Sankey, Jay: Zen and the Art of Stand-Up Comedy ©1998 Routledge/Theatre Arts Books, NY, London Hardcover, 214 pages ISBN: 0-87830-073-2 Also in Softcover ISBN: 0-87830-074-0

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Comments: In case your magic career needs a change.

Contents (from book ToC, page number only for main chapters):

XIII Acknowledgement
XV Introduction

1 Chapter One - Stand Up
Comedy and Laughter
What is Stand-Up Comedy?
Why Be a Stand-up Comic
Stand-Up Comics
Life on the Road
Being a Female Stand-Up Comic
Amateur Nights
Your First Time Onstage

13 Chapter Two - Writing
Where Do You Get Your Ideas?
The Power of Ideas
Expressing Vs. Communicating
Clever Vs. Funny
Absurdist Humor
Street Jokes
Why Should an Audience Care?
surprise, Credibility, Truth and Exaggeration
Does Every Joke Have a Victim?
Ideas vs. Experiences
What Is a Joke?
Be Specific, But Not Too Specific
Gestures Replacing Words
Three The Magic Number
Simple is Better
Callbacks
Writing With Other People
Why Keep Writing
Joke Checklist

51 Chapter Three - Character
What's the Difference Between a Comic and an Actor?
Magnifying Glass or Telescope
Why Not Just Be Yourself?
Character-Driven Material
Clothing

75 Chapter Four - Delivery
Should You Use Your Real Voice?
Experiment
Variety vs. a Uniform Style
Projection and Emotion
Swearing
Shock Comedy

97 Chapter Five - Performance
The tools of the Trade
Show and Tell
Memory
Taking the Stage
Strength vs. Aggression
Whatever Doesn't Add, Detracts
Breaking in New Material
Dealing With Nerves
Rehearsing
Props
Other Talents
Music

137 Chapter Six - Set Structure
To Segue or Not to Segue
Your First Joke
Nearing the End of Your Set
Your Set
Great Sets

151 Chapter Seven - Audiences
A Fish on the Line
Why Do Some Audiences Get Off the Bus?
Spritzing
Being an MC - Master of Ceremonies
Hell Gigs
Surviving Hell Gigs
Hecklers
Bombing

177 Chapter Eight - Professional Stand-Up
Self-Promotion
Promotional Events
You, Other Comics, and the Audience
Drugs Alcohol, and Superstition
Burn-Out
Luss In Your Creative Growth
Being Professional

205 Chapter Nine - Zen and the Art of Stand-Up Comedy
Water is Stronger Than Rock
You Are Where You Are
Straining/Restraining vs. Zen

211 Twenty Tips

213 Glossary