How to be a Comedy Host or Emcee [MC]

Taught by Astronaut City owner Teresa Lo

A strong emcee can make or break a comedy show. Whether you’re hosting an open mic, a showcase, or a booked show, your role as the host is critical to the success of the night. A great host keeps the energy up, connects with the audience, supports the comics, and helps the show run smoothly from start to finish.

This 3-hour workshop is designed to teach stand-up comics how to become confident, reliable, and bookable comedy hosts. You’ll learn the practical skills clubs and producers look for when choosing hosts — and how to avoid the common mistakes that cost comics hosting opportunities. This workshop will help you get future bookings, and you'll get direct feedback from a club owner.

This workshop is ideal for:

• New comedians who want to start hosting
• Open mic hosts looking to improve
• Comics who want to get more booked hosting gigs
• Experienced hosts who want to sharpen their skills

In this class, you’ll learn:

• MC do’s and don’ts
• How to open a show and greet an audience
• Appropriate material for hosting
• Emcee etiquette and professionalism
• Reading and adjusting to different audiences
• Keeping it clean as a host
• Making announcements clearly and efficiently
• Introducing comics and passing the mic properly
• Managing transitions and pacing
• Closing a show the right way
• The difference between open mic hosting and show hosting
• How to get booked as a host
• How hosting can boost your comedy career

If you want to become the kind of emcee that bookers trust and rebook, this workshop will give you the tools to host with confidence and professionalism. Space is limited.

The workshop is open to anyone 18+. It will be a combination of a lecture, Q&A, and hands on experience.

The workshop takes place at Astronaut City, Arcadia's favorite comedy club and the host of the San Gabriel Valley Comedy Festival.

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Host or Publisher Astronaut City LLC