A sketch comedy is a short, scripted performance piece that explores a single comedic premise, character, or situation. Sketches are self-contained and usually do not require knowledge of a larger storyline.
SKETCH COMEDY CLASSES
What is Sketch?
Take your funny ideas and turn them into hilarious well-written sketches! Explore the principles and patterns that convey your jokes efficiently so your work gets tons of laughs. Write great content that will help you connect with your audience by using relatable concepts and heightening them to hilarity!
Sketch comedy grew out of vaudeville shows comprised of short, humorous acts featuring slapstick gags. Performers like Charlie Chaplin inspired the next generation of comedy writers who began to experiment with creating content for radio and TV. Starting in the mid-20th century, shows like Monty Python’s Flying Circus, The Carol Burnett Show, SCTV, and Saturday Night Live brought the medium into people’s homes and further established Sketch as its own style of comedy. The rise of short-form content on the internet has pushed Sketch further into the mainstream, and has allowed it to become a cross-disciplinary art form combining writing and performance.
Dallas Comedy Club’s rigorous program give students a well-rounded education in all things Sketch. Whether you’re wanting to make more engaging content for social media, or you dream of producing your own show, taking a Sketch class is a great step towards that goal!
About our Sketch Classes
Our Sketch program will take you on a journey to discover how to find the funny in seemingly ordinary situations! Derive premises from the world around you, and learn how to put them on stage. Experience the magic of seeing an audience love your work!
Level 1 Sketch
Level 2 Sketch
You learned the basics in Level One Sketch, so let’s get into more complicated structures and writing techniques! Now that you have created a body of work for your portfolio, learn how to edit and rewrite to make your material even smaller. Study examples of professional writing samples, and create your own packet using real submission criteria for popular sketch shows.
Advanced Electives
Level 1 Screenwriting
This class gets you writing, and fast! In just 8 weeks, you will learn how to turn your real life, ideas and perspective into a clear, compelling TV or film script. You’ll develop strong concepts, write a sharp loglines, build structured stories, and learn how to write scenes that feel natural, funny, and watchable. Analyze why most scripts fall flat and learn how to fix them immediately! Discuss trends in the film industry with your class, and explore the non-traditional paths that many successful screenwriters have taken. By the end of the course you’ll have real pages written, a story you’re excited about, and a clear path forward. This is a hands-on, beginner friendly class. Now is your moment to create your own opportunities without waiting for permission!
Characters: Creating Funny People
Write compelling and hilarious characters!
Whether you’re an improviser, sketch performer, stand-up comedian, storyteller, or developing a solo show, memorable characters make every comedy performance stronger. This eight-week intensive introduces The 70, a practical character creation system, and guides students through the process of writing, rewriting, staging, testing, and refining an original character monologue. The course culminates in a live grad show performance in the Club Theater.
Students will leave the course with a repeatable process for creating original comedy characters, practical tools for developing original, performance-ready material, and the confidence to bring their characters to life in any comedy medium.
Sketch Opportunities at Dallas Comedy Club
We don’t just want to teach you sketch comedy. We want to give you opportunities to create and produce your own material!
Sketch Club
The premier Sketch group in the DFW metroplex, Sketch Club writes, rehearses, and performs an original show every month. The show is written by alumni of the DCC Training Center’s Sketch program, and performed by local actors. Sketch Club serves as an opportunity for students to continue writing and to receive coaching after completing their training. Team members must undergo a seasonal audition process to remain on the team.
Sketch Club’s shows take place in the Mainstage Theater at Dallas Comedy Club on the first Sunday of most months.
See Sketch Club
Enter Sketch Cram
Sketch Cram
Sketch Cram is a competition to find the best writer. The catch? Writers are given only one week to write, cast, rehearse, and produce their work! Each week participants are sent a random prompt to build their sketch around. The winner of each round is given a spot in the final round, the Crampionship. The Grand Crampion is given the opportunity to produce their very own 1-hour Sketch show at Dallas Comedy Club.