Before we begin, I will explain what improv comedy is because apart from the show “Whose Line is it Anyways?” a lot of people are unfamiliar with the format. Basically, it is a group of people playing “games” that look like short acting scenes for comedic purposes. The performers will get a suggestion from the audience and base the scene/game off that. For example, one of my favorite games is called “Poems” and in this game we get a suggestion for a poem topic from the audience and then create poems based upon that suggestion. The poems are outlandish and hysterical and that is just a drop of improv can look like. (Here is another definition and better explanation).

For the past two years I have been a member of Senseless Acts of Comedy, which is the improv comedy troupe at Texas Christian University. One of the best parts about being on the team is getting to teach Loose Ends. Loose Ends is an event that happens every Tuesday night, and it is where we invite anyone to come and try improv comedy. They get to play improv games with members of the troupe, and we give them feedback on how to improve. Over the dozens of classes that I have taught, I have found that the hardest thing for people is not the improv but having the courage to try. Everybody is capable of creating a joke, but it can be daunting. That is why this blog is dedicated to the most common reasons that I hear for people not wanting to try improv comedy.

1. I’m not funny.

That’s okay! I wasn’t either, but comedy is a skill and you can get better. Nobody is born a comedic star; it takes a lot work. Being good at comedy is a process, but one that is filled with fun, accomplishment, and (hopefully) laughter. It took me four auditions (that’s two years) before I made it onto the improv troupe, and I thought I was funny. This did not discourage me though. I went to Loose Ends, I watched YouTube videos on improv, and I got better. The point is it took a lot of time and a lot of work to get to this place and I still have a lot to learn about the subject. It looks easy (that’s the point) but it is a lot of work to get at comedy (this also true of most things) and it is totally worth it.  

 Comedy can be learned, but by saying “I’m not funny,” you rid yourself of the opportunity to even try. No one expects you to be John Mulaney on your first day John Mulaney wasn’t John Mulaney on his first day either. So, go ahead and try. You will not regret it!

2. Nobody will laugh at my jokes.

That doesn’t matter. After two years of improv, I have told many jokes that have bombed, and I am positive that I will tell many more. In fact, I will probably tell more bad jokes than good ones and I haven’t even got close to telling the worst one I ever will. Bombing is a natural part of performing comedy and it is nothing to be ashamed or afraid of this. After all, it really does not matter if the joke got a laugh, a chuckle, a loud exhale, silence, or a boo (it has happened). The audience and the show will move on.

People remember laughing not sitting. The beauty of improv comedy is that is fast paced and within in two minutes you’ll have made them laugh at something else you said. Improv comedy lends itself to being able to produce many jokes (thought up by the whole team) in a rather short period of time. The audience has so many things to focus on at once that they will only remember the funny stuff anyways.

Don’t worry, people want to laugh

           People come to a comedy show because they want to laugh and be entertained. This is good news for you. It is a lot easier to be funny and make people laugh when that what they are intending to happen. They are also there with their friends and laughter is a social phenomenon. Their friends’ laughter will make them laugh even of your joke doesn’t. So, getting people to laugh is not the hard part.

Perhaps the biggest reason you should not worry about whether your jokes may people laugh or not is because it does not matter What matters most importantly is whether you think what you are doing is funny and that you are having fun performing. My favorite show are the ones where I am not trying to make the audience laugh, but I am just on-stage having fun. Consequently, these also happen to be some of the funniest shows, because I have stopped worrying about what the audience thinks and have just started to enjoy doing improv. They are called “games” after all.

3. I have stage fright, and I am horrified.

 This point is not about being afraid that no one will laugh (That was covered above). This is about the idea of getting up in front of a room of strangers and just talking. This is about that feeling you get where your mouth feels drier than an episode of The Office (U.K. edition), your legs tremble so bad that your kneecaps switch place, and your heart is beating fast like a five year old kid who got a drum set for his birthday. I know that it can be a mortifying experience and that is why I want to stress: You are not alone. That’s normal and just know that your team will support you no matter what happens.

            One of the best parts about being on a troupe is that there are others on the stage, and they all have your back. One of my favorite traditions from my time on Senseless Acts of Comedy is before every show each member of the troupe pats everyone on the back and says, “I’ve got your back.” This demonstrates the power of the team dynamic. It is a lot easier to go on stage, even if you are afraid, when you know that people