Over time, comedians have innovated countless unique styles of stand-up: the classic punchline format of the 1950s has evolved into the nuanced observational style of humor that has come to characterize our contemporary moment. From the absurdist style of Steve Martin, to the deadpan style of Ste...

Overnight success is elusive, if not impossible, for the aspiring stand-up comic. Anyone interested in this artform must face down 8-10 years of mostly unpaid work, bouncing from one small city to the next as they ‘pay their dues’ and scramble to book gigs. Every comedian has a wealth of tales ab...

Early stand-up comedians honed their craft on the vaudeville and nightclub circuits, but by the 1960s comedy clubs were opening their doors across America. Clubs like Catch A Rising Star in New York and the Comedy Store in Los Angeles have vaulted artists like Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Murphy, and Ro...

Stand-up comedy emerged on the vaudeville stage when performers like Frank Fay and Jack Benny succeeded in getting laughs simply by talking - without relying on pratfalls or props. Artists like Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, and Joan Rivers revolutionized the genre in the mid-1950s with the no-holds-bar...

A great joke is like a magic trick: When executed well, it seems natural and easy...but behind the delivery there’s a well-honed craft. Jeff Foxworthy and Jim Gaffigan describe the genesis of their favorite jokes, and then deconstruct their creative processes. As they show, the core of every joke...

Heckling is a form of rude, unwanted audience participation with which every comedian has to contend. From the early twentieth century vaudeville stage to today’s clubs, comedians have devised ingenious – and often hilarious – ways to deflect the heckler’s disruptive intrusions. Artists like Jim ...