Comedy Classes
The Comedy Studio runs regular programs for people who wish to try/learn/improve in stand-up comedy. Need to work on your public speaking for a new job? Want something fun to do with your friends? Or are you just a comedy nerd like us and want to dip your toe into performing? Our courses are great for all of that and more. Dive into stand-up with us and see what you’re made of.
Orange School – For Newcomers
This is where it all starts. Over the course of seven weeks, we will teach you how to construct and deliver original material and get you to feel comfortable talking in front of an audience all while providing individualized feedback. At the end, you’ll have a 3-5 minute set at a minimum and an idea of where to go moving forward.
- Weeks 1-5: Writing, performing, and workshopping. Here is where you’ll learn everything about where to put the mic stand and where you need to improve in comedy.
- Week 6: Showcase Time! Now is the moment to showcase what you’ve learned on our stage in front of a real audience. This might sound scary now, but we’ll have you prepared in time.
- Week 7: Debrief. Now it’s time review your final performances and give some suggestions on where to go from here.
Each course is approximately 80-90 minutes and take place on Wednesdays (5:30pm – 7pm) and Sundays (2:30pm – 4:00pm) at our club in Harvard Square. You’re also invited to attend the show that follows your class to watch what you’ve learned get put into action.
Meet Your Instructors
AJ Hapenny (Sundays)
AJ has a unique comedy perspective and style which combines witty wordplay with organic audience interaction. With 180,000 social media followers, his act has made him a talent that is frequently requested to perform all over the Northeast. He’s done shows in Hawaii, LA, NYC and he performs on 20 shows a month on average.
He’s been featured on Boston Comedy Festival, Rogue Island Comedy Festival, Burbank Comedy Festival (LA), Aloha Comedy Festival (HI), Flyover Comedy Fest (St. Louis) among others. He’s performed alongside great acts such as Jay Leno, Rob Schnieder, Jim Breuer, Jeff Ross, Sarah Silverman & Lenny Clarke to name a few. He has done shows for the U.S. Air Force at Hanscom Air Force Base. As a Wedding Officiant & Emcee, AJ has performed for 50+ weddings and has been featured in ‘Engaged Magazine.’
Rob Crean (Wednesdays)
Rob Crean has been performing comedy for 20 years, hosting many shows including the long running The Gas at Great Scott show. He has several albums including “Sadly Sackerton” and taught stand-up comedy classes for ten years at Cambridge’s confusingly named Improv Boston as well as teaching shorter stints with several other organizations. His stand-up class employs a workshop format focusing on word economy and story structure.
Other professional comedians may join as guest instructors or within workshops providing their feedback on your set, plus some advice and anecdotes about their journey.
Make-up Classes
The Comedy School cannot guarantee make-up classes due to the curriculum schedule. If you miss a session, you will still receive all of the provided handouts, and you can contact your instructor for individual questions.
Disclaimers / Notes
- This class is non-refundable
- This class is non-transferrable to another person after it has started
- The completion of this class does not guarantee bookings for The Comedy Studio
Reserve Now
Sunday Afternoon: 2:30pm – 4:00pm | Feb 2nd – March 23rd (We will not have a class on 2/23 so we added an extra day in March.
Wednesday Evening: 5:30pm – 7:00pm | Feb 5th – March 19th
Blue School (coming soon)
This is still under development, but the plan is to create an offering for our more intermediate comedians. One of the big ideas is lectures given by regional and national headliners.