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Mastering Stand-Up

The Complete Guide to Becoming a Successful Comedian

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Mastering Stand-Up

By: Stephen Rosenfield
Narrated by: Stephen Rosenfield
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This entertaining and sharply written guide - for both beginners breaking into comedy and professionals seeking to improve their sets and advance their careers - examines the work of great comedians such as Louis C. K., Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Izzard, Moms Mabley, Hannibal Buress, Sarah Silverman, Richard Pryor, and more as a means of illustrating the most important techniques of performing and writing stand-up.

Here, Stephen Rosenfield lays out a clear plan for achieving success, candidly explaining what works, what doesn't, and why. Including a 12-item "Successful Comedian's To-Do List," Rosenfield states, "Get undeniably good at each of these and you can kiss your day job good-bye. You will be a pro."

©2018 Stephen Rosenfield (P)2019 Tantor Business Aspects Entertainment & Performing Arts Performing Arts Celebrity Comedy Entertainment Funny Witty Joke Writing
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Critic reviews

"An absolutely essential instructional guide and reference for anyone aspiring to a career as a comedian." (Midwest Book Review)
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For the low price of your monthly credit Stephen gifts you a lifetimes worth of experience. He doesn't write the material for you but gives you the tools to turn your own experience and viewpoint into a tight ten minutes of original material. Or if your a fan of comedy you get an extra level of appreciation of the art of comic oration. All for the price of a pint at your local comedy club.

A lifetimes worth of experience

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This is having a kindly uncle take you under his wing and give you a complete road map in how to succeed in stand-up. Stephen gives you all the ins and outs of the business and an A-Z of how to succeed in it in a concise and friendly way with plenty of examples. Highly recommended.

Stand-up roadmap

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This is practical, actionable and hilarious. I warmly recommend this audiobook to anyone serious about comedy.

Wow! I'm impressed

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As much as there are comments regarding the lack of anything "new" or previously unknown to the reader, there is a great deal of insight and applicable knowledge in this book. Those looking for "new' are looking for material, which is their own job. The author can't provide information on what doesn't yet exist, and if he were to provide anything beyond the experience and wisdom therein, he would simply be padding the lessons with opinion.

if you want to hone your skills, gain perspective, or just start somewhere then this is a good way to go. if you're serious about developing as a stand-up, you should be open to all opportunities for growth, and if you were to fo so you'd find that many other books of this kind don't measure up in terms of the authors competence and lack of ego inflation.

I will say this, though: his voice isn't the most compelling. I recommend turning the speed up if listening to the audiobook.

Hope this is helpful.

Worthy Of Multiple Reads/Listens

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Going into this, I bought this book more as a piece to satisfy curiosity. I don't intend on becoming a comedian, not yet anyway. However, if I did, this book would critical reading. Going through every aspect of becoming and progressing as a comedian. From writing, to going up to perform and building a career, this book covers it all. Absolutely would recommend this.

Awesome Overview of Becoming a Comedian

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