Intro to Sketch Writing (Ages 10–13) (New York)

Learn how to turn your funny ideas into comedy sketches! Use improv and writing to create your own original scenes inspired by Second City’s legendary style.

In Intro to Sketch Writing, students ages 10–13 will explore the foundations of scenic comedy writing. Through a mix of improvisation and writing exercises, kids will learn how to craft funny, character-driven scenes that come alive on the page. They’ll discover the building blocks of comedic storytelling – scene and joke structure, character dialogue, and how to develop a clear point of view.

Class time includes brainstorming sessions, collaborative writing exercises, games that flex creativity and scene readings with feedback from both the instructor and peers. Students will also get to explore age-appropriate examples from Second City’s archives to see how professional comedy writers turn ideas into sketches. Weekly at-home writing exercises may be assigned to help keep the creativity flowing between classes.