Anyone who knows us at JH5 and/or follows this blog is fully aware of our love of all things comedy. This has formed our desire to write this blog, and produce quality comedy shows. We have had good success thus far, and continue to grow and learn. Through our reviews/recaps we try to capture the mood of the comedy shows to give the general public an idea of the show they will go watch, and hopefully more people will begin to rediscover live comedy at it's best. On our "Who to Watch" segments, we have profiled comedians and people we support and hope to see their careers soar. Our guest blogger area provides an opportunity for any comic, at any point, a chance to write about comedy their way. As promoters we support local clubs and people, and will work hard to spread the word about great talent. As producers, we produce shows we are proud of, and have brought in talent we know as great comedy, and only work with talent we are proud to have on our shows. If we venture into open mic/amateur evenings we label things as such. And thus began a heated discussion on what makes a quality show.
There are three different kind of producers in comedy. There are the comedy clubs that keep regular shows of mostly high quality comics coming through. There are big producing shows bringing high end names on tours. And their are smaller producers, of which we belong. These smaller producers range from someone running an open mic, to those with mid-larger shows. We at JH5 experiment with both formats, and enjoy providing an opportunity for comedians to strut their stuff, so to speak.
Today's debate surrounded putting on comedy shows of lesser caliber, charging admission, and not telling the audience the difference. By lesser caliber, here is my test: If I and other amateurs are good enough to be on your show, then likely it is not producing the best quality of talent. There is nothing wrong with having shows with talent that is new and developing, but label it as such. The show may go well or not, but if it goes poorly and this is the audience's only exposure to comedy, then they will never get to the clubs to see headliners. If they know that what they are watching is local comics trying their stuff out, then they will understand this is one level of comedy, and may forgive the sins of the show.
The two managers of the comedy clubs spend a great deal of their time developing talent. They have spent their life watching comedy, and know a thing or two about what makes a good show. If they have not singled you out yet as someone ready to even do a six minute spot at one of their shows, why on earth would someone think they are ready to be a professional comic at this point? And why would someone producing label a show professional that isn't?
Last fall we produced a show at Centrepointe Theatre featuring Elvira Kurt, Heidi Foss, Jen Grant, and Martha Chaves. This was a show worth going to, and paying a good amount of money to do so. Earlier in the month a local producer offered to advertise for us at their local gig. We politely declined; if someone watched local comics perform for an evening after they paid $5.00, why would they then think that spending $50.00 is fair. If they are only exposed to lower end comedy, then that is all they will be willing to pay for. Even when the professionals go to open mics, they are often working out their material on stage to deliver their 100% best performance on shows where they make their money. See, there is a place for open mic's, and thank goodness they exist, but in no way should people be promoting them as professional shows.
When we mislabel comedy shows, we then water down comedy. When we produce comedy that is sub-standard but label it as a professional show, then we water down comedy. Would someone pay the same amount for a Hollywood blockbuster as they would for a college production? No they wouldn't, but if the college production is the only thing the audience sees and have not seen high quality, then they may be turned off movies forever.
So people, keep creating stages, keep providing opportunities for comics, and keep comedy alive and growing. While doing this, be honest about what you are producing and where you are as a producer/comedian. Ask for feedback from the club managers, from those around you. In order to gain respect in this field, one must have a true respect for the art form, and my belief is there are new producers who only care about trying to make money and have little concern for the craft of comedy, and bringing quality to audiences.
Do you agree? I would love to see some discussion on this subject!
So to the gentlemen who called me mean and that I have a big mouth: Thank you for the inspiration for this comedy blog. To everyone else, keep supporting comedy, and thank you for continual support of JH5. We have four upcoming shows; three big productions and one local open mic. We hope you join us for these shows, and please tune in tomorrow for WHO TO WATCH with Graham Chittenden, a true professional in the field of comedy.
Jenn H.
JH5
2 comments:
So if someone was to produce a "lower quality" comedy show they should advertise that fact??? I'm sure that would be awesome for ticket sales! I'm just curious as to how you judge this. After all, comedy is largely subjective and just because the show is not a ripoff does not mean that there are not creative and funny comedians there. If the show sucks people will get it and probably leave. It doesn't mean they will avoid comedy forever. I hope to see a disclaimer at your next event stating "WARNING - the following comedians are of lower quality and are working out their acts - but please come in and watch anyway..."
You raise a valid, albeit either/or point. There are ways to advertise local people, by stating just that. As for rip offs, remember our goal at JH5 is to help promote great talent, and feel bad when audiences may never get to see the likes of Martha Chaves or Mark Forward because they feel satisfied with their $10.00 show. It isn't either/or, it is just not calling a show full of amateurs a professional show, which is full of people who have been performing for 15 + years. but thank you for the point and for reading!
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