If you're interested in a standup comedy career, you'll need to work your way up the ladder through comedy theaters. Telling jokes at one may seem intimidating, but if you use these key tips, you can overcome a lot of challenges early on in your comedy career.
Start Out at Smaller Venues
When you first get into standup comedy, you don't want to book large comedy theaters. That's not going to work out. You have to build to this point and first start out in smaller venues. This is where you can develop your skills as a comedian.
Getting in front of fewer people will ease your nerves and let you work out your jokes in a more effective manner. Then once your comedy career gains momentum and you're a household name, you can start booking at the larger comedy theaters that hold potentially thousands of people.
Build a Relationship with the Staff
There will be staff that works at each comedy theater you perform at. That includes managers, servers, doormen, and other professionals that are in charge of keeping these theaters running smoothly. You should build a relationship with these people because you'll be interacting with them a lot.
If you develop a relationship, you'll enjoy being around these professionals more. They can even help your comedy career. You may get to meet insiders that have a lot of pull in the comedy industry, who can help your comedy career blossom.
Hire a Booking Manager
A lot goes into booking gigs at comedy theaters. You have to work out payment, hotel accommodations, and dates. If you don't want these things overwhelming you and stopping you from performing your best at comedy gigs, consider hiring a booking manager.
This will be a professional that dedicates all of their time booking gigs at different comedy theater clubs around the country. Letting them handle these tasks will save you a lot of stress. You can just focus on your craft and let the booking manager take care of everything else. You can of course give them suggestions about where you want to be booked and when you're available for gigs.
Becoming a standup comedian is an exciting profession that you can have a lot of fun with. A huge part of this career is dealing with comedy theater clubs. If you have concrete plans for booking and developing your career around them, nothing will get in your way.
To get started, reach out to a company like Atlanta Comedy Theater.
