Comedy 4 Life Podcast - Ep 7: STREETPROV, Teaching Total Strangers How to YES AND...

Join Walt Frasier as he takes the #1 rule of improv, "YES AND...", to the streets of NYC! Listen as Walt interacts with a diverse crowd of locals and tourists in Times Square and Central Park—hailing from all 5 boroughs, across the USA (NC, FL, CA, PA), and internationally (Canada, France, England, Netherlands, Dominican Republic).

Discover why "YES AND..." is more than just an improv rule; it's a way to fight the instinct to say "NO," fostering acceptance, support, and collaboration in scenes, at work, and in life. Learn how this principle is taught at the New York Improv Theater to enhance skills in teamwork, leadership, sales, and customer service.

Ultimately, it's all about the laughs and spreading joy. Our mission: Have fun (but never at another's expense) and bring communities together.

7pm Tonight & Every Night watch Improv Comedy live from Times Square NYC https://newyorkimprovtheater.com/2025/04/27/7pm-tonight-every-night-off-broadway-improv-comedy-times-square-nyc-discount-tickets/

Join our mailing list and get free tickets to live shows, first class for free and more. https://mailchi.mp/f13c29fce4d2/new-york-improv-theater

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Comedy 4 Life - Episode 6: Quit Your Day Job Part 1

Hosted by: Walt Frasier

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Episode Summary:

Ready to ditch the soul-crushing day job? In Episode 6 of Comedy 4 Life, Walt Frasier kicks off a two-part series on making a living from your creative talents. Drawing from his own 30-year career – and how he permanently quit traditional day jobs 20 years ago – Walt shares actionable strategies for comedians and other artists to build sustainable income streams. Forget waiting tables or filing papers; learn how self-producing, gig work (corporate events, private parties, educational outreach), and embracing the business side of art can pave the way to financial freedom. This episode is about taking control, creating your own opportunities, and refusing to wait to be discovered.

In this episode, you'll explore:

• Walt's Journey: How he transitioned from juggling day jobs to a full-time creative career through proactive strategies.
• Beyond the Stage: The power of diversifying your income with corporate gigs, private events, and educational programs.
• The Mindset Shift: Why you shouldn't wait for someone else to give you permission or opportunity. Be proactive!
• Art vs. Business: Finding the crucial balance between creative passion and smart business practices.
• The "Dog Walking" Analogy: Why starting your own entertainment venture is more accessible than you might think.
• Marketing Yourself: Leveraging social media and other tools to promote your talents as both a performer and a potential teacher.
• Creating Opportunities: Practical ways to generate your own work instead of relying solely on auditions or bookings.
• Content Creation 101: An introduction to creating content (videos, writing, etc.) and exploring ways to monetize it without compromising your artistic integrity.

Key Takeaway: Building a sustainable career in the arts often means becoming an entrepreneur. By diversifying your skills, actively seeking opportunities, and balancing art with business, you can create a path to quit your day job for good.

Resources Mentioned:

• Walt Frasier's Book: Quit You DayJob - Discusses building a career and finding your path. Available free via Kindle Unlimited and inexpensive via Amazon Kindle. Some also have paperback, hard cover and or audible editions.

Connect & Engage:

• What's one step you can take this week towards creating your own opportunity? Share your thoughts with Walt on Instagram @waltfrasier
• Subscribe to Comedy 4 Life on your favorite podcast platform so you don't miss Part 2!
• Help fellow artists find the show by leaving a rating and review!

Thanks for listening!

Comedy 4 Life - Episode 5: Find the Funny Part 2 - Shaping Your Material

CLICK HERE for free tickets to shows, trial classes, and more information about books, workshops, corporate team building, k12 outreach & more! https://comedy4life.us

Hosted by: Walt Frasier

Episode Summary:

Welcome back to Comedy 4 Life! In Episode 5, Walt Frasier continues the "Find the Funny" series, moving beyond just spotting ideas to actively shaping and punching up your comedic routines. If Episode 4 (or previous episodes) helped you find the raw material, this episode gives you the tools to refine it, make it funnier, and ensure the laughs come faster and harder. Learn techniques to cut the fat, heighten the reality, and make your stories truly memorable on stage.

In this episode, you'll learn how to:

• Use Economy of Words: Cut unnecessary setup and exposition. Learn why getting to the funny faster is crucial and how to identify words or phrases to eliminate.
• Punch Up Setups: Don't wait for the end of the story for laughs! Add side comments, quick jokes, analogies, or observations along the way to keep the audience engaged during the setup.
• Leverage the Magic Three & Patterns: Recognize and use the power of threes. Combine common experiences (e.g., three bad dates, three annoying coworkers, three vacation mishaps) to create relatable and structured bits.
• Combine Stories & Characters: Condense multiple real-life experiences or people into one composite character or event for maximum comedic impact (e.g., merging traits of several teachers into one "crazy" teacher, combining multiple travel woes into one disastrous trip).
• Show, Don't Tell: Move beyond simply narrating. Become the characters, reenact the moments kinetically, use voices and physicality to make the scene vivid and engaging instead of just talking about it.
• Exaggerate to the Nth Degree: Take the core truth of your story and blow it out of proportion. Explore the "what's the worst/funniest/most absurd thing that could happen?" angle, but know when to pull back slightly.
• Change History / Solve the Problem: Use the power of "what if?" What do you wish you had said or done in that moment? Turn regrets or fantasies into hilarious alternative scenarios.

Key Takeaway: Refining a comedy routine involves strategic cutting, creative embellishment, and dynamic performance choices. Apply these techniques to take your raw stories from amusing anecdotes to solid stand-up material.

Connect & Engage:

• Which shaping technique are you trying first?
• Subscribe to Comedy 4 Life on your favorite podcast platform.
• Help others find the show by leaving a rating and review!

Thanks for listening!