Recently, we received an inspirational success story in response to an in-depth interview we published two years ago with Shang. Comedian Carmen Ciricillo, best known as the Construction Comic, shared his experience working with Shang and how the comedian’s time-tested principles have been key to his success.
Shang is seriously one of the hardest working comics out there. I am not sure where I would be today without him. I was living in Los Angeles in 1990 when I first met him. I had been doing stand up for about three years at that time and was like every other comic — lazy, sleeping late and waiting for a phone call. I had never had an industry showcase, an agent, a niche — nothing until I met Shang.
We met out east, maybe Cleveland, OH and I looked him up when I got to L.A. He blew me away with what he was doing to get work. He had brochures (he did his own artwork), contact lists he called daily, and most important he was setting up showcases when no one could get time. I ended up working with him to put on showcases, that we taped. Nobody had a good tape, but we did. We teamed up as he did the artwork, made brochures and we ended up working UCLA, one-nighters and clubs together.
Because of his work ethic, I started working harder on ways to make money in stand up. I got advice from Mark Lonow at the Santa Monica Improv. He said, “do material about you, your family etc.” My family is basically blue collar construction and I started writing material based on this. I created the Construction Comic and a “bad contractor” persona.
One of the L.A. newspapers called my comedy Blue Collar way before [Jeff] Foxworthy [made it famous] and I followed Shang’s methods — the ones he talked about in Stage Time: Take your promo or whatever you get and promote the hell out of it. He is so right about guys getting Comedy Central Presents specials and no one knows who they are.
I took the Construction Comic to ridiculous heights. I got so much corporate work at $1500 a pop, it was hard for me to do a one-nighter in the Valley for $50. I am earning $5,000-$10,000 a show with this routine. Because of this niche, I was looked at first for a home improvement show on the Discovery Channel called Your New House, which I got and did 60 episodes. It still runs in syndication. I told all the Home Shows who I was and parlayed that into live appearances nationally – I ended up doing commercials for Home Shows which turned into a SAG commercial for a Home Builder then a NASCAR tour in 2000 (14 races). I now own a construction comedy school like comedy traffic school, and teaching contractors which has propelled my worth into the millions –- all because of the hard work I learned with an apprenticeship with Shang. He has sacrificed a lot to get where he is at, and we have only spoke a few times recently, but he taught me never to sit back and wait for some booker to call you! — As told to Tasha Harris
Carmen Ciricillo’s Success Tips for Comedians
1. Define success in stand up and plan how you will get there.
Define success for you then move toward it by setting realistic goals. Once you accomplish your first goal, then you can raise the bar higher.
2. Treat the open mic as an apprenticeship program.
Open mics give new comics a chance to hone their craft. Most of the time, these places are not conducive to comedy. Think the Blues Brothers on stage surrounded by chicken wire! You will learn patience, crowd handling techniques and most of all the ability to make many types of people laugh.
3. Don’t sabotage your career with too much instant gratification.
I’ve seen many comics go down hard because they didn’t have the discipline to stay on track. Drinking, drugs and sex sound like the reasons you got into comedy, but five years down the line, you’ll realize what abuse you’ve done to your self and career.
4. Ally yourself with comedians that work hard.
Meet every comic that you can and find out what they are doing to become more successful. After 22 years of stand up, I still ask for help. Get rid of your ego and work with other comedians. They will help you write, find gigs and can relate to issues you’re having.
5. Be a comedian only when necessary.
This is such a novice mistake and will definitely help you stick out as a beginner. You don’t have to be “on” 24/7. It’s annoying, not funny. Comedy is a job. Be yourself when you are not working!
6. Don’t compare yourself to other comedians.
Eddie Murphy’s performance at the Comic Strip Live when he was 15 does not mean you are way behind in becoming a successful stand up. Don’t worry about where you’re at on the comedy ladder. It’s not a race for those of us who truly love to do stand up. Be happy you have a passion to perform and make people laugh.
7. Find stability and support.
Being a stand-up comedian is harder than any other career path. Those of us, who choose this, give up what most people consider a normal life. Nothing is stable — the schedule, the money, the laughter and there is no guarantee that you will succeed. It’s easy to become a doctor in comparison, the path is known, not easy but known. You will need stability to stay sane –- a trustworthy companion, a home, a dog, family etc. These are the things that will keep you human.
8. Always have more time than you need.
You know the motto: Be Prepared. Inevitably, one of the comics doesn’t show, see #3. Now instead of 10 minutes, the club owner needs 25 and he’ll pay you an extra $20! This opportunity comes up often. Having excess material gives you the ability to change up your routine –- the ultimate way to ward off boredom on stage.
9. Club owners don’t die.
Imagine pissing off Mitzi Shore in 1973 and thinking I’ll call the club next year and get in with the new owner -– right! A lot of the current club owners have been around for the last couple decades so if you make one of them mad you might not get a chance to go back for a while. This is a tough biz with a lot of rejection. Try not to take it too personally.
10. Write, write, write.
Write material daily. This is your gold. The beauty of comedy is that our overhead is low. All we really need for supplies are bits. You can make a lot of money from your material and it cost you nothing to create!
Carmen Ciricillo, the Construction Comic, is a nationally touring comedian. Join Carmen on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.
Recommended Reading:
Top Comedy Career Tips for Better Stand Ups (Part 1)
More Top Comedy Career Tips for Better Stand Ups (Part 2)
