Stand Up Bootcamp – Day 5

Editor’s Note: Comedian David Lew has agreed to document “Stand-Up Boot Camp” for AmericasComedy.Com  exclusively. You’ll be receiving daily reports. This latest “Stand-Up Boot Camp” is run by two very famous, funny men — Louie Anderson and Kyle Cease. “Boot Camp” takes place over five days, eight hours each day, at the “World Famous Comedy Store” in Hollywood, where some of the most famous comedians of our time were first given the opportunity to perform and fine-tune their acts . . .  a tradition which carries on today. “Boot Camp” includes guest speakers, ranging from national headliners to managers and agents.

Day 5

9:00am-  The last day of Stand Up Mastery. Last day everyone will be together this weekend.  I had myself a grand ol’ time last night. So much in fact, I never made it back home. I stayed up until 630am, knowing I had to leave for the Comedy Store at 8am. Needless to say, I grabbed some Starbucks. Today our guest speakers included Bob Zmuda, friend and partner of the late Andy Kaufman and Jack Vaughn, the president of Comedy Central Records who spoke about the evolution of the site.

9:15am- Louie and Kyle begin by reflecting on the last week, and what people have learned or taken from the workshop. Not gonna lie, little hard for me to focus being as tired as I am.

1:00pm- Bob Zmuda was the only guest speaker of the day. This was the most surreal guest speaker of the camp for me. The stories that he shared were so wacky and out of this world. From the way he met Andy Kaufman to his 3 week stint as an assistant to the writer of the Serprico series who was certifiably insane! These are stories that I’ll never forget. At first I wasn’t sure how it applied to the people attending bootcamp, but I’m starting to see that working with Kaufman; arguably the most original performer of multiple generations, would resonate with some who are trying to discover an original voice in their comedy styling.

On stage critiques- I got to perform a 3 min set in front of Kyle, Louie, Lisa Landry, a surprise drop-in and hysterical comic and in front of the entire bootcamp. I didn’t have an easy slot as I was going last (after more than 15 comics).  I went up exhausted but sucked it up and had a good time. I tried a bit that I had NEVER done and it became a favorite with some bootcampers; so much so that there were people who quoted it back to me. They all had great things to say about my set and I was excited; especially since that was the first time Louie had seen me ever and Kyle hadn’t seen me go up in at about a year.

(Publisher’s Note: I had an opportunity to speak with Louie Anderson on the phone after David’s performance and he said that Lew could be the next Belushi, seriously. All he had to do was work hard every day at perfecting his writing and delivery skills. Quite a compliment!).

That ends the bootcamp day. Let the showcase begin!

7:30pm- The Comedy Store is buzzing with shows going on in every room. I see a couple comics I recognize and know. The main room is where the showcase takes place, and there are around 60 people in the room.

8:15pm- I go up second after a bootcamper who is 75 years young… funny guy! I have a pretty decent set; especially because I did two brand new bits! Im very excited about these new bits and they both came from bootcamp, and hanging around the comics.

Some people wonder if bootcamp is really helpful? I can name at least one example in comedian Steve Agyei. At first, this guy was stuttering over his words, walking over laughs and not having fun on stage. By tonight, his set was on fire. He was making callbacks like a pro, he has timing that I believe can’t be taught. But what bootcamp gave him the confidence and positive belief to reach for his potential. Now, the transformation in 5 days is truly astonishing. I’d keep his name in your back pocket, I have a feeling you’ll hear from him in the future.

The showcase lasted a little over 3 hours, with Louie and Kyle sharing duties. The showcase wraps, and everyone gives their goodbyes; some are tearful goodbyes. The comics are off to their homes: Minnesota, Florida, Seattle, all over this great country. They leave with more tools to achieve what Louie set out to do: “That you are closer to your goal of being a better comic.”

Hope this gave you some insight into bootcamp. I tried to be as unbiased as possible. I believe after attending this bootcamp, that is something that any comic can absolutely benefit from.

This marks the end of David Lew’s Stand Up Bootcamp blog series. If you enjoyed it (or even if you didn’t), please leave your comments below. Are you a fledgling comedian or just a comedy lover? Let us know so we can fashion more blogs and stories that you enjoy. Thank you again David!

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