| StageTimeMag.com | Vol. 2 No. 1 |
Comedy news, interviews, reviews and essays
STAGE TIME | "The Comedian's Magazine"
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE FEATURES Festival Wrap Up: New York Underground Comedy Festival Hustle & Grow: STAGE TIME Celebrates 1st Anniversary Comic Resolutions 2007 Comic's Final Progress Report 2006 INTERVIEWS Brad Stine **NEW** Careers in Comedy: Ryan McCormick PR Manager COVER STORY Shang REVIEWS Angry Bob Comedy Jump Off Doug Powell Eric Schwartz James P. Connolly **NEW** Anatomy of a Joke "Racism Damnit!" Written and Performed by Shang |
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BRAD STINE - PAGE 8
Which audience is more challenging for
you? Is it the club audience or church
audience?
I would say the church audience. The
thing I love about church audiences is
they’re coming to have a good time.
It’s nice that they already know what
I’m about and I don’t have to try to win
them over, whereas at a comedy club,
you have to be ready to fight. The
thing I love about clubs is that I never
have to stop and think, “Is this going
to offend them? Are they going to take
this the wrong way?”
…I always have in the back of my mind
that some of these people have never
been to a comedy club. They bring
their children. Kids love my show. But
there’s always this sense of décor in a
church that sometimes I feel it stifles
how far I really want to take my
people. No matter how mature you
want your eight year-old to be, they’re
eight. As much as I want church people
to let me go to another place, it might
not be their thing.
you? Is it the club audience or church
audience?
I would say the church audience. The
thing I love about church audiences is
they’re coming to have a good time.
It’s nice that they already know what
I’m about and I don’t have to try to win
them over, whereas at a comedy club,
you have to be ready to fight. The
thing I love about clubs is that I never
have to stop and think, “Is this going
to offend them? Are they going to take
this the wrong way?”
…I always have in the back of my mind
that some of these people have never
been to a comedy club. They bring
their children. Kids love my show. But
there’s always this sense of décor in a
church that sometimes I feel it stifles
how far I really want to take my
people. No matter how mature you
want your eight year-old to be, they’re
eight. As much as I want church people
to let me go to another place, it might
not be their thing.
The Improv is bringing me in…I haven’t worked in clubs in several years because they couldn’t afford me.
I was able to make such good money. I was doing Promise Keepers. Fifty thousand men in an auditorium
and I’m selling merchandise, but I just felt like I wanted to go back to my roots. I love comedy clubs. I
love the vibe. So many people have never seen me that I know would like to see, but didn’t know I exist
because they’re not going to church.
Even though I’m a conservative Christian, the vast majority of my audience is still right now Christian, so
all these conservatives I know would dig what I’m doing. I think I’ve made some headway. Everybody in
the comedy world knows who I am, but there’s still millions of Americans that are going to be potential
fans.
They’ll be fans for different reasons: “Finally, a guy who doesn’t curse. Finally, a guy that doesn’t put my
country down. Finally, a guy who talks about going to church. I’ve never heard that on a comedy tape.
Finally, a guy that has conservative, traditional values.” And I’m given them a place to laugh. I don’t
make fun of people. I make fun of ideas. The point is to let conservative people know, “Here’s a show for
you.” It’s comedy for the other half of America.
It seems as though some comics are looking for a formula to achieving the dream: “I want to get on The
Tonight Show. I want to do movies. I want a HBO comedy special.” Does such a formula exist?
There’s always the exception to every rule. There’s always the people who make it in acting at [age] 17
and do it their whole life. And then there’s the guy whose been trying to get a job for 30 years. But the
only true formula that I know is if you want to make it as a comic, you have to be relentless. You have to
decide, “I don’t care if I die. I will not quit until I achieve it.” Because it’s that hard.
I don’t care how funny you think you are, there’s somebody just as funny as you. Someone more better
looking. Someone more talented. Someone has a better manager. Someone has a better connection. So
much of this stuff is networking. Write as much as you can so you’re always experimenting. Find some-
thing you are passionate about. Don’t fake it. What do you really believe about life? And talk about that.
Everybody always thinks that their voice is finding the magic hook. Every comic already has their voice.
You are your voice. All you have to do is trust it.
I was able to make such good money. I was doing Promise Keepers. Fifty thousand men in an auditorium
and I’m selling merchandise, but I just felt like I wanted to go back to my roots. I love comedy clubs. I
love the vibe. So many people have never seen me that I know would like to see, but didn’t know I exist
because they’re not going to church.
Even though I’m a conservative Christian, the vast majority of my audience is still right now Christian, so
all these conservatives I know would dig what I’m doing. I think I’ve made some headway. Everybody in
the comedy world knows who I am, but there’s still millions of Americans that are going to be potential
fans.
They’ll be fans for different reasons: “Finally, a guy who doesn’t curse. Finally, a guy that doesn’t put my
country down. Finally, a guy who talks about going to church. I’ve never heard that on a comedy tape.
Finally, a guy that has conservative, traditional values.” And I’m given them a place to laugh. I don’t
make fun of people. I make fun of ideas. The point is to let conservative people know, “Here’s a show for
you.” It’s comedy for the other half of America.
It seems as though some comics are looking for a formula to achieving the dream: “I want to get on The
Tonight Show. I want to do movies. I want a HBO comedy special.” Does such a formula exist?
There’s always the exception to every rule. There’s always the people who make it in acting at [age] 17
and do it their whole life. And then there’s the guy whose been trying to get a job for 30 years. But the
only true formula that I know is if you want to make it as a comic, you have to be relentless. You have to
decide, “I don’t care if I die. I will not quit until I achieve it.” Because it’s that hard.
I don’t care how funny you think you are, there’s somebody just as funny as you. Someone more better
looking. Someone more talented. Someone has a better manager. Someone has a better connection. So
much of this stuff is networking. Write as much as you can so you’re always experimenting. Find some-
thing you are passionate about. Don’t fake it. What do you really believe about life? And talk about that.
Everybody always thinks that their voice is finding the magic hook. Every comic already has their voice.
You are your voice. All you have to do is trust it.
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