Teaching’s no joke

Posted

In January I wrote about David LaBarca, my stand-up comedy teacher. He has been teaching stand-up comedy to adults for 19 years and currently teaches privately and in classes throughout the city. I’ve been teaching at the same public high school 180 days a year for 20 years.  I’d like to compare our experiences (The italicized parts are from my comedy routine, 99 percent of which is true!).

 “People who take a comedy class — for the most part — are really into it,” says LaBarca.  He loves students who pay close attention to his lectures, using what he says to write and deliver jokes, an ability that improves with practice.

With his black hair, pale face and slim build, LaBarca reminds me of a young Alan Arkin, who began his acting career as a member of Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe and, like LaBarca, is also from Brooklyn.

When I took LaBarca’s beginners class in stand-up, he had us write a joke in the first class.  I won’t repeat mine.  Let’s just say I promised to do better.

Returning a test paper to a student, I said, “No, Hitler was not a woman!  No, JFK, did not free the slaves! And you spelled your name wrong.”

For homework, LaBarca assigns joke writing.   His comments on students’ papers — when they’re improvements on jokes or even new jokes that can be added — are hysterical! Or he might question if an audience would understand a joke or if the joke could be developed more.

When my student says to me, “What’s your problem?” I say, “My problem?  You’re 15 and scared of nothing, because you say prison would be great:  free food, free gym… NO HOMEWORK!”

LaBarca chose to do stand-up comedy partly because it was unconventional.  Averse to the routineness of nine-to-five, LaBarca says, “If I were a trial attorney, I’d plead guilty and ask for the death penalty.  Even if it were just a civil case.”  Now that he’s a teacher, he can be proud of still not having a conventional job.

Valerie Kaufman, David LaBarca, comedy, stand-up
Page 1 / 3

Comments