). Do you think friends and family of the performers should be upfront, in the back, or it doesn’t really matter?
    • 2
    • 2
    • 5 years, 11 months ago

      GeneP

    • Social Media for Writers
      We've seen social media -- Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat -- used effectively by comedians but do you think it serves a useful purpose to writers.  How have you used it to further your writing career?
    • 0
    • 0
    • No Topics

    • Turning Lemons into Lemonade
      We went to a stand-up show. The venue was less than stellar, the crowd was minimal (less than 20 people) and there was an opening act that obviously didn't want to be there. By all accounts this night should  have been a bust but it wasn't...why? Because the headliner got on stage and nailed it. She had fun, which meant the audience had fun. I'm sure she was disappointed by the turnout, the venue, and attitudes aplenty in the room, but none of that mattered when she got on stage.  She turned what was guaranteed to be a disaster into an evening filled with laughter. So as a performer, are there tricks you use to pump yourself up and get through the tough gigs?
    • 1
    • 2
    • 5 years, 3 months ago

      dr.jennifer.amani

    • Virtual Comedy
      A lot of comics, and even writers, have hit the computers to share their comedy. Do you like this new forum? Do you think this method will stick around after the "stay home" orders are lifting? Do you have any tips or tidbits to make it work?
    • 0
    • 0
    • No Topics

    • Watching/Reading Other’s Work
      Tom Padovano mentioned YouTube as a useful tool and this brought to mind a topic that came up recently in a discussion group. A stand-up stated that he doesn't watch any comedy performances or shows to avoid accidentally lifting material. There were definitely two schools of thoughts on this -- some felt you should never watch other comedians and others felt like you can learn from watching others.  The same idea applies with writers...do you read what others write or avoid it all together. Any thoughts?
    • 1
    • 2
    • 5 years, 3 months ago

      dr.jennifer.amani

    • Welcome
      Welcoming everyone to the new page. When we venture out to a comedy show, the ride home can be just as fun as the show.  Why? Because we usually spend the time talking comedy.  We talk about what we like, didn’t like, what we would do, what we never want to see again, and re-tell the lines that made us bust out laughing. It’s not just fun, it’s educational.  And that’s what we are hoping to create here.  The ROUND TABLE Discussion Page is a way for subscribers to connect, trade information, ask questions, and generally chit-chat about comedy. There are a couple of rules to follow.  We do ask that you keep your comments polite.  You certainly don’t have to agree with what is said, but disagree respectfully.  ROUND TABLE does reserve the right to remove comments and/or block users who don’t abide by the rules.  We don’t see this happening but just have to state it. We also ask that you not post videos or show announcements unless they are part of the discussion.  Announcements can be listed on individual websites which you can post on the RT Directory Page if you like. Please feel free to ask a question or post a comment. You can reply to an existing thread or start one of your own.  Please be aware that comments will be posted immediately and seen by other subscribers. We will update with new threads as needed and if a topic goes in a new direction, we’ll branch off. That’s it for the rules.  Now let’s have some fun and TALK COMEDY!!  
    • 0
    • 0
    • No Topics

    • Writing Jokes when Things aren’t Funny
      No matter what we do, bad things happen. They happen to us as individuals, as a community and as a nation. And through all that, as comedy writers and comedians we have to somehow be funny. Do you have any tricks to muster through when the going gets tough?
    • 0
    • 0
    • No Topics

  •