A Stand-Up Joke Is Born

The most underestimated quality of successful stand-up comedians is how hard-working they are, which became clear as this joke evolved over two months. Stand-up is the rare form that usually requires test driving in public. Myq (pronounced Mike) Kaplan, a respected regular at the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village, has since tried variations of his chivalry joke at about 80 performances. Almost every time, he tapes it, studies the results and jots down new ideas. That’s the job, he said, one he can’t imagine ever not doing.

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Looking back at the joke’s various incarnations, Mr. Kaplan said it was heartening to see improvement. Yet nothing was more fun than the first time. “When you introduce a joke into the world, and the audience laughs,” he said, “it’s the most invigorating, thrilling thing.”Still, every night is a new audience, and partly to keep his show fresh, he keeps tinkering with the chivalry bit. He’s happy with the joke he told on “Conan,” but he doesn’t rule out changing it.“No joke,” he said, “is ever finished.”


JASON ZINOMAN / CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK: A Stand-Up Joke Is Born / Published: March 5, 2012