What does it mean to be funny?

There's a science to comedy, and we can learn how to be funny by studying the masters who've come before us.

In this ongoing class, we'll examine the amazing creators of laughter from the past through today. Buster Keaton and the silent comedians. Vaudeville Masters. Lucille Ball. Laurel and Hardy. The Three Stooges. Andy Kaufman. The great Saturday Night Live characters. Monty Python. The list goes on and will be influenced both by student choice and teacher expertise.

We'll look at and analyze classic comedy routines and scenes from movies and television. We'll rehearse and perform hilarious scenes such as "Who's On First." We'll write jokes, sketch comedy, monologues, and scenes.  Students will be asked to look into the creators who inspire them and figure out what about them makes them laugh. And, then we can all create our own material inspired by it.

Each week will have a different but always laugh inducing focus, and students are welcome to join in at anytime.