I’ve been planning Dojo Comedy’s 12 Hour Comedy Marathon since May of 2018. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and I finally decided to hit the ground running and begin the process. My only wish is that I’d started the planning process a few months earlier!
I like to plan projects for myself because I kind of love being busy. The Marathon has been one of the more intensive and consuming of my projects. It involves working with Dojo and Murphy McHugh, assembling a team to assist before and during the Marathon, and communicating with over 40 performers. That’s a lot to do, in a rather condensed time period, but I’m very excited about it.
I’m a big proponent of people setting up their own shows and programs, so below are a few tips I have for running a comedy marathon, gathered from my own experience with this process.
5 tips for running a comedy marathon
If you’re crazy enough to want to put on a show that involves not one, not two, but twelve whole hours of comedy, here are my suggestions.
1. Create your dream team
Let’s take a look at a real-life example: in The Office, Michael Scott needs to create a dream team when he is fired from Dunder Mifflin and creates his own paper company. His dream team is Pam, Ryan, and Vikram. Pam and Vikram, I understand. Ryan… not so much.
Anyhow, pop culture aside, setting up a comedy marathon is a big undertaking. If you’re like me, you like doing everything yourself and hate giving up creative control—or any control for that matter. But for a comedy marathon, you need to create a team of people you can work with, delegate to, and rely on before, during, and after the event.
How do you create your dream team?
I emailed all of my current improv teammates and coaches to see who was interested in being a part of the marathon team. These people helped fine-tune the schedule for the event and will help out with day-of logistics during the event. I’m thankful and appreciative to all of them.
2. Find your home
Another crucial step is finding a location for your event.
I teach at Dojo Comedy and perform there regularly. Dojo was the first venue I inquired about for the marathon. Murphy McHugh, Dojo’s owner and director, has been nothing but helpful and accommodating during the planning for the event, so I think I made the right choice.
How do you find the right location?
I recommend making a list of possible performance venues, theaters, and more. Think about the size of the event:
- How big will this marathon be (or how big do you want it to be)?
- Does your dream location have enough space to accommodate everyone?
- Will the venue’s owner or director work with you to accommodate your vision?
3. Adapt, react, readapt, act
This is another Office reference! Remember Michael Scott’s golden rule: adapt, react, readapt, act. Comedy marathons have a lot of components to them, and it’s important to note that planning for a marathon is probably going to be much different than any other comedy show you’ve planned before.
For instance, ticketing will be different, and there are a lot of details to consider. Are you offering an All Access Pass? If so, will you have wristbands? Will you buy wristbands? Have you planned on purchasing 50 wristbands? Are you selling tickets at the door? Are you posting tickets online?
Tickets aside there are a lot of other moving parts you’ll need to figure out and deal with. Here’s a sample of some an internal monologue you might have while planning a comedy marathon:
Who is performing? Should I accept online submissions? Is my Google form working? Am I sure? Fix it, because it is not. Stop worrying that it was not working. I’ll try to move on with my life.
As contradictory as it sounds, you’ll also have to plan for when things don’t go as planned. For example, if people are trying to submit past the deadline, what do you do? Create an alternate list? That seems logical. Or does it?
Trust me, even something that seems as simple as creating your schedule can involve stress, panic, and major self-doubt.
This was my thought process when creating my schedule: Does anything overlap? No. Are you sure? Not really. Check again. Talk to your team. Breathe. Drink some chamomile tea. Stop doing that because you still don’t like it. Drink a PBR you find in the back of your refrigerator. Stop doing that because you still don’t like it. Breathe.
All of these steps require you to adapt, react, readapt, act.
How do I adapt, react, readapt, and act?
I don’t really know! Remember to relax, keep breathing, and find a good group of friends that will remind you to do these things when you feel like you’re in over your head. These things will be different for everyone!
But for me, relaxation did not involve either chamomile tea or PBR. I am currently accepting relaxing beverage suggestions.
4. Use your resources
At some point in the comedy marathon process, there will be a brief respite after the schedule is set and the teams have been confirmed. Now it’s time to promote the show!
Remember to use your resources: post a Facebook event and encourage all participating teams to share it and RSVP. Email your teammates and various groups. Don’t leave any stone unturned: you want this event to be a success.
If you’re working with a venue, make sure the event is posted on their site, as well. The 12 Hour Comedy Marathon is posted on the Dojo website, which is incredibly helpful for making sure people know that the show is happening there. Ensure that the marathon event venue will also share the information about the show with their followers.
How do I find my resources?
You should look to these groups and people first:
- The event venue
- Marathon performers
- Local comedy performers who would be interested in seeing the event, even if they’re not performing
- Local social media groups dedicated to comedy performances (like DC Indie Improv or, in my case, the Dojo Student Community group)
- Your friends, family, and anyone else who’s interested in seeing you succeed
5. I’m done. Goodbye.
This is the final Office reference, I promise. It’s also the final tip: when planning a comedy marathon, you need to know when to stop working on the event. You need to take time for you.
If it’s 2 a.m. and you’re still scheduling the marathon, don’t play another episode of Pretty Little Liars and eat more cheese. Close the computer. Go to bed. The marathon will be there in the morning.
How do I know when I’m done?
When you’re tired or you’ve run out of cheese, whichever happens first.
Come and see how my planning tips worked out in real life!
It’s always good to know if the people giving advice are following it. You can see for yourself if these tips have been helpful to me in running the 12 Hour Comedy Marathon this October at Dojo Comedy!
The 12 Hour Comedy Marathon will take place on Saturday, October 6 from noon to midnight at Dojo Comedy. You can buy tickets for the whole event or find different blocks to attend on Dojo’s website.
