I don’t know about you, but I’ve been really impressed by people and groups who know how to organize a comedy show.
Putting on a show seems like a lot of work. There are a million tiny details to keep track of, and you have to make performers, an audience, and a venue manager happy all at the same time.
But putting up a show also seems like it would be really rewarding. You have a chance to feature performers whose work you admire and gather an audience of comedy fans in one room. If all goes well, a venue might even invite you back for another show!
To get the lowdown on both the headaches and happiness that planning a show can bring, I reached out to some show planning experts. They were kind enough to share some of their tips, tricks, and lessons learned with me—and, consequently, you.
Who are these amazing showrunners?
- Stacey Axler—Stacey has organized countless shows (meaning I did not take the time to count all the shows she’s organized) all over DC. Most recently, she organized the 12 Hour Comedy Marathon at Dojo and monthly shows at Colony Club.
- Geoff Blizard—Geoff organizes your fave boozy improv show, Improv Brunch, at The Pinch each month. He was also the first person to respond to me, so he’s my favorite member of this panel.
- Goodison—This duo, comprised of Neil Baron and Kristina Martinez, manages Big Duo Night every month at Colony Club. They sent me answers to my questions from the Krakow airport. I’m very impressed because all I do at the airport is stress about whether I’m going to miss my flight even when I’m sitting right at the gate!
- Joanna Harris—Joanna organizes Comedy Potluck, an alt-comedy show that goes up on the Wonderland stage once a month.
- Zach Mason—Zach is half of the improv duo Zach and Kristin. He’s also half of their scripted show called Zach and Kristin Will Make You…, which they’ve put up at DCAC, The Velvet Lounge, and DC9.
- Ryan McClure—Ryan co-organizes Improv Brunch at The Pinch and also puts on his own show, LGBTQ AF, at Colony Club.
- Kristin O’Brien—Kristin is half of the improv duo Zach and Kristin. She’s also half of their scripted show called Zach and Kristin Will Make You…, which they’ve put up at DCAC, The Velvet Lounge, and DC9.
- Trustfall—Indie improv group Trustfall organizes a monthly show, Trustfall and Friends, at The Pinch. It features improv and stand-up and is, overall, a great time.
Some comedy greats share tips on how to organize a comedy show
Without further ado, check out the advice I gathered from some very helpful DC show organizers!
Some of the responses have been edited for clarity, and I’ve organized them in the same order as the respondents appear above.
What’s your number one tip for putting up your own show?
I want to cut right to the chase here. If you don’t read any of the rest of this article, at least you’ll have a handful of top tips from DC showrunners.
Stacey Axler
My number one tip is to just put it up, then take some time after the show to think about what went well and what needs to be improved. The time is now to set up a show, even if it seems too soon to do so. Reach out to groups and performers you know and have worked with before because it is always easier to talk to people you are familiar with. But the important thing is to just set it up and stop thinking about potentially setting it up in the future.
Geoff Blizard
Keep at it, and be enthusiastic. You might not get your first pick of venue, time, et cetera, so you’ve got to be persistent and organized!
Goodison
Get organized and be able to schedule far in advance! Unlike improv, there are a lot of aspects of producing a show that you can’t do in the moment.
Joanna Harris
Put thought into your interstitials and transitions. The first time I hosted Comedy Potluck, I didn’t realize how much a host does besides just introducing each of the acts. You have to at least think of one thing to say between acts besides “Okay, great. And now… here’s so-and-so!” Think of introductions (if the performers haven’t already provided you with one) or something positive to say about the previous act. One step beyond is to plan ahead with some adaptable, standalone jokes or to do a character throughout.
Consider tech when you think about transitions between acts or sketches, as well. Consider it when you make the run order, and organize accordingly. And (this may technically count as two tips), of course, make sure it all works ahead of time!
Zach Mason
Sell tickets! It seems counterintuitive, but more people will come to a $10 show than a free show.
Ryan McClure
Save the comedy for the audience; be professional with everyone involved in your show. When interacting with the manager or owner of the venue, the performers, and the on-site staff, make sure that you are respectful, organized, and drama free. You want to make sure that after your first show, people would want to be involved in your second show, your third show, and every show thereafter.
Kristin O’Brien
My number one tip is either make sure the outlets work or remember that you are of value.
Trustfall
Use all your social capital to make it happen. If you’re on a team planning a show, delegate something to every player, including finding and arranging a venue, inviting teams to play, and promoting the show. Make sure there’s a clear point of contact for every step and that the whole group takes on responsibility. If you’re planning a show by yourself, work with the venue and teams performing to promote and make it the best show possible for your audience.
Just remember, your show is only going to happen if you make it happen, so make phone calls, send emails, and keep on top of it. Looking professional and put-together when you’re asking venues about availability is only going to help you, too, and the worst they’ll say is “no.” And have fun while you’re at it! People like to see that the show-runner is invested in the project when they’re pitching it.
What’s your favorite place to put up a show in DC?
There are quite a few places in DC where you can put up your own comedy show. I wanted to know if any of them stood out about the rest.
Stacey Axler
Recently, I have been setting up a lot of indie shows at Colony Club. I love the space because it is intimate and semi-private, but not so private that people who are not there for comedy feel intimidated about wandering upstairs and watching the show. The team at Colony Club is also phenomenal. A few months ago, I had a particularly rough show. I wasn’t pleased with my set, and the Colony Club team gave me pie after the show. It was such a kind gesture.
Geoff Blizard
I’ve only ever put up a show myself at The Pinch, but I’ve been to a lot of other pop-up shows and monthly jams.
Between all of them, I really do like the atmosphere of a bar, especially if they can put the performance in a back room or basement or something.
It pretty much ensures that everyone who’s coming out to see you
- Chose to go out to have some fun that day (or night)
- Really wants to be there instead of in the main bar room
- Has probably already had a drink, which helps loosen the audience up a bit.
Also, performing in a bar setting means you’re super close to the audience, for better or for worse. It’s instant visual feedback, and it gives a really cozy, personal feeling to the show.
On a logistical side, I’m lucky that Improv Brunch doesn’t need to charge admission. The Pinch is perfectly happy to let us use the space on an early Sunday afternoon to drum up business. I don’t think a theater or other venue would be able to be as accommodating.
Goodison
We inherited Big Duo Night, so we might not be able to provide a great answer, but Colony Club, of course! They’re very easy to work with, and it’s a cool space.
Joanna Harris
Tech-wise, a place specifically designed to host a show is best, but I’ve come to love the atmosphere of the bar show. It feels a bit more personal, I guess, like we’re all just drinking and laughing together.
Zach Mason
There’s no perfect venue, unfortunately. Each one has different compromises and costs associated, whether they charge you up front or take a split of the door.
Ryan McClure
When having a show at a bar, I think that having a separate performance space is a must. Improv Brunch is held at The Pinch, which has a basement for shows. LGBTQ AF is held at Colony Club, which has an upstairs. I have been to venues where the show is in the same space as the bar. Those shows have been harder to hear (because people were ordering food and drinks while the show was going on) and harder to see (because the bar area was not really set up for shows). I think that having a separate performance space also creates a different mindset for the audience. I’ve noticed that when shows are in the same space as the bar, people tend to talk during the show, as opposed to coming to watch the performers when it is in a separate space.
Trustfall
We love The Pinch! Mike and the whole team were so kind to give us a space and have been amazing at helping us set up and make it welcoming to improvisers and audience members since day one. The basement definitely gives a fun and funky vibe to all the shows. Plus, who doesn’t love their duck fries?
What’s the hardest part of organizing your own comedy show?
Organizing a comedy show seems really, really difficult. I wanted to know what the most difficult thing about putting up a show was (and if our panel of showrunners had any tips for getting around or pulling through their major obstacles).
Stacey Axler
It can be really frustrating when a team or performer backs out of a show at the last minute. This doesn’t happen often, but when it does it can really impact a show. I am fine if a group leaves a show with even 24-hour notices, but a handful of times, groups have backed out with only an hour or two to spare. Once, a performer did not even show up at all. It moves the whole schedule around and creates a lot of last-minute scrambling.
Geoff Blizard
I’ll give a top two. Scheduling performers and making sure they’re confirmed is first on the list. I’m pretty on top of my email account for Improv Brunch, and for my own personal communications, in general—probably more so than most folks in their day-to-day. I’ll always want people to respond instantly, even if I know that’s not always possible. It’s why I usually have a lead time of a couple of weeks when I’m confirming teams for a Brunch show. Thankfully, we haven’t had too many short-notice cancellations! Things happen though, and it’s important to stay flexible. We’re all trying to have fun here!
Funnily enough, my second least-favorite thing is Hosting. This is a bit of a mixed one. I love hosting Improv Brunch, but I also feel the anxiety of public speaking and get dry mouth. You’ll see me drinking water constantly throughout the show if you pay attention. It’s just something that I’ve got to get used to, really. This is probably something that everyone goes through, so it’s best to just be aware of it so you can conquer the impulse and have a good time.
Goodison
Probably when no audience shows up. That feels kind of bad, but doing shows for a small crowd is the nature of the beast.
Joanna Harris
It all keeps coming back to tech! Don’t get me wrong—tech is the best. I love all the zany PowerPoints, sound effects, videos, and music that many of our regular performers use in their acts. But it’s a double-edged sword because sometimes a technical malfunction can mean an entire set can’t happen as planned. Those kinds of scenarios are probably what give me the most stress!
Kristin O’Brien
The hardest part is booking venues.
Trustfall
Outside of having to do so many team Doodles? Competing with people’s schedules and DC’s thousand things you can do every night. From month to month, the big focus is getting audiences (both new to us and returning) to come out to shows. Trustfall and Friends is luckily free, but since we don’t do ticket sales it’s hard to know who can make the time to come to that extra improv show. We’ve been lucky to work with so many teams that help us with that part every month.
Any other advice you’d like to impart to wannabe showrunners?
Our panelists were pretty excited to talk about this topic, so I wanted to make sure they got all their feelings out on the subject— and set everyone in the DC comedy community up with as many showrunning tips as possible.
Stacey Axler
Don’t forget to promote your show. Also, have a great time!
Geoff Blizard
One thing I’d like to note is that I inherited Improv Brunch, rather than founding it myself. Tony Lazzeroni was smart to leverage his indie team’s (Trustfall’s) preexisting relationship with The Pinch, and they were happy to have a draw for business early on a Sunday. That said, I’ve always tried to chat with the bartenders and check in with the owner when I see him around to make sure that everything’s good between us. I don’t want to let the relationship drop just because the original showrunner’s handed off the reins!
One of the best decisions I made was getting a co-host. Ryan McClure has been helping me out with Improv Brunch for several months now, both with hosting, taking photos, and set-up and tear-down of the space. I really can’t express how much smoother the show runs with a second person to share the load. I highly recommend finding someone you trust to help out, especially if there is some aspect that you know you aren’t the best equipped to handle alone.
Finally, just to echo myself from the first question: keep organized. It might sound obvious, but make sure you keep notes on any logistical issues, sort your emails, and try to have your performers lined up with enough lead time to account for substitutions. I have a separate email account for team submissions and questions, and I keep Google docs for show lineups, including noting any special requests a team might have. As a performer, I love it when the showrunner is on top of things because it usually means the event will go smoothly and that I can just concentrate on putting my best self on stage.
Goodison
Be good hosts (on and off stage)! Be excited about the teams performing, and show that excitement to the audience.
Joanna Harris
Preparation goes a long way, but be flexible because stuff happens! When in doubt, just laugh it off. It is comedy, after all.
Zach Mason
Don’t be afraid to ask your friends for help with the creative, logistical, and monetary learning curves. Also, I’d really recommend the How To Produce Live Comedy podcast done by Emily Winter.
Ryan McClure
Anticipate that one of your performers or groups will need to cancel at the last minute and have a contingency plan for that.
If you have a venue in mind, go to some shows there to see how other people set up and use the space.
Promote your show to everyone you know.
Kristin O’Brien
Charge your audience. Pay your guests. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice.
Trustfall
Something that’s been important to us is remembering why we put up these shows. When Trustfall first got started, we were a bunch of Level Three students at WIT. It wasn’t always easy for new or experimental teams to get stage time, so we really wanted to create an opportunity to let comedians—stand up, sketch, duos, and improvisers, whether students or seasoned—to have more chances to perform and get better. Luckily, in the last few years, both theaters and the cafe/bar/alternative venues have exploded with opportunities. It’s been really nice being a part of that.
Go run your show
Be a part of the indie comedy revolution: take these amazing tips and organize your own shows. And remember to submit it to Comedic Pursuits so we can put in our weekly newsletter.
As the host of this website, I’d like to thank the members of our panel for sharing their helpful wisdom. And I’d also like to invite you, the readers, to give yourselves a round of applause for supporting local comedy advice.
Want more advice on how to do comedy stuff?
- Find out how to promote all the amazing shows you’re about to put up.
- Don’t want to host but do want some solo stage time? Find out how to perform your first stand-up set.
- Don’t have an improv group and are looking to start your own so you can follow in Trustfall’s footsteps? We have some tips for doing that, too!
