Sketch Pad 1: Writing Sketch Comedy for Improvisers

Thursdays, 7:00 – 10:00 PM

April 14 – May 19, 2016
Bayfront Theater, San Francisco 

Schedule: 6 sessions (once a week for 6 weeks)
Class dates: April 14, 21, 28, May 5, 12, and 19
Class length: 3 hours (18 hours total)
Class size: 16 students maximum
Tuition: $299 
Prerequisite: Foundation 2

Want to be the next Tina Fey?  Or maybe you want to create the next Stefon or Portlandia?  This class will get you on your way!

Sketch comedy and improv are natural companions, and in this class we’ll look at how they support each other.  Students will learn the fundamentals of sketch comedy writing – generating ideas, developing premises, comedic characters, the genres of sketch (parody, satire, etc.), scene structure and the various types of scenes commonly created for sketches (fish out of water, list scenes, simple but impossible goal, inappropriate response, and many others).

We’ll focus on how improv and sketch work together – using sketch writing as tool to create stronger improv scenes and characters, and using improv to create unique and surprising sketches and work through trouble spots.

There will be weekly homework writing assignments, in-class exercises and table reads to help students develop strong writing habits and get comfortable with having their material performed.