HeraldTimesOnline.com
Want to get more laughs? Ivy Tech has a class for that
Stand-up comic ready to help future comedians, speakers and everyday folks learn to be funnier
By Mike Leonard
331-4368 | mleonard@heraldt.com
April 2, 2013
There are people who have always wanted to get up the nerve and try stand-up comedy.
There are people who simply want to be better speakers. Few strategies can enliven a speech, presentation or lecture better than an opening joke, a few self-deprecating remarks or the sense of timing that can make a point of emphasis memorable.
And then there are people who just want to be funnier when they’re hanging out with friends or bellied up to the bar.
Comedian Mat Alano-Martin is looking to incorporate various components of effective humor into Introduction to Stand-Up Comedy, a class being offered for the first time by Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington. Alano-Martin not only knows the subject but lives it, frequently traveling throughout the Midwest to work as a full-time touring comedian.
“This class is going to be more of an academic look at the art of stand-up comedy, going through its history and evolution from early vaudeville and early radio and TV to comedy aimed at youth culture, including the Smothers Brothers, George Carlin and lots of others,” he said last week.
“The rest of the class is going to be looking at the actual science of stand-up,” he continued. “There’ll be a class on joke structure. Mechanical devices to build a set up and reveal a punch line. Performance mechanics and theory. Everything from rhythm and timing to stage persona.”
The four-week class will meet May 7-May 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center. The cost is $49 and registrations can be made at the arts center, by calling 330-6041 or online at www.ivytech.edu/CCL.
The class is being offered by Ivy Tech’s Center for Lifelong Learning and the upcoming Limestone Comedy Festival, to be staged in Bloomington June 6-8. People who complete the stand-up comedy class will have the opportunity to present their five-minute routine during a matinee session of the festival.
“For people who have always just wanted to try comedy and want a safety net, this is going to be the place for them,” Alano-Martin said. “To do it at an open-mic night in front of strangers can be intimidating, no doubt. This will be the place to get their hand held and develop their bit. It’s starting out with training wheels instead of jumping into the fire.”
Comedian Mat Alano-Martin. Courtesy photo
Copyright: HeraldTimesOnline.com 2013
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.
