Stand-Up / Storytelling - what’s the difference?
The line between stand-up comedy and storytelling has often confused me. I have seen storytellers who have left me in stitches from laughter (Bill Lepp, Ed Stivender, and so on) and I have seen some comedians who tell a strong story (Bill Cosby, early Whoopi Goldberg). This raises the question: are stand-up comedy and storytelling two of the same thing, just given different names?
Thanks to conversations with several established storytellers, and a lot of thought, the dividing line has become clearer as of late. Stand-up comedians can be storytellers and storytellers can be comical, but what makes storytelling a separate art form is the fact that there must be a story in it (yes, it may seem obvious to some of you, but the simple idea eluded me for a long while).
My reason for presenting this point today is that I was studying the technique of my favorite comedian today: Robin Williams. Robin’s improvisatory style, spontaneity, over energized performances, and toying with voices has enthralled me since my youth. I believe it is for reasons such as these that, for quite some time, I found myself believing him to be a storyteller comedian. Today, however, I questioned that belief and watched a collection of bits of his work (thank you youtube). From these clips, I came to the conclusion that, while Robin creates a host of characters through his work, he is not a storyteller – his jokes rely on his quick wit and punch lines, not because of a drawn out through line.
Please note, this is not meant negatively. I do not take storytelling to be a higher art than stand-up comedy: I am still a fan of Robin’s work and still consider him to be an influence in my work. This entry is merely a recognition of the differences in the art forms and an observation about one of my favorite performers.
If any of you have any thoughts on this distinction, please feel free to send them my way.
Until next time,
Best,
Lethan