Contemporary Comedy: Stand-Up, Sketch and Improv

3 units

The U.S. is in the midst of a second comedy boom. The first boom, during the 1980s, turned stand-up comedy into a major force in American entertainment, creating stars like Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Murphy, and Ellen DeGeneres. The second, defined in part by new social media, podcasting, and on-line video, is remaking the way comedians find their voices and their audiences. But even as young comedians chart new paths through a dynamic media landscape, live performance is still the heart of the modern comedy universe. This class is a detailed survey of the contemporary American comedy scene. Pioneering artists from Vaudeville through the 1970s are introduced, the stand-up boom of the 1980s is presented as a formative force in the comedy business, alt-comedy is discussed as a stylistic watershed. Select modern theories of comedy are read and discussed (though we studiously avoid explaining jokes). Short units on Improv and Sketch comedy round out the syllabus. Assignments include practical exercises in performing comedy onstage, and students can choose to perform a short original stand-up set for their final assignment.