No successful comedian just rattles off jokes with no structure or point of view, no matter how hilarious their material is or how funny they are off stage. We will focus on characters, writing, acting, confidence, voice control, style or any combination to address your specific challenges. You will leave with a clearer understanding of what makes you different from everyone else and how to create more cohesive performances. Silver Spring at Forest Glen Metro; $50; 1.5 hrs. Register here.
You’ve probably been told that you need to learn some improv to achieve success in your comedy career; just being funny and having great material are not enough. Studying improv gives you the tools you need to create characters, develop better material, own the room, gain confidence, deliver jokes in a more convincing way, and hold the audience in the palm of your hand. DC Arts Center; $25; Saturday 5/28 @ 12:30pm - 2:30pm. Register here.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better, more supportive, encouraging, passionate instructor about comedy.”
— Aparna Nancherla (Late Night with Seth Meyers, NBC)
“To this day my standup act still relies heavily on the different techniques that Topher taught me.”
— Rory Scovel (Ground Floor, TBS)
“I always call him when I get stuck even now.”
— Seaton Smith (Mulaney, Fox)
“I have never done stand up comedy before or even been on stage. I had a private workshop with Topher which gave me the confidence to go up there and I killed it!”
— Steve Klein
“I’ve been doing stand-up for six years, and I’ve written my jokes alone and with other people before, but I never really broke them down into their funniest parts like this. I can really see what I’m doing differently and this will inform how I continue to write. It’s worth the $40 and all of you should get to have that advantage.”
— Valerie Paschall
“Topher’s workshop reminded me to be more mindful of my physical presence onstage, and helped me reexamine jokes I had thought of as ‘finished.’ Basically, it was valuable because it reminded me of what I had to work on, and gave me some starting points for working on it.”
— Isaac Hirsch