Finding the Punch

Another post about stand up. Tuesday is the next Middle East open mic, I'm back on forth on whether to go and do it or not. I talked to a friend in my improv troupe yesterday who spent many years doing work as a stand up, and she was encouraging, which was nice. One suggestion she had, which I'm aware of but haven't started doing yet, is recording yourself on stage to listen to later, which I think whenever I do it next I'll be trying.

I feel anxiety about the preparedness of my material. Not having really throughly prepared material hasn't stopped me from going up and doing it the past two weeks, but I feel like I need to fix that, that I need to get into a mode of WORKING on jokes (call back to a conversation I had with my friend James about working, don't worry you aren't supposed to get it), actively crafting them, but I don't feel the motivation, or the sense that I'd really know where to start in honing them and finding the punch (as in punch line) behind them. I have several premises, one or two one liners and several other ideas and stories floating in my head, a few of which I've tried to varying levels of success. It's tough only having five minutes, or this last time I did it when I got cut off early (which is what I get for showing up late) to work through material. Which is an argument for working on it off stage, and going up as much as possible.

Except I feel... lazy. Stand up isn't the same rush for me as is acting. But I feel compelled to pursue it. Ironic that I'm simultaneously lazy. People are impressed when I tell them about it, which is cool I guess. They say it must be exciting, and I respond "well it's very difficult".

This reminds me of an extremely awkward encounter I had waiting for the red line the other day. An elderly woman comes up to me, "are you Mike Handelman?" I tell that yes, I am, she lives around the corner from the Loeb and saw me last summer in Speech and Debate and then in Measure for Measure and wanted to know if I was doing Harvard Summer Theatre again which no, I am not, and I thanked her. It's nice to think that something about what I did in those shows made her remember my name, and that she wanted to see more of my work. It was awkward meeting a fan. I stumbled over my words somewhat in speaking to her, not because I was nervous but because it was simply strange and new.

Other things... I had a callback today. Not sure if I got it, haven't heard anything. Fingers crossed, although if I do get it, it will make things complicated with my other show which goes up about a month before. I did this same thing all of this past year, and it was pretty difficult, not crazy about repeating the process. But I need the experience and the credits, so if I do get it I'll have to say yes.

Tomorrow (today? it's Monday which I guess technically is today already) is my last Shakespeare class. What a ride it's been, I've certainly learned a lot. I'm a little nervous for our final presentation in front of a small audience. I'm sure I'll be fine, but I'd really like for my scene to go well, and it's been a challenge getting it from point A to point B.

In the meantime it's June going on July, I'm not rehearsing anything (yet), I'm just in summer mode. Summertime, and the living is easy, etc. I think I want to apply to grad schools this year. I just realized if I'm going to do that, I need to start sooner rather than later. Would you like to write me a letter of recommendation? No, I'm kidding. But seriously would you?