Tips for Performing Improvised Stand-Up Comedy

Someone called Michele wrote a wonderful guide to performing Set List-style comedy. I wish all of our performers could see this article. It’s brimming with advice that sounds obvious, but I can tell you must be counter-intuitive to finding yourself in the strange position of trying to make a room full of people laugh with no material. She covers taking your time, trusting that the show runner wants you to do well, not giving up or attacking the premise of the show you asked to be on, and also gets into some deeper strategies of exploring topics from A-to-C or having a premise to give your improvised set a framework.

I’m pretty sure that there’s another, much more popular article out there somewhere that tells people to just link every topic to a boring story about a vacation you went on as a child. I strongly recommend that you read this one instead.

Thank you, Michele!

Set List at the Pack is a completely improvised stand-up show that happens every Thursday night at 10:30, at the Pack Theater in Los Angeles, CA.

Set List: Rob's on SGC2C!

On a good night, Set List at the Pack draws a fairly diverse crowd. In terms of age, we regularly host comedians in their 20s as well as in their 60s. And one thing both of those age groups have in common is that they find this sort of thing completely baffling:

Set List at the Pack is a completely improvised stand-up show that happens every Thursday night at 10:00, at the Pack Theater in Los Angeles, CA.

Set List: The Lion King!

Like all good comedy shows, Set List at the Pack has an ongoing meta-narrative, and in our current storyline, I am on tour and checking in from various locales while somehow still managing to run the show. It's 10% less fun than it sounds!

Anyhow, this week, I'm checking in from Disney Animation Studios! Where will I be next week? Join us at Set List to find out!

Set List at the Pack is a completely improvised stand-up show that happens every Thursday night at 10:30, at the Pack Theater in Los Angeles, CA. 

Set List: On the Run!

Still ostensibly on tour, I check in with Jason from somewhere so far away that it's light out. 

Where will I be next week? Join us and find out!

Set List at the Pack is a completely improvised stand-up show that happens every Thursday night at 10:30, at the Pack Theater in Los Angeles, CA. 

Set List: Costume Fitting!

Like every good comedy show, Set List at the Pack has a running meta-narrative, and the current plot involved Rob being on tour. Last week, I checked in from scenic Disney Studios for some reason.  Where will I be next week? Join us and find out!

Set List at the Pack is a completely improvised stand-up show that happens every Thursday night at 10:30, at the Pack Theater in Los Angeles, CA.