Today’s top stand-up come­di­ans sell out are­nas, gen­er­ate mil­lions of dol­lars, tour the world, and help shape our social dis­course. So, how did this all happen?

The His­to­ry of Stand-Up chron­i­cles the incred­i­ble evo­lu­tion of this Amer­i­can art form – from its ear­li­est pre-vaude­ville prac­ti­tion­ers like Arte­mus Ward and Mark Twain to present-day come­di­ans of HBO and Netflix.

The sto­ry has a con­nec­tive tis­sue – humans stand­ing on stage, alone, try­ing to get laughs.

That expe­ri­ence con­nects all stand-ups through time, whether it’s at the Palace, the Copaca­bana, Grossinger’s, the Apol­lo, Mis­ter Kel­ly’s, the hun­gry i, the Improv, the Com­e­dy Store, Madi­son Square Gar­den, UCB, or at an open mic in a backyard.