Rebecca takes the comedy stage

Rebecca is an accomplished professional communicator and public speaker. Long-time toastmaster. Frequent conference presenter. Multilingual.

She knows how to put words together, so to speak.

There was one stage she hadn’t appeared on yet.

After gifting a comedy workshop to a coworker, Rebecca was inspired to try it out for herself.

The workshop was six weeks, three hours every Sunday and included a showcase performance to wrap it all up.

She stepped off the stage at her first comedy show thinking, “well, I’ve done that, now where’s my pint?” But the comedy bug bit her and she’s started performing on average 4-5 times a month.

She’s also been surprised by how her clients and friends have responded to it - with an equal mix of curiosity and awe.

While she may not see what the big deal is, I understand what those curious folks might be thinking. It takes balls to get up on a stage, alone, and trying to connect with a room full of strangers.

I want that. I am also terrified of that. I’m pretty sure no matter how many times I read Born Standing Up by Steve Martin, it’s not going to push me onto a comedy stage.

And that’s what piqued my curiosity to ask Rebecca about her experience.

In this episode of Tell Me a Story, Rebecca talks about that first show, but she also opens up about the thinking behind what she’s trying to communicate, listening to different audiences and how not getting the laugh necessarily means she failed.

It’s enough to give you the bug and make you start looking for comedy workshops near you.