Episode 051 COMEDIC STORYTELLING YES AGAIN – Jeff Simmermon: “Building a gobstopper from the inside out”

PATREON LINK: https://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets SEE JEFF (MCBRIDE) ON TOUR (6/2/19-July)! DETAILS AND TICKETS: http://www.jeffmcbride.com/shows COMEDIC STORYTELLING (AGAIN) The loquacious, award-winning raconteur and NYC stand-up comic, Jeff Simmermon, hopped on the mic for the show’s second foray into COMEDIC STORYTELLING. He explains his own simplified version of Dan Harmon’s simplified version of Christopher Vogler’s simplified version of Joseph Campbell’s “The Hero With A Thousand Faces.” I’ve created my own simplified version that follows the that has zero quadrants or phases. It’s indescribable. They may be a problem with my version. Referencing the articles he’s written on the subject, we talk about the “North Star” of the story, the dreaded “Wonder Years Moment,” and many other aspects of comedic storytelling. What’s the best way to determine when you need an act out? How do you identify what’s wrong with a story that doesn’t hit, and how might you fix it? What’s the real difference between a story and an anecdote? How do you determine what truths to abandon for a good story that still rings true? We bat around these questions and uncover a bucketful of tips along the way via a story by Gastor Almonte, who Simmermon helped prepare for Comedy Central’s “This Is Not Happening,” through some of Simmermon’s own material off his album and from a performance of his at The Moth Grand SLAM. Simmermon’s articles on storytelling: This Is A Boring Shark Attack: 8 Rules for Fascinating Storytelling How to Structure a Funny Story This Ice Cream Will Heal Your Heartbreak: How to Find Your Story’s ‘North Star’ How to Tell a Funny Story That Turns Desire Into Action ABOUT THE GUEST COMIC Jeff Simmermon is an accomplished storyteller come stand-up comic. He also teaches comedic storytelling on the side. He’s lived a colorful life, and it shows in his work. From his apparently love of hot pink vinyl to his time spent in a band that featured chickens pecking an instrument, Jeff is a genuine hipster without pretense–he’s earned it as the real deal. His conversation is colorful and sprinkled with metaphors, clearly demonstrating his chutzpah as a writer. He’s the producer/performer behind ‘And I Am Not Lying,‘ a variety show that combines stand-up, storytelling, burlesque, sideshow and music on the second Friday of every month at UCB East. In 2017, he recorded his first album for Comedy Dynamics. Jeff has won multiple Moth StorySLAMS, including a GrandSLAM in March of 2014. His stories have appeared on This American Life, The Moth’s podcast, and in written form on The Paris Review Daily. HE also teaches a semi-private storytelling class. FEATURED BITS ON THIS EPISODE – Gastor Almonte – Brooklyn Batman (Comedy Central – This Is Not Happening, , 2017) – Jeff Simmermon – Empathetic Screaming Match on NYC Subway (‘Making Waves’ Moth GrandSLAM, 2015) – Jeff Simmermon – ‘Roo shooter (And I Am Not Lying, 2017) THANKS TO OUR ADMIN AND RESEARCH ASSISTANT: Monnnaaah Singe And thank you, Jeff Simmermon. We bald, funny guys have to band together. GUEST PLUGS: – Jeff is doing a half hour at QED on May 24th, 7:30 PM – https://bit.ly/2TYRTnu – Jeff’s album, “And I Am Not Lying,” is available wherever you hear digital music and also on hot pink vinyl from Dischord Records: https://bit.ly/2UF0iAI – If you’re interested in taking one of his storytelling classes, go here: http://jeffsimmermon.com/teaching FOLLOW OUR GUEST: – INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/jeff.simmermon/ – TWITTER: https://twitter.com/jeffsimmermon – FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/jeffsimmermon – WEBSITE: http://www.jeffsimmermon.com SUPPORT “Let’s Talk About Sets!”: If you’re feeling grateful, consider sponsoring us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/letstalkaboutsets Or, if you want to send us a one-time tip say thanks: Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/Jeff-McBride Paypal: jeff@letstalkaboutsets.com AND PLEASE DO SHARE US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: https://www.facebook.com/letstalkaboutsets https://www.twitter.com/letstalksets https://www.instagram.com/letstalkaboutsets Lastly, CHECK OUT OUR SEXY “COMEDY SPEAKEASY” IN MANHATTAN: https://www.brickspotcomedy.com Special thanks to Gastor Almonte’s badass storytelling chops. And, I’ve finally given in to overwhelming pressure (from 3 comments on the Internet) to truncate the heavily parodied work by Salt ‘N Pepa. But we still love you long time, SnP. And for the super geeky, here’s some more info on storytelling: http://www.movieoutline.com/articles/the-hero-journey-mythic-structure-of-joseph-campbell-monomyth.html