Nearly 400 people (and the equivalent amount of light florescent light bulbs) had their attention directed toward 14 rookie comics in the Bloomberg Auditorium last Friday evening.
As part of his final project for his Intersession stand-up comedy course, sophomore Chris Ludgate stated that his five-minute comedic debut ended before he was ready to give up the microphone.
"I wish I had five more minutes to prepare more material because once people started laughing after my first joke, I wish I had more to tell," Ludgate said. "It felt like a huge accomplishment after my routine ended, especially since I didn't think my prepared jokes were very funny while I was re-reading my stuff off-stage."
Ludgate said that the favorable reactions garnered from his friends, following the show's conclusions, may prompt him to pursue comedy in the future.
"They told me that when I was on stage I sounded the same way that I sound while telling a funny joke on the couch or in daily life," he said. "Knowing that I can make people laugh with my stories and observations may bring me to some open mike sessions at some point."
According to Ludgate, his future routine might include anecdotes and stories about his family, childhood and passion for sports. "I am not embarrassed to make fun of myself, which I think is a good trait for comedy," he said. "Also, some of my family members have some quirks that I feel I could play with. For example, my godmother takes her role as my godmother way too far and I think I could have some funny material about something like that."
Senior David Jamison said that he tried to build his routine around a particular comedic style, similar to Chris Rock's own ability to make light out of normal situations.
"At my apartment complex, there's this one disgusting old woman who my friends and I always comment on," Jamison said. "I have lived there for about a year and a half now and I've had a bevy of situations to draw upon to make some humor out of a normal, mundane circumstance."
For Jamison, observation and anecdotal delivery emerged as styles that made him the most comfortable on stage.
"There were definitely some styles that I couldn't emulate. They just didn't work for me," he said. "I wasn't able to tell one-liners or pun jokes well for some reason, so I didn't."
Ludgate voiced his jealousy for comics like Mitch Hedberg and their one-liner routines.
"I tried to set up my jokes with one-liner punch lines and they just didn't come out humorously," he said. "I just felt more comfortable telling a story or anecdote with certain jokes and humorous ends throughout. Also, I felt that by telling a story I could capitalize on my energetic nature; that sort of reminds me of a Dane Cook delivery."
While partially emulating the exuberance of a Dane Cook performance, Ludgate said that he subconsciously incorporated the idiosyncrasies of other comics he's watched, such as Jim Gaffigan.
"After a lot of my jokes on stage, I didn't realize it at the time, but I would finish my punch line and murmur something like, `That's mean, jeez.' I guess I've internalized a lot of weird delivery tactics that some of my favorite comics, like Gaffigan, use."
According to Jamison, he appreciated the opportunity to perform, as it provided a new arena to discover another talent.
"After the show, most of my friends came up to me and said that they never realized I was so funny before seeing me on stage," he said. "It sort of brought to light a whole new personality or facet of myself."
