The Story

When the Comedy Workshop started hosting stand up nights on Mondays and Tuesdays in February of 1978, it became one of the first comedy clubs outside of New York and L.A.. Only 16 months later, the Comics Annex opened next door. They might not have looked like much, but they made Houston, Texas one of the nation’s comedy meccas.

That tiny club on S. Shepherd became the training ground for comics like Sam Kinison, Bill Hicks, Janeane Garafalo, Brett Butler and a score of others who expanded their comedy careers into writing, producing and even cartooning. Their stories include wild rides through success, disappointment and a sprinkling of tragedy. In each of them, you’ll find a funny and memorable character.

Other comedy clubs opened in Houston in the early 1980’s; A Good Humor Bar, The Laff Stop and the Comedy Showcase among them. Comics honed their acts and took them on the road. People moved from across the country to try stand up in Houston.

This documentary is the true and unvarnished story of those days when the art of comedy boomed in the Bayou City. You'll find insights into the many characters that populated Houston comedy and into the art of stand up itself. The tale is told by the same people who lived it, and produced by the first comic who ever took the Workshop stage on a stand up comedy night.

It’s an hysterical slice of Houston history. It’s Stand Up Story.

Stand Up Story is being produced by the non-profit 501(c)(3) organization Houston Arts and Media. Click the link to learn more about HAM and their other projects.

Contact Mike Vance about Stand Up Story