Why I have been doing the same five minutes for the last five years
... and why comics shouldn't be afraid of taking time to build the tightest set.
Hi! Thank you for reading You’re Invited to Laugh: a weekly look at work as an American stand-up comedian based in Berlin, Germany. I moved to Europe as an opera singer in 2019 and you can read the full story here. This publication is free right now, but you are invited to pledge support for the future!
The goal of a new comic is to develop a “tight five.” This is five minutes that absolutely kill in any situation. Then you go for a tight seven, ten, 15, etc. Here’s the thing: if you’re doing a mic every night, your tight five might take three months, or it might take a year. It could, ultimately, take a lifetime.
One of the pitfalls of new comics, and I definitely once fell into this category, is the fear of “repeating jokes.” Oh, I did this joke at this mic last month, so I have to do new jokes! This is an imagined fear. Jokes must be repeated a hundred times. Five hundred times. The point of doing mics is to do the same jokes until they are as tight as they can be, as natural as they can look, and you have experienced every possible outcome so you know how to respond to it. You’ve discovered every nook and cranny of the joke. You’ve tried different word orders and turns of phrase. You’ve recorded it and watched the footage from fifteen different nights. You’ve cut the fat. You’ve A/B texted every tangent to see if it’s actually making the bit better. There are a million books on this and I’m not writing one, but suffice to say, if you’re a new comedian working on a tight set, you are going to do the same jokes over and over – for years.
Getting over the fear of repetition is one sign, I think, of a good comic. Yes, a frequent flyer who comes to all the local showcases will see you do the same joke twice, but so what. No audience is ever the same as the last. There’s someone out there who’s at their first show, ever. And you want to give them your best.
What about open mics? This is training. This is lifting weights. Strength is built on reps. And the fact that audiences come and donate money to open mics in Europe is still mind-blowing – but shouldn’t make you afraid of repeating jokes. Open mics are the gym.
In LA, for an open mic, I paid $5 to do 5 min and put my name in a bucket and sat with twenty other sober comics as we all hoped to God we weren’t pulled last, because after each comic did their set, they left.
An audience? For an open mic?? In this economy??? What a blessing. And part of the reason I think the EU is a magnificent place to be, as a comic. People here are hungry for comedy in a way I’ve never experienced in the US or the UK. It’s exciting. It’s refreshing. It’s real.
I have been doing the same five minutes since 2019. They are wonderful. My showcase 15 min set is so well-trod that you could wake me up at 3 AM, put a gun to my head, and demand I start telling jokes and I could do it, immediately. This is the level of muscle memory I’ve developed with my set, because I’ve said every one of those jokes north of one hundred times, and I know every possible outcome.
I’ve done my 25 minute set across Europe and in my hometown. I’ve done my hour every day for four weeks, and I’m about to take it on the road again (come see me in Munich, Leipzig, and Frankfurt).
Why am I talking about this? Because the necessity of preparation is heavy on my mind these days. I lost my job and have thrown myself enthusiastically, stupidly, full-hog into building a comedy career, racing against my severance check to see if I can get things rolling before running out of money. I’ve blabbed the ear off comics in greens room for weeks, telling them that I’m going for it and I’m ready and if success is the result of preparation meeting opportunity, I am prepared.
Which is a very good thing, because last night, while sitting in a Greek restaurant in Mitte with my friend
, I got the most exciting text of my career.More on that soon.
Another mini-tour is locked and loaded! I am so excited to not only bring this show to a wider audience, but to see more of Germany. There are a few friends I can’t wait to hug in Munich, and I’ve never been to Leipzig or Frankfurt. TICKETS
Every time I take this beauty out for a promanade on the stage, I learn something new. I premiered Lessons on Being Loud at EdFringe 2024, and I most recently did a house show for close friends and family in Denver over the holidays. Did you miss the show’s Berlin premiere last October? You’re in luck! I’m doing it again at Wein Salon in March!!
In other news, my band Avistortion released our new single last Friday, and I’m pretty proud of it! You can listen on Spotify, YouTube, and all other streaming platforms.
I played it for my dad when I was home in January and around the first minute mark my dad said, “Oh, wow! I didn’t know Cookie Monster was in your band!”
What’s on this week!
Monday, February 3rd
Spiritual Advice for Dummies (Host) @Z Bar
Tuesday, February 4th
Berlin New Stand-Up Award 2025! Heat 3 (Host) @Cosmic Comedy
Wednesday, February 5th
Dirty Laundry @Mein Freund Harvey
Friday, February 7th
Comedy Bazaar @Das Gift
Showcase @Cosmic Comedy
Sunday, February 9th (MUNICH!)
Lessons on Being Loud (solo) as part of the Expat Comedy Showcase @Lost Weekend
About Me: I’m Steph, an award-winning writer and performer. You can read my full bio at www.stephaniedeprez.com.