The English term Stand Up is used to refer to a certain type of humorous show. Its full name is Stand-Up Comedy and, as its name suggests, it is a comedy in which the protagonist acts standing up (the phrase stand up is translated in Spanish as "to stand up" or "to get up").
General characteristics of the genre
The comedian is totally alone on stage, with a microphone and without any decorative element to accompany him. In this sense, the protagonist usually wears ordinary clothing and presents himself to the public not as a character but as someone who represents himself.
The subjects that are approached are treated with a humorous tone and the contents related to the political reality, the absurd customs of the daily life, the obsessions of the people or the relations between men and women are common. As a general rule, the comedian tells a singular story in which he himself is the protagonist. In this sense, the viewer hears a funny story that is apparently real.
Screenwriters who are dedicated to Stand-Up use various resources to connect with the public: talk about current issues and characters, tell stories with a dose of exaggeration and with a tragicomic ingredient. As is logical, it is essential that the comedian transmits veracity in his interpretation.
You could say that the key to a good comic monologue is that what is told seems real
The Stand-Up has a simple format that is perfectly adapted to television, radio, café-theater or venues with night shows.
The Stand-Up Comedy genre is based on the need to have fun, to laugh at others and at ourselves and, ultimately, it is a humorous approach that observes reality, fleeing from the tragic or dramatic dimension of life.
Different denominations
Stand-Up Comedy comes from another theatrical genre, 19th century English vaudeville. In this show, the actor who presented the different performances told short stories and jokes to keep the audience entertained.
The term Stan-Up Comedy is translated into Spanish in several ways: comic monologue, stand-up comedy or live comedy.
In English, the person who works in this genre is a stand-up comedian, which in Spanish could be translated as stand-up comedian, joke-teller, or standupero (in Mexico, a standupero is a stand-up comedian without much talent).
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