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

Check out the Comedy 4 Life book series https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GL94XK5?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_awt_sb_pc_tkin

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

Hosted by: Walt Frasier

• CLICK HERE to join my mailing list and get TWO free tickets or your first class drop in for free. comedy4life.us
• Comedy 4 Life book series
• newyorkimprovtheater.com for upcoming show, classes and private events.

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!

Comedy 4 Life - Episode 4: Dynamic Delivery: Using Acting Secrets to Shape Your Routine

Hosted by: Walt Frasier

• CLICK HERE to join my mailing list and get TWO free tickets or your first class drop in for free. https://mailchi.mp/f13c29fce4d2/new-york-improv-theater
• CLICK HERE for all upcoming shows & Classes. https://newyorkimprovtheater.com/
• Comedy 4 Life book series https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GL94XK5?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_awt_sb_pc_tkin

Episode Summary:

Welcome back to Comedy 4 Life! In Episode 3, Walt Frasier dives deep into the art of comedic delivery. Forget just saying the words – learn how to bring your routines to life with dynamic shifts in attitude, pace, volume, and pitch. Walt reveals powerful techniques borrowed from classical acting training: Inner Monologue and Subtext. Discover how understanding what your comedic persona is thinking and truly meaning can organically transform your performance and make you significantly funnier on stage.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why Delivery is Crucial: A recap of the idea that how you say something (the 93%) is often more impactful than the words themselves (the 7%).
• The Tools of Dynamic Delivery: Identifying attitude, pace/tempo/rhythm, volume, pitch, and pauses as key elements to play with.
• Acting Secret #1: Inner Monologue:
  • What it is: The character's/persona's internal stream of thoughts and feelings.
  • How it helps: Organically drives your attitude and emotional delivery.
• Acting Secret #2: Subtext:
  • What it is: The underlying meaning or intention beneath the words.
  • How it helps: Influences pitch, pace, emphasis, and adds layers like irony or sarcasm.
• Connecting Techniques to Delivery: How focusing on Inner Monologue and Subtext naturally creates authentic shifts in your vocal dynamics and stage presence.
• Making it Organic: Moving beyond mechanical delivery by letting the internal state shape the external performance.

Practical Exercise:

1. Choose a short section (3-5 lines) of your own comedy routine.
2. Define the Inner Monologue (specific thoughts) for each beat.
3. Define the Subtext (underlying meaning) for the section.
4. Practice delivering the lines out loud, focusing on thinking the thoughts and meaning the subtext. Let the delivery emerge naturally! Record yourself to observe the difference.

Resources Mentioned:

• Walt Frasier's Book: Stand-U Comedy- Dive deeper into these techniques and find more exercises. Available at: AMAZON

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GL94XK5?binding=kindle_edition&ref=dbs_dp_awt_sb_pc_tkin

Connect & Engage:

• Tried the exercise? Share your experience or questions with Walt on @waltfrasier
• Subscribe to Comedy 4 Life on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode.
• Enjoying the show? Please leave a rating and review – it helps others find the podcast!

Thanks for listening!

Podcast Title: Comedy For Life

Episode Title: Episode 3: Brainstorming Details

Host: Walt Frasier

BRAINSTORMING DETAILS WORKSHEET

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LbzRB7u6mB4Ug8LybjNIvmwllG0kqnMw/view?usp=drivesdk

• CLICK HERE to join my mailing list and get TWO free tickets or your first class drop in for free. We have sessions in Times Square NYC, Zoom and beyond. https://mailchi.mp/f13c29fce4d2/new-york-improv-theater
• UPCOMING CLASSES in Times Square, On Zoom & Beyond! https://coursehorse.com/nyc/schools/performing-arts/new-york-improv-theatre-8-improv-
• Comedy 4 Life is a series of books, workshops and new a podcast by Walt Frasier, artistic Director at the New York Improv Theater – Live from Times Square & Touring Nationwide since 2002! https://newyorkimprovtheater.com/2025/04/04/comedy-4-life-the-book-series-free-via-amazon-kindle-unlimited/

Episode Description:

Walt Frasier delves into the second step of stand-up comedy training: adding vivid details to your stories. This episode focuses on how to take a central idea from your initial brainstorm and enrich it with sensory details to make it more engaging and relatable for your audience. Learn how to identify the key elements of your story and use them to craft a compelling narrative.

Key Takeaways:

• Enhance Your Stories: Take a story that resonated with you and your audience from your first brainstorming session and expand upon it.
• Identify Story Elements: Define the essential components of your story:
  • Who are the characters (including yourself)?
  • Where does the story take place?
  • What is the main action or most important event?
• Engage the Senses: Bring your story to life by incorporating sensory details:
  • What did you see?
  • What did you hear?
  • What did you smell?
  • What did you feel?
  • What did you taste?
• Amplify Your Performance: Go back on stage and share the same story, this time with the newly added details.
• Use Past Work: Draw on previous exercises or feedback to further develop your story.

Episode Highlights:

• The importance of adding specific details to make a story more engaging.
• How to identify the key elements of a story (characters, setting, action).
• Using sensory details to create a vivid and immersive experience for the audience.
• The value of getting back on stage to practice incorporating new details.

Resources Mentioned:

• Previous podcast episodes on stand-up comedy training
• Personal notes or feedback from previous comedy exercises

Call to Action:

• Choose a story from your first brainstorming exercise.
• Answer the questions about characters, setting, action, and sensory details.
• Perform the story on stage, focusing on incorporating the new details.
• Continue to refine your storytelling by using feedback and past work.

Podcast Title: Comedy For Life

Episode Title: Episode 2: Brainstorming Your First 5 Minutes

Host: Walter Frasier

Episode Description:

In this episode, Walter Frasier guides aspiring comedians through the crucial first step of crafting their stand-up routine: brainstorming. Learn how to tap into your everyday experiences, overcome the fear of being "unfunny," and generate a wealth of material for your first 5-minute set. Walter emphasizes the importance of planning stage time, capturing ideas without judgment, and analyzing your performance for future growth.

Key Takeaways:

• Get Stage Time: Before you write a single joke, secure stage time at an open mic or in a comedy class.
• Brainstorm Without Judgement: In the initial brainstorming phase, there are no bad ideas. Let your thoughts flow freely and write everything down.
• Mine Your Life for Material: Focus on your personal experiences, observations, and the world around you rather than generic jokes or current events.
• Prompts to Spark Ideas:
  • Where you live and who you live with.
  • Your experiences at work or school.
  • The quirks of your daily commute.
  • Funny or strange things you've encountered in your neighborhood.
  • Memorable (good or bad) vacation stories.
  • Humorous incidents from your childhood or camp experiences.
• Don't Try to Be Funny (Yet): The goal of brainstorming is to gather raw material, not to craft polished jokes.
• Analyze Your Performance: After your set, take time to reflect on what worked, what didn't, and how you felt on stage. This analysis is crucial for improvement.
• Find Your Tribe: Seek out supportive open mics and comedy communities. A positive environment is essential for growth.

Episode Highlights:

• The importance of securing stage time before attempting to write.
• How to overcome the fear of being "unfunny" in the early stages of comedy.
• Practical prompts and techniques for generating original comedy material.
• Why analyzing your performance is essential for developing your comedic voice.
• The significance of finding a supportive and encouraging comedy community.

Resources Mentioned:

• Walter Frasier's book: "Stand-Up Comedy: How to Write Your First 5-Minute Comedy Routine in Four Easy Steps"
• PDF Brainstorming Worksheet
• Information on Walter's Zoom comedy classes CLICK HERE
• Tips on finding open mics in your area

Call to Action:

• Plan your first 5-minute set and perform at an open mic.
• Use the brainstorming prompts to generate material for your routine.
• Record and review your performance to identify areas for improvement.
• Connect with other comedians and find a supportive comedy scene.

CLICK HERE to join my mailing list and get TWO free tickets or your first class drop in for free. We have sessions in Times Square NYC, Zoom and beyond.

Comedy 4 Life is a series of books, workshops and new a podcast by Walt Frasier, artistic Director at the New York Improv Theater

Show Notes Ways to Get Stage Time

Open Mics:

Open mics are shows performed by and for performers. The audience is often other comics.

Go to an open mic within the next 48 to 72 hours and get on stage for five minutes and just talk.

Find a good open mic, and go back. Avoid the bad ones.

Barker and Bringer Shows:

These are ways to create stage time with an audience.

Bringer shows are where comics bring their friends, creating a small audience.

Barker shows involve handing out flyers on the street to attract an audience.

Barking is a way to develop audience, and get stage time.

Barking also allows you to interact with people before the show, and create a relationship with your audiance.

Producing Your Own Show:

This gives you control over everything.

It's a way to create consistent stage time.

Finding talent is easy, building an audience is the hard part.

Paid Gigs:

Eventually, you may get paid to perform at clubs, colleges, or corporate events.

Even when getting paid, you need to keep working on new material, and getting stage time at open mics.

The Comedy University

Don't complain about paying five bucks for stage time or spending an hour on the street. Think of it as your comedy university. You're learning what works and what doesn't. Remember, as my friend Milinth Fowler says, "There's no wrong, no bad, no good. Is it working, or is it not working?"

The Process

Every time you get on stage:

Prepare: Brainstorm or outline your material.

Have Fun: Focus on enjoying yourself without being a jerk.

Analyze: Objectively evaluate what worked and what could have been better.

Repeat this process throughout your career. You're never fully "ready," but you'll figure it out.

Creating Opportunities

If you can't find work, create it. If you're not getting stage time, create opportunities. Find other people who need stage time and organize shows. This could be at school, a bar, or anywhere.

Call to Action

Get on stage within the next week. If you need guidance, wait for my next episode. But if you're ready, just get on stage and talk. If it works, do it again. If not, try something different.

The next four or five episodes will cover how to create your first five-minute stand-up routine.