 by Barbara Holliday I have been asked so many interesting questions over my 25 years of stand-up comedy management and teaching, but the number one question I hear most often from prospective students and comedians is “How do I Find my Voice?” If this were a script, I would insert stage directions here: start looking around the room, behind the curtains, under the desk to demonstrate trying to find a voice as if it were an “ITEM or THING” that could be purchased on Amazon. I tried to look it up on Amazon and, believe me, Your “Voice” is not for sale (well, that is until you sell your first comedy special!). The good news is we all have a Voice! And your Voice (which is Unique to YOU- who you are & how you feel) equals your branding in Stand Up Comedy. The Voice you have been looking for is already right where it needs to be: INSIDE YOU! Your Voice may be weak or quiet, but it’s in there. Your Voice may also have been beaten down by a traumatic upbringing, society, or other people around you. But everything gets stronger with exercise and practice! A great way to exercise your Voice is by performing Stand-Up Comedy. Stand-up Comedy at its very core is about authenticity, vulnerability and inner truth! What I love about teaching Stand Up Comedy is I actually get to teach people to be themselves. That may sound easy, but I think it’s one of the hardest art forms to master because we all want to run and hide from ourselves. We tend to think that everybody else is much shinier and brighter than we are. In order to be a truly successful Stand Up Comedian, you must get in touch with your true self, in order to express your unique Voice. TIPS TO EXERCISE & BUILD A STRONGERSTAND UP COMEDY VOICE Brush the negative judgy Devil off of your shoulder – Don’t Listen to Negative Nellies.Never apologize or say “I’m Sorry” for telling a joke Embrace and Trust your outrage and complaints. State your opinions confidently and concisely so that they “cannot be denied”Believe in Yourself – You and Your Opinions have valueSpeak from the Truth – it’s always funnier and more powerfulDon’t try to Please the audience, being honest and vulnerable will please them automatically. Don’t worry about everyone “LIKING” youYOU have the microphone, so don’t be silent or let others silence you. Think about one of the biggest comedians in the business: Jerry Seinfeld. We can all identify him by his branding, (boring guy who talks about nothing)! In fact, he created an entire sitcom based on “boring” and “nothing” If you read his early notes about pitching that sitcom, he literally had nothing to pitch. He literally pitched nothing. But he was so honest and vulnerable, the essence of his “normal guy who really had nothing to say” became the foundation of one of the most famous sitcoms in television history. This list of famous comedians goes on and on, but the point of this article is simple. Everything you need is already right in front of you. The truth is much funnier than something that’s made up. That is something that we strive to teach at Flappers University. Coming from a place of truth and writing from your own authentic self is much funnier than pretending or presenting. Find out more about branding, finding your Voice and your “essence” in my “Understanding Your Branding” 3 Hour Workshop on Feb 10th, 2024 12pm-3pm. Barbara Holliday- Owner/CEO Flappers Comedy Club & Restaurant, was also a former Kids Club Host for Fox Television. She is a current member of SAG-AFTRA. |
| One-Day Workshops Listed in Date Order |
| Kid’s Stand-Up and Improv ClassSaturday, Feb 3rd | 2-3pm Put your kids in this fun workshop where they will learn how to work together as a team while playing and learning basic improv games. This special one-day workshop will be taught by a professional improv instructor at Flappers Comedy Club from 3pm to 4pm, and will culminate with a live performance at 4:30pm in the long running Two Milk Minimum Show! Click To Enroll |
| Intro To Comedy IntensiveSunday, Feb 4th | 12pm-3pm Instructor: Peter MurphyMTV Click To Enroll |
| Understanding Your BrandingSaturday, February 10th12pm-3pm Instructor: Barbara HollidayCEO & Founder, Flappers Comedy LLC Click To Enroll |
| Storytelling For ComediansSaturday, February 17th12pm-3pm Instructor: Christine BlackburnStory Smash: Storytelling Game Show Story Worthy Podcast Click To Enroll |
| The Business of Comedy: A Comedian’s Primer to Becoming an Actor in Hollywood Saturday, February 24th12pm-3pm Instructor: Adam LiebleinTalent Agent | Producer Click To Enroll |
| How to Be A Better EmceeSaturday, March 2nd | 12pm-3pm Instructor: Peter MurphyMTV Click To Enroll |
| Pitching Your TV Show Or MovieSaturday, March 16th12pm-3pm Instructor: Steve JarczakWriter Netflix, Amazon, AppleTV Click To Enroll |
| Writing For Late NiteSaturday, April 20th12pm-3pm Instructor: Gabe AbelsonThe Late Show With David Letterman Click To Enroll |
| Click Here – ALL One-Day WorkshopsListed In Date Order |
| NEW Multi-Week Classes Path Levels 1-5 Beginning In March, 2024 Multi-Week Classes will start at the beginning of every month and run for four weeks.Level 1 – Getting Comfortable On StageLevel 2 – Joke StructureLevel 3 – Being AuthenticLevel 4 – Professional Track (audition only) Level 5 – Masterclass (audition only) Levels 1-3 now available with student showcase dates through December of 2024 |
| Click HERE – Full Schedule Schedule Subject To Change | Visit FlappersUniversity.com For Updated Classes |