How to Do It Standing Up: The Friars' Club Guide to Being a Comic, a Cut-Up, a Card, a Character or a Clown

By Barry Dougherty

Book Overview

No one knows more about being funny than The Friars Club, and now they reveal their personal tricks of the trade-and give away their favorite material--in this easy-to-use manual for aspiring comics, comedy writers or just plain show-offs. The funniest men and women in showbiz discuss the art of being funny, and author Barry Dougherty puts it all together in the first and last Friars Club manual for anyone who wants to be a comedian--or just act like one. The book covers such important matters as What's funny--and what's not; the many forms of comedy: jokes, one-liners, anecdotes, stories, impressions, puns, ad-libs, wisecracks and more; choosing material and putting together a routine; developing a personal style; writing your own material--and much more. In-depth, personal interviews with a host of well-known comedians punctuate the text, along with lots of examples of their funniest material.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 157912254X
• ISBN13: 9781579122546
• Release Date: September 2002
• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Now Am I Funny???

Let's get this much straight: this book will not make unfunny people funny, but it will certainly provide an entertaining read. The comics whom Dougherty interviews are all successful and, ergo, extremely amusing. The author manages to capture their anecdotes and reflections in a tight framework which could, conceivably, provide a useful blueprint for the novice comic. It's a fun, zippy read, even if you aren't looking for a future in stand-up. I am a fan of Belzer, Pat Cooper, and Susie Essman to name a few of those profiled, so it was fun to read their responses to some of Dougherty's queries about their backgrounds, their missteps, etc.

Yeah. I wanna do it standin up, sittin down, on the phone...

I have a friend who thinks she is funny. She isn't. I think one of the hardest things to do is teaching someone how to be funny. This book comes very close. It's more than just "timing" (that trite often used excuse some use in explaining how to amuse others) and it's more than just having that innate natural ability. Through the many interviews with those that are professionally funny, Mr. Dougherty manages to highlight and tie together the lessons that these jokemasters, prop comics and humorists relate. With their varying comedic styles, Mr. Dougherty successfully documents these truths in a way that they make sense. Comedy is hard. Teaching it is harder. Will this help my comedically-challenged friend? God...I hope so. But it's a good book and I liked it.