Summer Is For Stand-Up: Dallas Comedy Club Offers Classes, Camps
What’s the deal with airline food, am I right? I took an Intro to Stand-Up class at Dallas Comedy Club to find out.
Just joking (see, I know jokes now!).
I did it because we thought it would make a cool story, and as someone obsessed with stand-up comedy, I figured, “Why not finally try it?”
The class ran for six weeks with a “graduation show” at the end. I had no clue what to expect and was even skeptical about how one could teach stand-up comedy. I saw it as one of those things you must just get out there and do.
I still think that’s true to a degree, but the class did help with learning different types of jokes and innovative writing exercises for generating joke ideas.
Once it was time for me to go on, I was nervous, but as soon as I got that first laugh, the jitters went away.
Each week we covered one or two types of jokes (there are more than you’d think), then had in-class writing time and time to pitch what we came up with at the end. This was maybe what I found to be the most valuable aspect of the class.
We found a dedicated crowd and sounding board in our classmates and were able to give each other praise, constructive criticism, and whatever else we needed to be the best we could be.
Our class was incredibly supportive of one another, and we all had a lot of fun. Some of us have even gone to open mics together since class ended.
When it came time for our graduation show, I was amazed at how well-prepared everyone was (shout out to our amazing teacher Nick Cutelli).
Typically, a first-timer’s stand-up set isn’t going to get a lot of laughs, and, to be brutally honest, the jokes aren’t going to be good.
However, I found myself thoroughly enjoying every set from backstage (I went on second-to-last), and the audience seemed to as well.
Once it was time for me to go on, I was nervous, but as soon as I got that first laugh, the jitters went away.
As my set came to an end, I remember being disappointed that it was almost over. I will forever remember my experience taking this class and all the people I met, and I plan to continue doing stand-up, even if it’s never for anything more than fun. I enjoyed it that much.
If stand-up isn’t your cup of tea, Dallas Comedy Club offers way more class options, like storytelling, sketch comedy, improv, and even musical improv!
There are also camps for kids and teens. So, whether you’ve always dreamed of getting up on stage or just want to meet new friends, DCC is the place to check out.
