Richard Pryor

The five moves

Same rhythm, every week.

1. 1 — Study

   Live in Concert and Sunset Strip. Watch him play every character in his own story.

   Watch on purpose. Specific comedians, specific reason.

2. 2 — Deconstruct

   Map one story: who does he become, and when does he return to himself?

   Isolate one mechanism. Name it before you use it.

3. 3 — Write

   One story from your worst year, told with characters instead of summary.

   10–25 premises minimum. Quantity buys quality.

4. 4 — Perform

   Tell it. Do not protect yourself.

   Somewhere live. The classroom is useful; the audience is the laboratory.

5. 5 — Review

   Did vulnerability create tension, or ask for sympathy? Those are different.

   Watch the tape. Log what the room did, not what you felt.