Stand-Up Comedy

Modern stand-up emerged in the 1950s with Lenny Bruce — before that, comedians were joke-tellers in evening wear. Bruce stood on stage in jeans and talked about drugs, religion, the police. The comedian became the commentator.

Try a new joke in front of three different audiences before you put it in your set. What lands with friends often falls flat with strangers — and vice versa. Only repetition shows whether the material holds up.

“Which comedian makes you laugh without you understanding why?”