I was three or four jokes into my routine, when I realized that one of the troublemakers my client warned me about was sitting dead center in the front row. With arms firmly crossed over his chest, and a frown deeply embedded in his face, he was glaring defiantly at me with eyes that said, “You’ll never make me laugh.” In my mind, I silently agreed by nicknaming him “Stoneface.”

It was the beginning of a full-day seminar on creativity in advertising. The meeting planner warned me that several members of the audience resented being forced to attend these workshops. She said they had caused problems for previous presenters, including heckling them.

As a humorist, I’d long ago learned about the bonding nature of laughter, so I suggested that I open with a 10- to 15-minute comedy routine. I hoped that my humor would break the ice with the group, while signaling that it was going to be a fun day.

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