A stand-up comedian or stand-up comic is someone that performs comedy in an informal way, ie: talking to the audience with the absence of the theatrical "fourth wall". It is usually done by one comedian and usually with a microphone. It can be done in comedy clubs, colleges, theaters, alternative venues--almost anywhere an audience is open to comedy. The comic usually recites a fast paced succession of amusing stories, short jokes (called bits) and one-liners, typically called a monologue, routine or act. Some stand-up comedians use props, music, or magic tricks in their acts.

Many stand-up routines are similar to one man shows, with the main difference being the expectations of the audience, who, with stand-up, expect a relatively steady stream of "laughs". This in turn affects the aims of the performer, who is under great pressure to deliver those laughs.

Many smaller venues hold "open mic" events where amateur comedians can perform comedy before a live audience, offering a way for the performers to hone their craft and possibly break into the business. Stand-up comedy is considered difficult to master, because the stand-up comedian is at the mercy of the audience, which is an integral element of the act. An adept stand-up comedian must nimbly play off the mood and tastes of any particular audience, and adjust his or her routine accordingly. Stand-up is a comedic art form that is openly devoted to getting and receiving laughs from an audience above any other component of the form (unlike theatrical comedy, which creates comedy within the structure of a play and with character and situation). The skills attributed to being a stand-up comic are diverse; it is often necessary for a solitary stand-up comic to simultaneously assume the roles of a writer, editor, performer, promoter, producer, and technician. One test of a master stand-up comedian is the ability to not only face down a "heckler," but win over and entertain the rest of the crowd with a retort. Many stand-up comedians work for years to get 45 minutes of material, and usually perform their bits over and over, slowly perfecting them over time. Actor and comedian Will Ferrell has called stand-up comedy hard, lonely and vicious.

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