इन थे बेगिन्निंग...

I am male and so can not teach a woman to be funny... lets get that out of the way really early in the journey... I know of the skill... timing and respect the power...

I do know how to teach stand-up comedy to people so I hope it will translate...

I was asked by Eva Pea and Joan Farkas to help create a Meetup group called The Wit and Writing of Women... www.meetup.com/WittyOne I would be called the House Comic and be responsible for the baking...

The structure of professional stand-up comedy is heavily influenced with male references, rights and rules... like... well I can't think of one at the moment but it will come to me later...

It is a delicate point of discussion... in most comic circles... why aren't women funny?... hey don't shoot the messenger...

In an industry set-up to run for and in lock step support with the concept of pleasure... fame... women and wine as legitimate streams of revenue and benefits... sees really no incentive to change... but because the only real measure of comedy to a business owner... is how much will the audience pay... in cover... alcohol consumption... food... tips and swag... for your comedy?

Are women funny? Again I am biased... speaking as a comedy teacher... women make great students... I seem to genuinely laugh when they create a joke or bit... the audiences at their showcase events are captured... on tape.... literally pissing themselves... so... yeah... I know women are funny... but as most men say... I have a squeaky sounding vagina...

The idea for the group was all Eva Pea... ourfirstfinancialplanner.blogspot.com/ as she had spent a summer attending stand-up comedy training...

My involvement was to be structural... consulting on the flow... timing... and content of each Meetup... and baking... which satisfies the alchemist in me... and in return I would like it...

The difference between teaching a woman the skills of stand-up comedy and men is significant... women come to class with a fear... expectancy of help and guidance and sometimes an apple... men come to the class to offer me pointers and maybe hook up with a class mate...

The 1st Meetup in July set the tone of the class... it's all about the Joke... and by joke I refer to the ancient Ojibwa meaning... set-up and punchline...

The 2nd Meetup in August continued the tone and I received raves for the Blueberry Bomb Muffins and Killing them Chocolaty Brownies...

I am amazed at how much fun the classes are... I mean it is the middle of summer... in a depressed economy... in the height of road closures and detour season... and yet each class has 15 women in attendance... and not all the same women... so with promotion thru Meetup only... and now word of mouth... it is gathering momentum towards a very exciting time... Raspberry Wraps...

My expectations differ from those of the Wit and Writing for Women Meetup... I hope to instill the confidence in women to pursue their dream of stand-up performing... and scare them from ever chasing it...

It would be nice if I left the WAWAWM with my sanity... but since I never came in to the group with it... that is more of a LTG... long term goal...

The growth in instructional skill and lesson delivery demonstrates an aptitude that will quickly multiply into a highly sought after program... I will be honoured to be a part of the journey...