Your stage persona is usually a version of yourself, to varying degrees. Some folks do a full-on character, so that's different. But most comics do some version of themselves.

Listening to your own sets and listening to the audience as you perform. It's a conversation of sorts. There is an exchange.

I'm keeping in shape, you know, gotta look good for the ladies - and certain guys. Hey, I can't control who's looking. I just gotta bring the heat.

Dave Chappelle is about as gifted as it gets, as a performer and comedian. [...] It's always great to watch him work. He started around fourteen and he's in his forties now, so he's probably been doing it for close to thirty years. He's brilliant.

It always comes down to what the crowd buys coming out of your mouth, which differs from one comic to the next.

Sometimes crowds start out not liking someone but then they shift and love them. Or vice versa. It can shift on a dime.

I don't know that I have a single comedy philosophy. But talking about things that matter to you is a good place to start. Listening is a big part of it, too.