Thread by @roywoodjr

If you’re not a performer scroll past this long ass thread

I made the decision this year to work less on new material & instead study the art of performance. Especially performers out side the world of comedy. Music, book readings, Broadway. Even the way boxers walk to the ring

The purpose of the exercise is to see the ways other performers present their art to see if there are places where I could push myself or explore more performatively. When to be still, when to explode. When to use all of the stage when to use none.

A fun exercise is to watch a performance on mute. Without the audio you’ll absorb it differently.

This is what I’m out to analyze about myself. And hopefully find new ways I can grow as a performer in terms of the visual and sensory engagement parts of stand-up comedy.

Before I can really tackle writing my next hour of comedy I first have to identify places where I can grow performatively. Only then can you start creating material that pushes those newly found performative boundaries.

Another place to see performers push themselves is from artists who haven’t made it yet. An Off-Broadway play or a rapper who ain’t got a deal. No one tries harder at baseball than someone in Triple-A. They’re SO close.

Chastity Washington is going to be a problem. Haven’t seen anything like this in 20 yrs of comedy. The ferocity, the franticness, It was nonStop. And like many black comics from Chicago, the material is layered in honesty & heart that you can only get from living in the Midwest

You forget in performance to maintain the hunger. It’s part of it. Chastity Washington reminded me of ‘Rocky 3’ where Mickey is convincing Rocky that Clubber Lang will beat his ass

Chastity Washington made me contemplate if I will have a future as a stand-up comedian. Period. She is coming for all ya’lls money and all your gigs. If not here there’s another one comkng. You’re either bettering yourself or you’re passing time until you’re replaced. Fin.