Okay, I've just sent a reply email to the hilarious and wonderfully supportive Jessica Kirson, the comedian who books the new talent and open mic shows at Gotham Comedy Club (on 23rd street twixt 7th and 8th). I told her I'd like to do a show on either May 13th or 20th at 8 pm. I have to make sure ten people show up to see me, and this is the hard part, though I've been asked dozens of time in the past few months "when the hell am I going to see you perform??" Now I have to ask anybody and everybody to come see me, and I have to do a damn good show in return. Listen, I can do this...I just feel as if I have to finally prove to all the people who have never seen me onstage that I can actually make people laugh. I've done it before; hell, I feel more comfortable on stage with a microphone in my hand than just about anywhere or anyplace else. Just...lately, I've had a wee bit of stage fright. Just the shaky hand part. My hand holding the mic starts to tremble and betrays me. Everyone then sees that the cool calm facade is just that. An audience does not want the shaky hand. The shaky hand does not put them at ease, dammit. The only way to get rid of the shaky hand is to practice, practice, practice....and I do not like trying out new material at the ubiquitous open mics. I have difficulty with the Process. I do not do well with the whole methodically-breaking-down-into-small-pieces part of doing comedy, or in any part of my creative life, for that matter. But this is the first step; admit that I have a problem, and that I need help. I need an audience and I need to ask these people to participate in my process. And, when I really think about it, the fact that I've had people asking repeatedly to come see me perform means I have people willing to be my audience.
For Chrissakes, Gresser, get your head screwed on straight.
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