Just Kidding: Stand-Up Comedy For Kids Of All Ages

By Toni Attell

“A funny thing happened to a kid on the way home from school...he laughed...and suddenly the world didn’t such a formidable place, because now he could joke about it.” Toni Attell.
Learning how to be funny can be a wonderful, magical and uplifting experience for a young person: it sharpens communication skills, builds self–confidence, instills pride in cultural heritage...and that is just the beginning. It can also be an aid in bringing the family unit closer together.
Stand-Up Comedy for Kids is a hands on stand–up comedy book for children with just that goal in mind. It is meant to teach children how to use their life experiences in positive ways, utilizing stand–up comedy techniques. It also demonstrates how laughter can be a very useful and healing tool.
In addition to an easy to understand “How-To” section for “Stand–Up Comedy for Kids”, there is a section broken down into types and styles of comedy. There is also a “Comedy Pups” section, which includes how to effectively use one liners and jokes from Toni Attell’s “Comedy Pups.” The Comedy Pups are a group of young stand–up comics of all ages who have been featured at the L.A. Improv, Paramount Pictures, and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Entertainment Tonight, Los Angeles Channel 4 News and The Los Angeles Times.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Toni Attell
• Release date: Sep 2, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465721556

Toni Attell

Toni Attell is as an Emmy nominated actress. Her credits include a variety of work in television and movies as well as experience working internationally with some of the greatest masters of the performance- arts field, including, Jean Louie Barroult. Marcel Marceau and Mamako Yoneyama for mime, Carlos Mazzonne for Comedia del Arte and Bill Ball, David Dukes, Paul Shenar, David Alexander, Nina Foch and Harvey Lembeck for improvisation, comedy and acting. She is a member of The Academy of Arts and Sciences and is on the “Blue Ribbon Panel” that votes on the Emmys. Toni Attell performed with the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, Theater West in Los Angeles and toured over 350 colleges in the United States as a mime-comedienne teaching master classes in movement and acting. She has created and performed a number of one-woman shows, started the Comedy Store Players in Los Angeles and has instructed and choreographed the clowns at Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey Circus and has choreographed a variety of music videos including Kim Carnes’ Betty Davis Eyes. Ms. Attell helped to create a summer program for children and adult actors and writers at the Los Angeles Theater Center and recently toured Japan and China performing her new one woman shows. She started three stand-up comedy groups comprised of children called “The Comedy Pups.” that was featured on National Television and has taught acting for twenty years to children, teens, adults and seniors. As a comedienne and mime she was the opening act for Jay Leno, Steve Martin and Robin Williams. In 2002-2003 she hosted her own radio show on KRLA talk radio called “The Romantic Intuitive.” and is currently acting, lecturing and performing and is writing a column for The Tolucan Times and La Brea Living Magazine called “The Chatterbox-The Biz” for the last three years. Antoinette (Toni) Attell is presently an adjunct professor at the USC School of Cinema teaching the Acting Experience for Writers and Acting for Directors and is also teaching at UCLA Extension where she has taught and created the following classes: “Comedy Boot Camp” “Hypnosis and Intuition for the Actor in Acting” and is teaching graduate and undergraduate students, Acting for Non-Actors” and “Acting for Commercials” at Chapman College. Ms. Attell is a pioneer in taking acting relaxation exercises to a deeper level with the use of different enhancement modalities. These techniques have improved her students’ abilities in presentation and memorization skills. Ms. Attell has co-written a workbook with Carl Gottlieb (Jaws, The Jerk, Dr. Detroit) called “ The Little Blue Book for Filmmaking.” She also published “Just Kidding – Stand-Up Comedy For Kids Of All Ages” on Ebook readers everywhere. · She has created and taught these classes so far at USC, Chapman, NYFA and UCLA–Ext. · Voice and Movement · Comedy Boot Camp · Acting for Non–Actors · Acting for Writers · Acting for Directors · Hypnosis and Intuition for the Actor in Acting · Acting: The Fundamentals · Scene Study · Improvisation · Acting for Commercials ( so Important for the kids to make money right away) · Acting for Film · Taking it from Stage to Screen · Pantomime and other movements for the Actor in Film. · The Psychology of Acting

Book preview

Just Kidding

Stand-Up Comedy For Kids Of All Ages

By

Antoinette Toni Attell

Copyright © 2006 All Rights Reserved

Smashwords Edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Thank you for purchasing this very special workbook on performing stand-up comedy. Many valuable hours spent authoring it and we hope it will prove invaluable in your work if you did not purchase this book; please take a moment to get it through your local retailer.

Published 2011

Copyright 2006

Library Of Congress TXu001267922

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I – Your Stand-Up Comedy

Chapter 1: The Comedy Questionnaire

Chapter 2: Finding your Style and Developing your Comedy Philosophy

Chapter 3: Styles of Humor and Their Definitions

Chapter 4: From the Circus to the Stage

Chapter 5: Comedy Isn’t Always Pretty

Chapter 6: My Own Road to Comedy

Chapter 7: Set-ups and Punch lines

Chapter 8: Different Styles of Comedy/Discovering Your Niche

Chapter 9: Sample Stand-up Comedy

Chapter 10: How to Create Your First Minute

Chapter 11: How to Perform Comedy

Chapter 12: The First Two Weeks of Writing Comedy

Chapter 13: The First Two Weeks of Performing Comedy

Chapter 14: How to Cope with Stress/Harness Stage Joy

Chapter 15: The Stage Experience

SECTION II - Comedy Pups and their Styles of Comedy

Jyl Ray

Mitch Collier

Sari Cohen

Josh Caya

Athena Diaz

Ryan Knefel

Kimberly Knefel

Nora Davis

Jerry Messing

Clarissa Williams

Nicole Weekly

Jesse Del

About The Author

INTRODUCTION

In this book, you will find samples of comedy ranging from the works of young children to older teens. I have included pictures of them, so the reader can see them, as they were when they were doing the comedy and how they look now. Samples of their comedy have been included, so that each one of you can choose the style of comedy that you most resonate with. You may find that there are two or three styles that you resonate with, but I strongly suggest you start with one, and then add to that after you have completed your first minute of comedy.

Do not feel restricted to one particular style or type of comedy; you can always adapt other styles or types of comedy to your routines later, layering as you progress. What is most important is to get started and to have fun with the process.

Do not judge yourself; just commit yourself one hundred percent, knowing that all famous comics started out the same way. I encourage you to imitate the style of any favorite comic or comics that you resonate with. Many comics imitate someone during their career; it is all right to do so until you have developed your own style and feel comfortable and confident with it. This process will help you start to make choices and any choice is better then no choice.

It is very important you practice your material over and over until you have it so well memorized and coordinated that you can shift sections of it around – or eliminate bits if necessary – depending upon the type of audience you are performing for.

Read through all of the Comedy Pups material, and then create your first minute knowing you can call upon and incorporate any of the other Pups styles into your comedy. This will help you find your own unique style. Keep notes on their processes; these notes will aid you in your own process as a stand-up comic. If you treat each Comedy Pup as a teacher, it will make your role as the student easier and more effective. By observing their tricks and secrets you will add to your own abilities and help your own process flow more freely.

Within these pages, you will find a chapter detailing the different types and styles of comedy; in addition to definitions and how to create the same kind of stand-up as the Comedy Pups.

Remember: have a fun with the process and never judge yourself.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

I wrote on TV specials starring Toni Toad Attell. I can say a mime did my words. And now…she has written a great book to help in the journey to find the funny you. Just Kidding is a great title for a how-to comedy book because you can always get a laugh just by using the phrase just kidding!… Just kidding. Wayne Kline, head staff monologue writer for The Tonight Show — since 1992 — with Jay Leno – since 1987.

Let’s give this book to congress. After all, we know they’re just kidding, — Jonathan Winters.

This book will teach children how to be lonely, egocentric and maladjusted adults…just kidding! Anne Beatts, comedy writer for the original Saturday Night Live and National Lampoon television and movies.

Toni Attell reminds us that while some comedians may be childish, some children may be comedians, and writing and performing one's own comedy is an attainable goal. Her book is for anyone who wants to know more about being funny. If you can't read, don't buy it. Carl Gottlieb, author/screenwriter, Jaws Jaws 2. Jaws 3-D The Jerk, Doctor Detroit, Caveman, Bob Newhart Shows, Odd Couple (television shows) Tom and Dick Smothers Brothers Special, Vice President of the Writers Guild.

I gave this book to my inner child and ever since I did, I’ve been in convulsions over his jokes. Oh, how I hate competition! David Samson, author of The Joy of Depression, Useless Knowledge, American Idle, and Men Who Hate Themselves and The Women Who Agree With Them. He is otherwise known as funnyguy.com.

Toni Attell teaches you how to find your unique comic voice and how to make it work for you, Michael Taylor, chair of the USC Cinema/Television Production Department. Film credits include: Phenomenon, Instinct, Bottle Rocket, and Copying Beethoven.

Just Kidding – Stand-Up Comedy for Kids of All Ages is an excellent book to train students how to use comedy to enhance their self-esteem, self-confidence and utilize laughter to establish rapport with people of all ages. As an ex-principal with over thirty years of experience, I found Toni Attell’s book an extremely refreshing and enlightening addition to education that can last a lifetime. Dr. Norma Lent Auerbach.

Laughter is an internal massage that soothes every cell, creating comfort and joy throughout the entire body. By teaching children to laugh and create laughter, Toni Attell provides a great healing to the world. Her skills and understanding in the area of comedy are unsurpassed, and she is able to teach these to others so that they can spread the healing of laughter. Open this book and prepare for your own internal massage today! Nancie M. Barwick, Ph.D. Author of Unstuff Yourself: Finding Joy on the Road to Wellness.

This how-to book on stand-up comedy can also serve as an excellent resource for any educator who wishes to provide students with and alternative release for their emotions. Dr. Helene A. Feldman, former Principal of a NYC High School and is presently working with the New York City’s Chancellor’s School Improvement Team.

Toni’s book has compilations of brilliance. It confirms that kids are inherently funny and when they practice the methods that Toni teaches, the kids become hilarious. Just Kidding is obviously a work of art that not only informs the child comedian/actor but also instills confidence. To boot, the book is valuable to a child’s growth whether or not theatre is part of his or her makeup. My applause to Ms. Attell. Michael J. Wallach, theatrical manager for more than twenty years, attorney, UCLA Extension and Santa Monica College instructor, and author of How to Get Arrested A motivational story for Actors.

Just Kidding

(Stand-Up Comedy for Kids of All Ages)

Overview

A funny thing happened to a kid on the way home from school…he laughed…and suddenly the world didn’t such a formidable place, because now he could joke about it. Toni Attell.

Learning how to be funny can be a wonderful, magical and uplifting experience for a young person: it sharpens communication skills, builds self–confidence, instills pride in cultural heritage…and that is just the beginning. It can also be an aid in bringing the family unit closer together.

Stand-Up Comedy for Kids is a hands on stand–up comedy book for children with just that goal in mind. It is meant to teach children how to use their life experiences in positive ways, utilizing stand–up comedy techniques. It also demonstrates how laughter can be a very useful and healing tool.

In addition to an easy to understand How-To section for Stand–Up Comedy for Kids, there is a section broken down into types and styles of comedy. There is also a Comedy Pups section, which includes how to effectively use one liners and jokes from Toni Attell’s Comedy Pups. The Comedy Pups are a group of young stand–up comics of all ages who have been featured at the L.A. Improv, Paramount Pictures, and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Entertainment Tonight, Los Angeles Channel 4 News and The Los Angeles Times.

The Comedy Pups section will include the child’s age, photo, bio, stage photos, the reasons the child entered comedy, what it did for them, two to three of their favorite jokes, and what inspired them to write the jokes. This will help the children to associate with the child they resonate most with and/or the brand of humor that they enjoy the most to help them create their own outlook and style of stand-up comedy. This book will give children the How To’s and the Why’s of stand up comedy, regardless if they use the information to pursue comedy as a professional, amateur, personally, or just for fun.

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SECTION I – Your Stand-Up Comedy

CHAPTER ONE

THE COMEDY QUESTIONNAIRE

Please complete the following questionnaire. If you answer yes to any of these, you are definitely suited to do comedy.

01.) DO YOU THINK YOU TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY? If you are answering this question, you probably do.

02.) DO OTHERS THINK YOU TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY? Ask at least three people you know, and then ignore what they say.

03.) DO YOU FEEL YOU FIT IN WITH OTHER PEOPLE? Or do you feel as if you are lost in a crowd.

04.) DO YOU EVER FEEL LONELY AND ISOLATED? As if you were on the inside looking out.

05.) DO YOU ENJOY OR