TIME AND INFO

Open mics will take place every Wednesday from 7:30 - 11:00 pm. Please review the full code of conduct below before calling to get a spot on the schedule.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Here are our expectations of the comedians performing on open mic night, be professional. We expect every performer to read and follow these guidelines. If any of these rules are not followed it will result in a period of suspension from performing at The Comedy Vault. If a performer has repeated or extreme problems, it could result in a permanent suspension.

You must call in to the club to schedule an open mic date. When you call, politely let our staff know that you want to sign up for the next available open mic date. Then be prepared to give them your name, telephone number, and e-mail address. If the date that you are given is not a date you have available, you may ask for another date. The staff are not allowed to spend more time than necessary on open mic dates so be quick, efficient, and polite. If you are in any way impolite, or improper while speaking to our staff you will be disconnected and not allowed to perform here.

If you have never performed stand-up before, you will be given 3 minutes. Each time you are on stage you are evaluated and when we believe you are ready for more time it will be offered to you. We are looking for a tight, efficient, set that is consistently effective. We are listening for strong audience response and we are watching for a history of consistency. You will not have to ask for more time we will offer it to you when we believe you have proven yourself at The Comedy Vault.

If you are an experienced stand-up comedian, you will be given 5-10 minutes. Longer sets may be granted, on a case by case basis based upon number of comics signed up, your experience, and audience response to your prior performances.

If you are trying to work here professionally you will prove yourself at 3-5-10 minutes then move up gradually. Then we may offer you the chance to do a guest set on a night with professional performers. That is how you would move up the ladder here. Asking will not make it happen. Having excellent, strong, performances will make it happen and you will know if your performances are going in that direction because we will offer you more time.

You must call the day before your open mic date and confirm it. If you do not call 24 hours in advance you will be taken off the list and your slot will be given to someone else. Doors open at 6 p.m. You are to arrive between 7 and 7:15 p.m., if you are late you risk losing your slot. If you do not show up for a confirmed slot and did not call in to let us know you were not going to make it, you will not be able to sign up again for six months.

When you arrive, you must check in at the ticket counter. If there is a line get in it, wait your turn. If the line is going to make you late you may walk up to the front of the line and politely let the attendant know that you are here for open mic, your name, and that you are in line. When you get in the room you will be assigned a seat, which is your seat for the entire night. Please tip the server whether you drink alcohol or not. Do not ever appear noticeably intoxicated at The Comedy Vault. The host for the evening will come to you and let you know your place in the order of the open mic portion of the show. You may not request where you go up in the order of the show. Either take the spot you are given or don't do the set. If you have an intro more than just your name it must be typed and handed to the host at this time, no handwritten intros accepted. Your intro needs to be short and to the point. Open Mic performers are not allowed in the Green Room without permission from the Management. The Management is the only one who can give you permission, not any other comedian. If a comic asks you to come to the Green room you tell them you must get permission first. During the evening you are expected to follow the rules of The Comedy Vault. These rules are posted in The Comedy Vault, on our website, and are in our pre-show presentation.

Your time begins from the moment the host has introduced you. There is a lighted clock at the back of the room. When you have one-minute left in your set, start winding down. When you have arrived at the end of your time and the music will gradually fade up. You should have your set timed so that you don't need the light. That is a step in the right direction towards being a professional. But, when the time is up you need to stop your set at that moment and say something along the lines of, "That's my time, Thank You!" When you come off stage, if you are staying in the showroom, go to your seat and enjoy the rest of the show. Do not go to a group of friends or other open mic performers and start talking about your set while in the Theatre. If you need to talk you need to go outside the showroom.

You are allowed up to eight guests. Your guests must call in themselves and make a reservation and we must have their phone number for their reservation to be valid. Your guests call the box office and tell the attendant or leave a message that they want to be on your guest list, saying your name. This is a general admission reservation and their seats will be assigned when the entire party arrives. They must follow all the rules of The Comedy Vault. If any of your guests break a house rule they risk no admittance or being asked to leave. Generally, patrons are given a polite first warning if breaking a house rule, after the first warning if the problem continues they will be asked to leave.

Guests are expected to be quiet and respectful during the performance. We are very serious about the professional quality of The Comedy Vault. We want a reputation for treating everyone in our showroom, be it guests or entertainers at any level, with kindness and respect. We expect you to do the same. So be prepared so you can attempt to do your best. That is all we ask. You are an amateur, so we don't expect you to have a professional quality performance. We want to give you the best opportunity to do well and learn the craft. Just be ready, respect the art of standup comedy, and a have a good time.