Intro to Stand-Up Comedy
This class will serve as both a look at the history and evolution of stand-up comedy and as a practical course that will cover joke mechanics and writing for stand-up as well as performance theory and practice. Over the course of the class, students will write and practice a five minute routine which they will perform for friends and family at the graduation show.
Monday evenings – Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24, 2025, 6-9PM
Graduation Performance – Friday, February 28, 2025, 7:30-9:30PM
$175 (includes all 4 classes and Graduation Performance)
Quotes from previous comedy class participants
“I cannot imagine any aspect of the class that could have been better. These types of experiential learning classes are fantastic. “
“I learned that getting outside my comfort zone (for certain things), can be a growth experience. The comedy class was a great learning experience and Mat was a great instructor.”
Class structure (weekly three-hour sessions)
Week 1: Participants examine clips of stand-up over the decades. Discuss its origins, how it has changed and grown to reflect societal changes.
Week 2: Participants diagram the jokes viewed in week one and discuss writing techniques for humor and joke mechanics.
Week 3: Participants discuss performance theory and different ways of telling jokes from deadpan to big act outs. During the first three weeks, the students are working on building their own 5 minute comedy set.
Week 4: Participants practice their sets in class and do peer review, give notes, work on any big ideas or shifts they want to make to the set.
Week 5: Participants perform in a graduation show for their friends and family.
Who should take this class?
This class is perfect for anyone wanting to improve their presentation skills or those wanting to cross "performing as a stand-up comedian" off their bucket list.
*Recommended for ages 17 and up.
*Class is limited to 15 participants with a minimum of 10 students to hold the class.
About the instructor
Mat Alano-Martin is the co-founder of the Limestone Comedy Festival and a full-time touring comedian performing at clubs, colleges and festivals across the country. He has appeared on The Bob and Tom Show, NPR and Laughs on Hulu, and his three albums can be heard daily on Sirius/XM.
For more information, contact Julia Shildmyer at 317.819.3516 or JShildmyer@TheCenterPresents.org.
