She Shed Comedy: Empowering Your Comedy Career Linda Schwartz
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She Shed Comedy began as a service project to educate and empower women pursuing a career in comedy by sharing stories and wisdom from women who are currently working in entertainment.
It is our mission to serve these women through lighthearted, soulful, and meaningful conversations with working women in entertainment; as such, this show will serve as a platform for female comedians to share their stories, wisdom, and insights and be a guiding Light for aspiring female comedians. To that end, our wish is to cultivate a sacred and safe space for our truth to shine. We Will Laugh, We Will Cry, and Together - We Will Rise. Come along for the ride and have a listen.
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S2E18: REPLAY: Why Letting Your Set BREATHE (by doing THIS) is So Important
Have you ever been out to dinner with a group of friends and after a bunch of chit chat the table falls to a dead silence…
And as that awkward feeling starts creeping up your shoulders someone starts babbling again and relief washes over you?
What is it about silence that gets to people?
I think that we are so used to being bombarded by sound, that when silence arrives, it’s so unfamiliar that we have an unconscious need to fill it back up.
Why?
Because nature abhors a vacuum.
We have an unconscious need to fill empty space.
What does this have to do with comedy?
Well, It’s been said that “music happens in the silence between the notes”.
This is also true for comedy.
Comedy happens in the pause.
And if we look at our job as being a conductor on stage, then we get to create magic between ourselves and the audience
And if you can master this one thing, it will make you a better comic in no time.
In fact, if you’re new and you build this in to your set straight from the gate, you’ll give off the essence of being a pro.
That’s how powerful this is.
Today, we’re joined by Bobbie Oliver, author of The Tao of Comedy – Embrace The Pause
And it was in her book, that I first read about the importance of pausing.
You'll hear first hand how pausing on and offstage will help you build confidence and a commanding stage presence.
Read Bobbie's book, The Tao of Comedy
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Watch her special -
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S2E16: REPLAY: Going PRO - What It Means To Be A Professional Comedian
-If you are going to do this, just decide to be a professional. Learn some skills; give it some time. It's not going to be easy; set proper expectations, go out there and give it your best and just keep doing it.- 'Go Pro' by Eric Worre.
For some people, being professional is synonymous with having years of experience on stage. For others, it could be the aura you emit, the way you carry yourself, what style you show up with, your outfit, and a host of others.
Robin Williams said, "Comedy is the only art form that you can use everything you know."
In this episode, Linda Schwartz takes us through a significant experience in network marketing that changed her mindset and set her on the path to going pro. She shares tips to help set you on your journey to becoming a professional comic.
You can be perceived as a professional during your first performance! Tune in to this episode as Linda talks about how you can stack the deck in your favor even if you haven't stepped foot on stage.
You might want to grab a book and pen for this!
Topics discussed in this episode.
1:09 Lessons from Network Marketing Companies.
6:42 What it means to be a professional comedian.
7:44 Set a standard of excellence.
8:18 Respect people's time always.
10:25 Learn a skill. Talent doesn't guarantee success.
12:50 Treat people nicely.
14:35 Tips on how to exude professionalism as a newbie comedian.
I would love you to help us 'stay on air' by posting a review about this podcast and what you've learned from it on the apple podcast page. Thank you!
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S2E15: REPLAY: Pt2 Going From A Tight 5 to Tight 7 - Deconstructing My 7 Min Set
Standup comedy is a personal development course in action, according to our host, Linda Schwartz. Her comedy is a work in progress, as is she, but she’s sharing her (cringeworthy) experiences to help you improve, too.
On the last episode of She Shed Comedy, we dissected Linda’s tight five from her 2022 Pretty Funny Women show. Today, we’re taking a look at her seven-minute set, so get ready for some laughs and a few lessons!
Perhaps one of the most important things to remember about crafting a set is that the time of a set isn’t how much time you actually have. This is comedy, after all, so you’ll need to pause to leave room for laughs.
From “trimming the fat” to adding new jokes, Linda was able to achieve more cohesion and expand her set from five minutes to seven minutes. She’ll explain how she did it by deconstructing the changes she made, and why she made them.
Linda also discusses her favorite way to end a set, listening to the audience, and her fears sharing these sets. Hear all this and more on this episode!
Topics discussed in this episode:
Linda’s tight five from the Pretty Funny Women show
Linda’s seven-minute set expanded from the tight five
Linda explains what changes were made and why
The new jokes added to the seven-minute set
Paying attention to where people are laughing
Following the line of logic
Ending your set with a callback
The importance of not rushing your set
Sets are a work in progress
Reflecting on a Jim Carrey quote
Linda’s self-care prompt, personal prompt, and comedy prompt for the week
Want to watch Linda bomb and see how far she has come? Take a look at her Stand Up Comedy Showcase Set (and prepare to cringe)!
For more episodes, click here!
Connect with Linda Schwartz:
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S2E14: REPLAY: Going From A Tight 5 To A Tight 7 - Deconstructing My 5 Min Set
Every comic starts out with a five-minute set or what the industry refers to as a ‘tight five’. This tight five will evolve over time and eventually expand into a seven-minute set, then a 15-minute set, then a 45-minute set, and so on.
Since Linda started performing, her set has evolved constantly, with minor tweaks from show to show. Today, we deconstruct her tight five and take a look at how she put her set together to get it as tight and structurally cohesive as possible.
This episode offers insight into the methodology behind crafting a set using Linda’s performance from the Pretty Funny Women show in May 2022 as an example. We take a look at the essential elements of this tight five, from setups to callbacks, and share some tips for cutting the fat (and keeping the laughs coming!)
If you’re in your head, you’re not connecting with your audience. That’s why we want to help you get so comfortable with preparation, precision, and timing that you don't even have to think about it in the moment. Tune in today for all this and more!
Topics discussed in this episode:
A cringe-worthy bombing experience (and what you can learn from it)
The methodology and intention that goes into crafting a set
Linda’s tight five from the Pretty Funny Women show in May 2022
Benefits of recording your live performances
An understanding of word economy and sticky phrases
Tips for getting a laugh within the first three seconds
Creative context, setups, educational bits, and the rule of three
Why you should keep a running tab of funny observations
Deconstructing the set piece and the callback
How to play on the assumptions of your audience
A reminder that every set is a work in progress
Giving your audience permission to laugh
Your 2-in-1 self-care and personal development prompt
This week’s recommended comedy prompt on Netflix
Want to watch Linda bomb and see how far she has come? Take a look at her Stand Up Comedy Showcase Set (and prepare to cringe!)
Recommended Resources:
Brian Simpson on Season 3 of 'The Standups’
For more episodes, click here!
Connect with Linda Schwartz:
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S2E13: REPLAY: Bombing Pt 1: Why You Must Embrace This To Get Better
A comic’s biggest fear is going on stage and hearing crickets, or worse, heckles.
Bombing on stage is quite traumatic, it can stay with you for years to come and even be the reason you leave comedy all together. However, chances are, most comics WILL bomb, it’s just the name of the game.
So how can we look at bombing differently and reframe our perspective to make it work for us? On today’s episode, you will be hearing 5 different women comic’s takes on their bombing experience, what they felt when it was happening, and what they learned from it.
These incredible women share their vulnerable stories that not many would want to share, but is crucial to our personal development. If these incredibly talented comics can bomb, anyone can, so why not find the lesson in the experience and use it to grow?
Tune in to hear how you can change the way you think about bombing and steps you can take if it happens to you to help you become a better comic and a better you!
Topics discussed in this episode:
What is it about bombing that makes us shake in our boots?
Esme Gregson’s experience bombing at a nightclub in LA
How Anastasia Washington reframes her experience bombing
The way Lin Sun gauges her audience and navigates her set to bring the crowd back
Kristel DeLa Rosa’s explanation of how she lost the crowd because she lost herself
Meryl Klemow’s take on how to handle yourself when the stars don’t align in your favor
Self-care, personal development, and comedy prompts!
Connect with Linda Schwartz:
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Customer Reviews
A must listen for any comedian, Linda EMPOWERS YOU
I’m a busy mom, comedian and producer, so I don’t have a lot of time to listen to podcasts. There are so many out there, but Linda really knows how to structure, communicate and flow with her topic and guests. I feel and learn and constantly see new perspective when I listen to the episodes. I also love how this podcast caters to Moms too. I cried listening to the episode where Linda spoke about her Mom, and it inspired me to email my Mom. The steps to empower comedians are stated clearly in each episode. The guests are amazing. It’s refreshing to hear from mostly female comedians as well. It’s such a great community. I love this podcast. I highly recommend it. Thank you Linda for creating this wonderful podcast.
Go Linda go!!
Beautifully done podcast!! Linda and her guests are as deep and intellectual as they are funny, which makes for a great flow! Loved the episode with Carlen!! 💜🤘🏽
Love this!
Linda is so inspiring! Awesome quality podcast with amazing content! Cannot wait for more!!