This is the first article in a series about directing comedy shows in DC that we’re calling Directors’ Commentary. Stay tuned for upcoming blog posts. And feel free to tell us what else you’d like to know about directing comedy in DC in the comments.
You know the saying: behind every great comedy show is a great comedic director.
Actually, they don’t say that. But maybe they should start.
To be fair, if you’re watching an amazing comedy show, you shouldn’t be asking yourself who was behind the production. You should be too busy laughing your ass off. But when the lights come up and the show is over, maybe you should start to wonder what comedic genius made such a hilarious show happen.
Behind the curtains of any comedy production, there’s always a handful of comedians running around trying to create the best show you’ve ever seen. And while any great show looks effortless, as a performer you know that tons of planning and practice come before any successful show run.
Typically, the person who oversaw all that preparation, who stayed up late making sure everything was ready to go before opening night, and who probably lost the most sleep worrying about whether the show would be a success or not was the director.
If that sounds like a glamorous job to you, you might be wondering what it takes to start directing comedy shows yourself. Good news: we’ve got advice for you to do just that.
4 tips for directing comedy shows from DC comedy directors
More good news: DC is full of people who have directed brilliant comedy shows, both improv and sketch. Luckily for us, they’ve agreed to share some of their wisdom with the larger DC comedy community. Check out some of their number one pieces of advice for any of you wannabe directors out there.
1. Commit to your vision
Part of getting great people involved in your comedy show is making the kinds of choices people want to get on board with. No one wants to work with a diva director, but everyone wants to work with someone who has a great idea.
Zach Mason, co-director of Zach and Kristin Will Make You Cry and In Lieu of Flowers, says, “If you want to direct a show, you need a strong vision. You need to have answers when people come to you with questions.”
If that sounds intimidating, remember: it’s your show. People will be asking you what to do and how to do it. But having a vision doesn’t mean being insufferable. As sketch director Murphy McHugh puts it, “Have an opinion about what you think a piece or show is about, and stay flexible so you can adapt with the cast and their work.”
Once you have an opinion about the purpose of your show, Acuña Acuna director Martin Steger thinks the directing process actually becomes much easier. He suggests that “going in with a clear plan for the show’s purpose and tone will make both writing first drafts and installing revisions easier.”
For example, the purpose of Acuña Acuna was reflecting show creator Erick Acuña’s experiences as a Peruvian living in America. Steger says, “Going back to the purpose kept us away from jokes that were too mean to Peru or America, since Erick has grown from and loves both places. It led us to more positive-leaning jokes about Erick’s dual experiences, since mining that was the goal. And from a practical standpoint, deferring to the show’s purpose made decisions about keeping or cutting jokes easier.”
You might be thinking that’s all well and good for someone directing a sketch show or an improv show with a strong theme. But what if you’re going for a more collaborative vibe and want your cast to weigh in? Former Improv Actually director Dan Miller says, “Trying to develop the format too much through the rehearsal process takes a lot of time you may not have and puts a lot of onus (and sometimes stress) on the cast.” Instead, he suggests, “Directors should come to the table with a solid idea (60–75% locked down) and then work out the rest of the format with their cast and artistic team.”
Committing to a purpose and vision for your show paves the way for everything else to happen more smoothly. It gives you and your team something to point to when you get overwhelmed by the little details that come with putting on a show.
2. Have a plan
Another way to avoid getting caught up in the small things is to have a plan for dealing with them from the start. Bad Medicine director Elizabeth Kemp says, “It’s a cliche quote from Benjamin Franklin, but by failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” Whether you’re directing an improv or sketch show, nailing down the little details can do wonders for your production—not to mention your stress levels.
To get going with a plan, use Kemp’s simple trick: “I start with the show date and work backwards to develop a production calendar. It’s important to identify key dates to hold yourself and the cast accountable.”
You can’t plan for everything, but you can plan to clear as many obstacles as possible from your path before you get started to make your show a success.
3. Great people make great shows
Once you’ve got your vision in your head and your plan in your hands (or on your Google Calendar), start thinking about the team that’s going to make your show happen: your cast and crew. As Chinese Menu director Pete Bergen says, “Casting talented people with an eye on chemistry will go a long way to accomplishing the goal of quality.”
You might think that once you’ve got a great cast, it’s their job to make your show amazing. But it’s actually a director’s job to take care of their cast so everything goes as planned. Bad Medicine director Andy Weld suggests that a director’s job is setting their cast up for success: “Figure out what people’s strengths are, and position them to be able to do those things.”
And it’s important to remember that the people behind the scenes are just as important as the people in front of the curtain. Bergen says, “Getting great people to help you cannot be underestimated. Em Fiske is the unsung hero of Chinese Menu. She doesn’t just ‘work the booth.’ She sees things I have overlooked or forgotten about, she knows the vibe I am going for, and the shows would not be as good without her.”
While it might feel like it sometimes, the success of the show doesn’t rest solely on the director’s shoulders. Creating a great team—cast, crew, and everyone else involved—not only takes the pressure off you, it also ensures that you’re surrounded by people who care about your show and also want to see it succeed.
4. Stop worrying
While you can have a million great ideas, plan as much as you want, and assemble a comedy superteam, your show won’t always turn out as you hoped—and that’s not always a bad thing.
Improv, sketch, and stage director Shawn Westfall puts it this way: “The show you want to direct is never the show you end up directing, and the show that opens is never the one that closes.” However, that doesn’t mean your show is a failure.
Whatever your comedy background, Westfall suggests thinking like an improviser when wearing a director’s hat. “If you go into a scene with a desired outcome or objective, you’re never going to accomplish that, and everything and everyone suffers, especially the audience. Instead, let go, trust the process, and discover (and cherish) what’s actually there.”
This job of discovery isn’t—or shouldn’t—stop after you get through rehearsals. Westfall says, “If you’re not continuing to make discoveries along the way, even after the curtain has risen on opening night, you’re not doing your job.”
You can have as strong of a vision or plan or team as you want, but you still have to stay open to everything that crops up during the whole process of putting a show together. That doesn’t mean that everything that deviates from what you thought would happen is one more problem you have to deal with. Instead, it could be just the thing your show needed to become the show it was meant to be.
Direct your own comedy show
Now that you’ve got some helpful pieces of advice from some experienced DC directors, you might be ready to take a stab at directing yourself. If that’s the case, you can try pitching your improv or sketch show idea to the folks at Dojo Comedy or Unified Scene Theater. Or look out for updates on WIT’s Directors Series for a chance to pitch your improv show. You can also go the indie route and pitch a show to any number of local bars or rent out a venue like DCAC or Emergence Community Arts Collective.
Wherever you decide to put up your show, we hope it’s a great success!
If you need to hear a few more stories from DC directors before you appoint yourself the head of a comedy show, you’re in luck. This blog post is the first part of a several part series we’re calling “Directors’ Commentary.” Stay tuned for more posts on directing comedy in DC!
Our panel of DC comedy directors
If you’re curious about who contributed to this post, check out our panel of knowledgeable directors:
Erick Acuña
Pete Bergen
Elizabeth Kemp
Zach Mason
Murphy McHugh
Dan Miller
Kristin O'Brien
Martin Steger
Andy Weld
