Stand-up Comedy Techniques and Comedy Writing

The verbal and non-verbal language used in stand-up comes from various traditions of American popular entertainment. It flourished in the midst of burlesque shows with Vaudeville theaters during the turn of the 19th century in New York.

During the 1940s, humorous monologues came to the fore and became big business in the United States and Canada. The master of ceremonies (as the comedians were called) used funny texts to entertain the audiences of big bands, opening shows for other artists and television programs. Names like Jack Benny, Fred Allen and Bob Hope were as famous as George Burns and Grace Allen (late 1950s), who hosted their own show. Becoming a comedian was a high step in show business.

In the 1960s, some bohemians and intellectuals eliminated musical acts from nightclubs and started calling themselves "comedy clubs". A new generation of comedians began to explore political and racial topics, giving humor a political slant. Redd Foxx and Bill Cosby were names from this era.

In the 1970s, stand-up proved to be a revolution, programs like Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show appeared, launching the careers of so many stand-up stars. Richard Pryor, George Carlin and Lenny Bruce became icons of the counterculture.