Funny Story: Standup for Beginners (30% off 4-Week Class) Deadline

Submitted by the Event Organizer

Learn the basics of finding and telling funny stories through this introduction to standup comedy. Standup teaches you to express yourself with confidence and start a practice of looking at the world with a sense of humor.

Use coupon code sffuncheap for 30% off through October 7th!

4 weeks | Live online instruction | 12 – 15 people
Level: Fundamentals

Come learn the basics of standup! We’ll help you shake off the pandemic malaise and start a practice of looking at the world with a sense of humor. You’ll practice speaking with confidence, exploring what makes you laugh, and sharing with a small comedic support group of other students.

By the end of this course, you’ll be prepared to perform a short bit to the other participants in the group (performing is always optional but highly encouraged).

This course is for complete beginners who are willing to learn about what goes into crafting a standup routine and want to give it a try. You don’t have to be ‘funny’ or even aspire to be a comedian, you just need a desire to tell stories, make others laugh and appreciate good humor.

The class will guide newcomers in the craft of premise recognition, joke creation, constructing a set, preparing to perform, and getting on stage. Each class will also integrate reflection exercises designed to guide our creative efforts and ideally help us to view life through a more humorous lens.

What You’ll Learn

How to explore sources for funny material
Breaking down comedic style
Building an interesting premise into a joke
Bringing characters to life
Reacting to your audience
And much more!
Schedule

This is an online journey with interactive, live Zoom calls. For those who live in the Bay Area, you’ll have the chance to gather in-person at a comedy event the weekend following the last session.

Session 1 – Thursday, October 7th – 5:30pm – 6:30pm PST

Session 2 – Thursday, October 14th – 5:30pm – 6:30pm PST

Session 3 – Thursday, October 21st – 5:30pm – 6:30pm PST

Finale! – Thursday, October 28th – 5:30pm – 6:30pm PST

[Optional] Comedy Event Meetup for Bay Area attendees

Friday, October 29th or Saturday, October 30th
Exact event will be confirmed with the group

COVID Precautions

For the optional in-person meeting, we are requiring everyone to be vaccinated and wear a mask, in accordance with the latest San Francisco’s Health Department guidelines. If you have any questions or concerns, please email us at team@mixlife.com

Mature content

This workshop is for adults 18+ and may contain adult humor, profanity, or other potentially offensive material.

If you have a specific trigger that you need to avoid, reach out to team@mixlife.com. Please note: while we can make some accommodations to the content of the course, the nature of small group discussion means that we can’t make any guarantees, so please use your best judgement to decide if this experience is for you.

FAQ

I can’t make one of the classes. Will it be recorded?

Yes, we plan to record Matt’s portion of the class and will share it out in the online discussion group afterwards. Please be aware that technical glitches do happen from time to time. We also don’t record group discussion/performances. Because of that, we encourage everyone to attend live whenever possible, since the group practice and discussion is a major component of learning and making progress.

Will I be required to perform or read what I wrote?

You will have the opportunity to perform for the course group during the last class, but you can always pass. The previous weeks of the course will help you prepare if you choose to perform. Keep in mind that the biggest rewards often come when you take a risk, whether that’s actually making others laugh or confronting a fear of failure. For that reason, we’ll encourage you to take a deep breath and participate, but it’s always up to you.

Do I need to be ‘funny’ or have any experience?

This course is open to all, especially complete beginners. Telling funny stories is difficult! You just need a willingness to give it a try and an appreciation for good humor.

Do I need to have the same sense of humor as Matt or the other people in the class?

This journey is about telling your stories and developing your comedic voice. You don’t need to have a specific style or sense of humor.

Isn’t standup stressful? How will this help me?

At first, it does sound odd that a workshop in Stand-up Comedy could be a useful tool for coping with stress and life’s challenges. However, the practice of creative self expression, reflecting on your experiences, and having a laugh with other members of a group have all been shown to benefit your mental health. Being courageous enough to express yourself and share with others (even if it’s just your fellow classmates) is an achievement you can be proud of!

Who’s MixLife?

We’re a new company based in the Bay Area. Our goal is to bring people together to be creative and provide experiences that address the stress, burnout, loneliness and similar issues so prevalent in our modern lives. All of our courses aim to facilitate three things: relax with creative activities, achieve a creative goal and connect with others. Is there a creative course you’d love to take? Email us at team@mixlife.com

Can my child attend?

Sorry, this course is for adults. If you’d like to see a family friendly version in the future, please send us a request at team@mixlife.com

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.