Course description
In this course, students develop comedy sketch-writing skills by studying the work of masters of the genre and by drafting and revising the components of a professional submission packet: evergreen topical jokes, fake commercials, conceptual pieces, and original comedic characters. We analyze the comedic structure and use of escalation in classic sketch templates (television and film parodies, political satire, and digital shorts), as well as sketches written for iconic productions, including Saturday Night Live, Key and Peele, and The Chappelle Show. In workshop, students experience the professional pitching and rewriting process as they refine their comedic voice.
