Stand-Up Comedy 101

This in-person stand-up comedy class is the first step to developing material and a persona that fits each student’s individual voice. There’s no one right way to do stand-up, and students in this class will be given guidance on how to mine material from their lives and spin it into comedy gold! Each week students will workshop ideas with a group of peers in a supportive, safe, and collaborative environment. Students will learn about the performance aspects of stand-up comedy and delivery and touch on joke-writing techniques. Each student will learn how to hone their unique comedy voices, kickstart the writing process, and avoid common pitfalls.

All levels welcome. This class fits for both experienced comedians looking to workshop new material and students with absolutely no prior stand-up comedy experience. Show up as you are and get ready to turn your observations into genuine laughter! By the end of the class, each student will have developed a 5-minute set (sometimes more!). The class will culminate in performing these brand new baby comedy sets at a stand-up comedy showcase.

Requirements: please bring a notebook and writing instrument to each class. (6 meetings. Class size limit = 14)

Stand-Up Comedy 101
Wednesdays 7 – 10 pm
June 21 – August 2
Student Showcase August 12 @ 10 pm
with Valerie Nies
at Merlin Works East: Creative Action
1023 Springdale Rd., Bldg 3
Austin, TX 78721

Price: $330
$25 Early Bird Discount expires midnight May 28.
Register securely with Paypal:

Stand-Up Comedy 101 Instructor

Valerie Nies is a comedian, writer, and gluten enthusiast who has taught comedy and coached since 2017. She’s written for humor sites Reductress and McSweeney’s and performed comedy at Out of Bounds, Big Little Comedy, and Frontera Fringe Festivals.

For four years, she hosted the monthly all-women standup showcase Smile More! at The Institution Theater, a consistently sold-out comedy show. She has written a comedic one-woman show How to Say You’re Afraid of Commitment in 140 Characters or Less, produced a popular self-help podcast Help Wanted, performed on storytelling shows in Austin and LA, and won awards for television scripts that never aired.

Her sketch comedy has been featured on Bitch, Jezebel, Salon, and Huffington Post. Valerie is also a published poet with work appearing in literary journals, and her chapbook Imaginary Frenemies, is available from Toho Publishing.