Comedia de Claus: Standup gives me a voice

I, Ann Votaw, the woman behind Mrs. Claus NYC, have been studying standup since April.

I hit open mics two to three times a week, sometimes more.

Most of my material is about my life sifted through the comedy colander. Being a Midwesterner in New York gives me lots of silly comparisons. For instance, I believe Santa lands on the “ruff.” For New Yorkers, Santa lands on the “roooof.”

I’ve learned that setup is a way of creating a reality, something the audience can visualize. By design, the punch line destroys my setup.

Open mics are places to practice. For $5 per comic, clubs provide five minutes of stage time during off-hours. Each time I go, I record myself. Later, I listen to my recordings while reading a transcript of my work. Every time I get a laugh, I underline the phrase or moment of silence.

When I consistantly get laughs in the same places, I know I’m onto something. When I hear dead spaces, I know I need to re-write or cut. I keep Google docs on each joke, dating my most recent version and placing it at the top of the document. A professional comedian taught me this trick to track a bit over time.

Many times, I am one woman in a group of 14 men. But I have met like-minded women. And they have started their own shows. I’m getting booked for these shows.

Each time I get on stage, I sense how important it is to have a voice and a presence. If we women don’t grab the mic, the world thinks we don’t exist.