RESOURCES
Cleveland Comedy Calendar
Be sure to patron these business that support aspiring artists in the performing arts.
Patron Accessibility, Health, & Safety Notice:
The Cleveland Comedy Festival follows the guidelines set by our hosting venue partners.
Please contact them directly if you have any questions.
You can visit our Green Room for the latest updates.
Advice for Aspiring Comics
The first rule of comedy: Be Funny
As long as you can keep the audience engaged and laughing you will be given the creative latitude to try new material, speak personally, and express your opinion how you see fit, but you have to be funny.
Write & keep writing!
There are plenty of books, videos and people to offer advice on writing exercises. Whether it on paper or your phone, writing and revising will help fin incongruities, metaphors and analogies you may not have noticed before.
Getting Yourself Out There
Performing stand up comedy is no different than public speaking. It is okay to get nervous. Open mics are a great way to network with other performers, give and ask for feedback on jokes and practice your routine
Know the rules of the Open Mic
Any rules set up by the host (and venue) should be fully respected. The host will tell you how long you have, when you get the light to wrap up your routine and when you will go up. I t may be a long wait, but if you're serious about your craft, the wait can be worth it.​
Read the room & check in with the host about subject matter or language. No one's trying to restrict your freedoms, but some hosts may want to keep the language "clean" or avoid subjects that may not work well with the venue, its owner, or patrons. When starting out, you'll be surprised how many are NOT there for comedy.
Think of this as a opportunity to exercise some wordplay of your routine to fit the audience that is there.
Comedy is like any art and any other career - success in the field is based on what you know, who you know, and sometimes luck. If you are serious in getting yourself out there and getting paid for your words, a couple of tools on standby are always useful:
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A 5 - 7 minute set of your routine for submissions (video and/or audio)
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headshot / portrait (avoid selfies, if you can)
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Solid booking / contact information
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know how to complete a 1099 form
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Some comics have a professional, detailed website, others get by only with Instagram, and others more with no online prescience at all. Merchandise, business cards, etc. are things you will decide as you build up your network and what works best for you.
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