Comedy Arts
Earn your degree in comedy writing
With The Theatre School’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Comedy Arts, you’ll prepare to perform, direct and create comedic content. You’ll take courses and attend performances, both on-campus and in professional Chicago comedy venues.
You’ll study the history and techniques of comedy writing by taking classes from distinguished and award-winning faculty of professional writers, directors and performers who bring together experience and expertise.
As a comedy writing student, you’ll test your material in front of an audience, digest their response, and then learn to revise and rethink in order to be a successful communicator and storyteller.
Classes
Coursework
- Advanced Sketch Comedy - Rehearsal and Performance
- Comedy Writing for Late Night
- Introduction to Improvisation
- Stand Up Comedy
- Voice and Speech for Comedy
- Writing the Sitcom
Resources
Career Options
Common Career Areas
- Comedy performer
- Comedy writer
- Director
- Filmmaker
Major Requirements
First Year
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
History of Dramatic Literature | 12 | |
HISTORY OF DRAMATIC LITERATURE | ||
HISTORY OF DRAMATIC LITERATURE | ||
HISTORY OF DRAMATIC LITERATURE | ||
THE 210 | SCRIPT ANALYSIS | 4 |
THE 268 | INTRODUCTION TO THE PRODUCTION PROCESS | 4 |
THE 212 | INTRODUCTION TO THEATRE STUDIES | 4 |
THE 291 | PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP I | 4 |
THE 227 | PLAYWRITING I | 4 |
Three Quarters of Theatre Crew | 6 | |
THEATRE CREW |
Second Year
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
ACT 250 | AMERICAN FUNNY: STAGE COMEDY FROM GROUCHO MARX TO TINA FEY | 4 |
THE 352 | VOICE AND SPEECH FOR COMEDY | 4 |
FILM 184 | STAND-UP COMEDY | |
ACT 209 | SKETCH COMEDY | 4 |
THE 281 | SCENE STUDY: COMEDY | 4 |
THE 282 | CONTEMPORARY STAGE COMEDY | 4 |
ACT 223 | INTRODUCTION TO IMPROVISATION | 4 |
THE 354 | COMEDY STYLES | 4 |
Once DC Course (TBA) | 4 |
Third Year
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
Two Courses in Directing: | 8 | |
DIRECTING | ||
DIRECTING | ||
SCWR 100 | INTRODUCTION TO SCREENWRITING | 4 |
SCWR 352 | WRITING THE SITCOM | 4 |
THE 353 | ADVANCED IMROVISATION | 4 |
THE 361 | ADVANCED SKETCH COMEDY: REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE | 4 |
PRF 377 | DIRECTING COMEDY | 4 |
THE 395 | ARTIST AS ENTREPRENEUR | 4 |
One TV Course (TBA) | 4 |
Fourth Year
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
THE 351 | PHYSICAL COMEDY | 4 |
THE 362 | ADVANCED SKETCH COMEDY: REHEARSAL AND PERFORMANCE | 4 |
THE 410 | THEATRE STUDIES CAPSTONE | 2 |
One TV Course (TBA) | 4 | |
THE 412 | PORTFOLIO PREPARATION | 4 |
Choose one of these two courses: | 4 | |
FILMMAKERS SEMINAR | ||
Theatre Elective | ||
Choose one of these three courses: | 2-12 | |
THEATRE STUDIES PRODUCTION PRACTICE II | ||
THEATRE STUDIES INTERNSHIP | ||
INTERNSHIP IN MEDIA PRODUCTION/POST-PRODUCTION | ||
Choose one of these three courses: | 2-12 | |
THEATRE STUDIES PRODUCTION PRACTICE II | ||
THEATRE STUDIES INTERNSHIP | ||
HOLLYWOOD HISTORY | ||
Choose one of these two courses: | 4 | |
Theatre Elective |
||
TOPICS IN LA |
Open Electives (4-12 hours)
Open elective credit may also be required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.?????