Dan B. Rosen
“What’s Next?”
Dan B. Rosen discusses his process, getting an audience to root for you and the simple way to battle stage fright.
Dan B. Rosen is a writer, storyteller and producer in Toronto, Canada. He produces “Opening Act Dan Rosen”, a monthly show at Comedy Bar. His comedic solo show “Game of Crohn's” toured Fringe Festivals across Canada.
Check out his page at www.facebook.com/dantheguyrosen
How do you learn a new story?
I used to memorise stories, but now I just write out notes, key lines, and then practice it and play with it over and over until it feels right.
What are your personal steps from first realizing an experience is a story through to performing it yourself?
After I experience something, I think about it for a bit, then start taking notes and from there I'll see if it's a story worth telling, with an engaging beginning, middle and end.
What takes a story from good to great? What do you focus on to take a story to the next level?
I think a good story is relatable or at least funny. I think a great story is BOTH and engaging every step of the way. As simple as it sounds, I think if the audience always wants to know WHAT'S NEXT and are rooting for an outcome, that's what makes a story really great. I like to find an arc to my stories and have callbacks to key moments to show how my character has changed or advanced over the course of the story. I tell personal true stories, whereas the stuff I just write tends to be fiction with a sci-fi twist.
What steps do you take when preparing a story?
First I jot down ideas. Find out what the ending is first and what it means to me. Then I trace how I got there, write down chapters or beats, and find my path from beginning to end.
How do you choose which times in your life / events in your life to tell as a story?
I try to find stories that mean something to me - if I learned or got something out of it, if it changed me in some way, then I feel it'll be worth telling because someone else will also have had a similar experience.
Do you deal with stage fright or public speaking anxiety?
The only thing I find that's helped deal with stage fright, last minute bookings, etc is practice practice practice. The more I do it all, and the more I mature with time, the easier it is. I feel like that sounds reeeeeal pretentious-like, but I think that is the truth.
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