Hollywood Timing

We all know timing is everything in comedy. The rhythm of the jokes is incredibly important. But being in the right place at the right time matters too, and I’ve had a little luck with that over the years.

One of those moments happened after

I had been working comedy clubs on the road for seven or eight years all along the East Coast and sometimes in the Midwest. I started thinking that maybe I should move somewhere where someone with comedy “power” could actually see me perform and help me. The East Coast and Midwest were great places to build your act, but New York and Los Angeles were better for making connections.

As it happened, one night I was performing

at the Thoroughgood Inn Comedy Club in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Walking out to my car after the show, I got a huge surprise when a friend from college, Rhonda, was standing there. She had been at the show and had no idea I was a comedian.

Rhonda and I had stayed in touch for seven or eight years after college, but

as often happens, we eventually drifted apart. She got married and I went on the road. We did a lot of catching up that night, and she mentioned that she was actually only in town for that one evening. She had divorced her first husband, the guy I knew, remarried, and moved from Virginia to Los Angeles.

When I told her I had been thinking about moving to L.A., she said

I should come out and stay with them until I found a place. We exchanged numbers, and about a year later I finally called her, fully expecting her to say something like, “Well, it’s bad timing.” After all, I had never met her husband and had only seen her that one time in the comedy club parking lot. I figured maybe she had made the offer without really thinking it through.

But to my surprise, she said, “Come on out!”

I planned to stay only about a week until I found a place, but

when I got there her new husband was great and we really clicked. After a few days she convinced me that her offer to stay as long as I needed was sincere, so I did. I stayed with them for a couple of months while I made some connections in the L.A. clubs. Then I went back on the road for a few months to make some money and later moved back in with them for another month while I found an apartment. They really helped me get established on the West Coast.

And while I was getting established, I had another “good timing” moment.

Even though I wasn’t getting much stage time in Los Angeles, I still wanted to hang around the clubs to see my friends and make connections. That wasn’t too hard at the Improv because they had a bar outside the showroom, and comics could go into the bar even if they weren’t performing.

But another club in Hollywood,

the Laugh Factory. was tougher. They had a balcony area in the back where comics could hang out, but they also had a couple of big Samoan bouncers who were known for not letting just any comic wander in. A lot of people in L.A. called themselves comedians, but they were really just open mic-ers, and the club didn’t want them watching shows for free.

One night I finally got up the courage to

try getting into the club. I had avoided it for a while because I didn’t want to get rejected, but I knew I had to do it sooner or later. So I drove over and, just as I walked up to the door, a comic I had worked with on the road, Courtney Cronin, was walking in. I didn’t realize it at the time, but she regularly emceed there and was well known at the club.

As we came around opposite corners, we almost

collided right in front of the bouncers. We both said a quick hello and how great it was to see each other. The bouncers, of course, let Courtney in. When I told them I was a comic too, Courtney turned around, looked at them, and said, “Yeah, she’s legit. She really is a comic.” And just like that, I was in that night and pretty much any night I wanted for the next few years. That chance encounter not only gave me access, but also a big boost of confidence.

In fact, I felt so good about it that a few nights later I

(a quick joke from my keynote Finding the Funny this past weekend - can you relate??)

went over to the Comedy Store, where they also had a bouncer at the door. I introduced myself, told him I was a full-time comedian, and for some reason he believed me and let me in that night and pretty much whenever I wanted too.

Because of those coincidences, I was able to

make some headway in the comedy world in Los Angeles. If they hadn’t happened, I probably would have figured something out eventually, but the timing of those moments saved me a lot of time.

If you keep working at something long enough, eventually your timing lines up and doors start to open.

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Jan McInnis is a Keynote Speaker, Comedian, Comedy Writer, and Master of Ceremonies. She has written for Jay Leno’s Tonight Show monologue as well as many other people, places, and groups – radio, TV, syndicated cartoon strips, and even guests on the Jerry Springer show (her parents are proud). For 20+ years she’s traveled country as a keynote speaker and comedian sharing her unique and practical tips on what business leaders can learn from comedians (no, it’s not all about telling jokes). She can be reached at www.TheWorkLady.com, or Jan@TheWorkLady.com She’s also a GREAT Master of Ceremonies. Click here for her emcee site

Some of the stories in this newsletter are taken from Jan’s popular book:

Convention Comedian: Stories and Wisdom From Two Decades of Chicken Dinners and Comedy Clubs.