Clean live or virtual corporate comedian profiled in The New York Times

“You were the most talked-about part of our group’s trip to NYC- everyone had such a wonderfully hilarious evening. We all appreciated your ability to interact with a very diverse audience, military officers and diplomats intermixed with New Yorkers and visiting tourists from all over, and still keep your material fresh, clever and relevant to everyone. People who’ve made a career out of slogging through mud while under fire aren’t going to be offended by dirty words, but they still marveled at your friendly and professional ability to rock the room without the use of foul language or vulgar content. I would recommend you to any group seeking entertainment.”
Colonel Jiyul Kim
Professor
U.S. Army War College

“Shaun writes the kind of smart comedy I like to use in my opening monologue.”
Jay Leno, former host of The Tonight Show

“’Wow! … OMG! …. hilarious!’ That’s just a sample of what folks were saying about you as they left the theater. Thanks, Shaun, for a truly awesome show. We look forward to having you back in the very near future!”
Barbara Jurgelas
Comedy Booker
Playhouse on Park Theatre

“Shaun was SUPER. Not only did he do a phenomenal job emceeing our corporate function but with his corporate background he completely understood our complicated business and what we needed from an emcee for the launch of our unique event. And after the event he took the initiative to stick around and discuss the logistics with our participants so he could make suggestions to make the event even better the next time we do it.”
   Kayvan Farzaneh
   Senior Manager
   VSC Consulting

(It would be odd to write this in anything but the first person)
I have developed an expertise in delivering stand-up comedy virtually over the web. In my almost two decades as a comedian I’ve learned that every new medium requires different skills for performing stand-up comedy. Using the internet demands the ability to make people laugh while sitting still and not getting the same level of feedback as with a live, in-person audience. At the same time it’s a more intimate setting since the audience’s faces are only a foot from my eyes. That intimacy is a benefit as the audience feels more connected to the comedian.

I frequently do post-show Q&A from the stage in live shows and the audiences love it- it’s like a backstage pass to a comedy show. With virtual shows it’s even more exciting. They feel so connected to the comedian that they’re more curious, more open and more thrilled to get their questions answered. And I like the Q&A, live or virtually, for a number of reasons. I learn what audiences are curious about. It gives me the opportunity to demonstrate being spontaneously funny. I have some stories that are fun and funny but not quite stand-up comedy which work great for Q&A. And it endears me to the audience- they feel like they’ve gotten to know me better and want me to come back- which of course is great for business.

Whether using Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Webex, GotoMeeting or other applications, doing shows virtually took some getting used to. It’s not just the comedian who needs to hear laughter. The audience also needs to hear other people laughing. That’s why TV sitcoms have laugh tracks. Research has shown that people are more comfortable laughing when they hear other people laughing. Comedy clubs benefit from low ceilings as the laughter echoes. With virtual shows you don’t get the same level of laughter. More importantly the time delay makes it more complicated. I learned to pause. Pause. Really pause. To wait for the laughter I know will come. Actually it’s already there, but it doesn’t come through the web for maybe a half-second to a second. And then when one or two people laugh, others hear them laughing and they start to laugh too. The laughter spreads. The same thing happens in a live, in-person show, just with a much, much shorter delay.

A great benefit of a virtual show is cost-saving. When you hire a comedian you’re not just paying for a half-hour or so of comedy. You’re paying for all the travel time- Even if you’re only thirty miles away I have to allow time to get there, to check the set-up, to meet people… With a virtual show you’re just paying for me to sit down and talk. I can do several virtual shows a day, which saves your corporation or charity a lot of money.

“Shaun, Many thanks again! The team really enjoyed your performance and deeply appreciated the additional time you spent sharing your personal story and perspective.
Wishing you only success”
Jeremy Sohn
VP, Global Head of Digital BD&L, Partnerships, & Innovation
Novartis

“Shaun:
I want to thank you again for the wonderful set and for the post-performance Q&A session that you did for the FJMC virtual International Convention. We had a huge challenge when we decided to go with a virtual convention in how we were going to deliver entertainment to our 600 attendees. You made that process extremely easy. Your virtual stand-up comedy was hilarious and our members really loved hearing about your process and how the world of comedy works. All of your work made the event a huge success. The feedback we received from our members was all so positive and made the entertainment portion of the convention a huge hit.
I look forward to getting a chance to work with you again in the future – whether it be virtual or in-person.”
Douglas Segerman
Programming Chair
2021 FJMC International Convention