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Comedy Fri Apr 29 2011
How To Be A Good Audience Member
Anyone who has seen live comedy knows one of the biggest hurdles to enjoying a show can be hearing the comic over the inevitable presence of the (hopefully singular) drunk, loud, chatty audience member. If you can't think of who that person was at the last show you went to, it was probably you.
Two of Chicago's most up-and-coming comics shared their thoughts with me recently, in an effort to shed some light on the question that is (and should be) looming in everyones mind: 'How can I be a good audience member?'.
Beth Stelling is one of Chicago's rising female comedians who has performed in venues all over the country. Beth co-hosts Entertaining Julia at the Town Hall Pub every Sunday night at 9 pm.
(My) pet peeve is when you get so wasted you start talking louder than the comic onstage. Sometimes you even think you're doing a good thing by going up to said comic after you talked through their whole set to say how funny they were and how they were your favorite and the other comics aren't as funny, while one of those comics is now onstage. ...and the cycle repeats!
Beth's other advice to her future fans and audiences?
Laugh often, laugh loudly. also: I'd love to talk with you after the show!
Dan Telfer, co-producer of Chicago Underground Comedy (Tuesday nights at the Beat Kitchen) and another Chicago comedy rising star, also has some thoughts on the subject.
Forget about your baggage. When you step into a performance venue, set aside your bitterness, your entitlement, your hopes, your pain. This performance is a distraction. The best kind of distraction, but a distraction none-the-less. In particular, nothing ruins comedy more than holding onto baggage. And if you drink, you might make the horrible mistake of having a chip on your shoulder. Nobody wants to hear you drunkenly shriek that your cousin was ripped apart by feral koalas 10 years ago. They want to hear the comedian tell their joke about how koalas are better than people.
The next time you are at a show and you feel the impulse to "contribute," remember this: comedy is an art-form and deserves your full attention and respect. Also keep in mind that a good comic is quick-witted and will not hesitate to request your cooperation - in front of the entire audience.
