As discussed in Stand Up Comedy Scenes Acting Out the Characters, Part 1, the tips were, “Show, don’t tell,” “Find more characters,” “Let go of reality,” and “Study the characters. Next, we’ll go into how to go about studying the character you wish to act out in your stand-up comedy scene.As discussed in Part 1, the tips were, “Show, don’t tell,” “Find more characters,” “Let go of reality,” and “Study the characters. Next, we’ll go into how to go about studying the character you wish to act out in your stand-up comedy scene.

So, when you use a character in your stand-up comedy routine, ask yourself:

Who is this person?
Is it he? She? They?

• Black? White? Latino? Asian? Some other ethnicity?
• How old are they?
• Do they have an accent?
• What do they wear?
• How do they move?
• Where did they grow up?
• Do they have a job?
• Are they married?

Ask yourself as many specific questions as you can.  The answers may not be funny, or even particularly interesting, but knowing their answers will help you be more specific when playing the character. Vague choices lead to vague characters.

But Just As Important Is the Inner Life of the Character, So Figure Out:

• What kind of a person would say this?
• What are your character’s values?
• What are they trying to achieve?

Become the Character
Once you figure out who a character is, become that person and go out into the world for a test drive.  You don’t have to tell anyone; just imagine you’re that person while you jog, or stand in line at the grocery store, or speak with a bank teller. Figure out how that person walks, talks and thinks about things. Have fun with it.

Did you know that just like any other trade, comedy has techniques that can be taught and applied to your style and brand of funny?

Greg Dean’s Stand-Up Comedy Classes

Greg teaches his techniques in two classes. Level 1 – How to Build a Stand Up Comedy Routine is the beginning class (also called the “101 class”) that teaches you everything you need to know to build and perform a stand-up comedy routine. Level 2: Writing & Performing at the Improv (also known as the “201 class”) guilds you through the process of building a routine and preparing to perform at one of the world’s most prestigious comedy clubs.

Even though these classes are named a beginning and advanced, they are actually classes that stand up comedians of any number of years of experience can take. They are beginning and advanced in the Greg Dean system. If you’re interested in faster and better ways to create good jokes and you want to dive deeper on joke writing then you’ll want to take both of these classes.

Free On Demand Webinar: How to Build a Stand Up Comedy Routine