The Math of Joke Writing
Taught by Jessica Adamiak
Jess Adamiak writes for UCB Theatre sketch team Fantasy and teaches joke and sketch writing workshops to strangers. Her pilot, The Vertical, was a semifinalist for the 2017 Made in NY Writers’ Room fellowship. Jess wrote and directed The Vertical web series and has also written sketches, live sitcoms, and monologues for UCBT's Sketch Cram!, Fighter Pilots, BoogieManja, and Comedy Hack Day. She is a proud Rust Belt woman. jessadamiak.com
Analyzing humor is like dissecting a frog. Few people are interested and the frog dies of it. -- E.B. White
Jokes are the lifeblood of stand-up comedy, sketches, sitcoms, and late night monologues! This interactive workshop will transform you into a joke writing machine, whether your goal is to tweet your way into Conan's writers room or break the ice at your aunt’s next séance.
In this class, you will learn:
- Why jokes are (dead simple) math equations
- 7 types of jokes and how they work
- 3 ways to break free of the Twitter echo chamber and find your comedic voice
- The #1 mistake beginners make, and the easy way to avoid it!
- What the hell Marie Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up has to do with writing jokes.
You'll leave this very fun, very chill workshop with 3 to 5 original jokes showing off your unique point of view, plus top secret resources to help you get even better.
NOTE: This class is designed for cool people with and without comedy experience who want to write sharper jokes. Please bring one or two jokes you love from TV or Twitter. Class will run between 1.5-2 hours.