Ever wondered how the pros at SNL, Second City, or UCB do it?
Now’s your chance to find out! In this fun, hands-on workshop, you’ll learn the basics and comedy tips used by pros to write your own funny 3–5 minute sketch and hear it performed out loud by your classmates. You will learn to write sketchcomedy that’s sharp, original, and stage-ready. Each week, write and hear your sketch read aloud, get feedback, and study classic sketches to see what works. We’ll also watch and dissect classic sketches to uncover what makes them work, then use those insights to inspire your own writing. By the end, you’ll have one or more stage-ready sketches — and the skills to write dialogue and scenes with humor and brevity!
Live video conference: This workshop will be held via our online video conferencing platform, Zoom. You can view brief tutorials on using the platform here. On the start date or the day before, participants will receive an email with login info (please check your spam if you don’t see it).
In this workshop you’ll learn:
- How to write quick, funny dialogue
- How to set up a hilarious scene
- How to create unique and memorable characters
- The big difference between stage and screen sketches
Time requirements
- A few minutes a week incorporating feedback to hone your sketches.
Materials
- All reading materials will be provided.
Who should take this workshop?
- Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just love comedy, sketch comedy writing is one of the best skills to have to establish a scene, its unique characters, and use targeted and humorous dialogue to tell a story!
If you need an accommodation for this workshop, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
