Writing 1 is for any student who is looking to start the journey of writing to and for a Second City-style revue. This class is the foundation for scenic comedy writing, a guide for utilizing an improviser’s skill set for rapid creation, and learning writing refinement. The concepts and tools…

Writing 2 builds on the foundation for scenic comedy writing established in Writing 1 by expanding on scenic types, writing to cast and running order, and writing through collaboration. Writing 2 focuses on the construction of a sketch comedy revue running order. Students who understand the structure of a show…

Writing 3 builds on the exploration into a Second City running order established in Writing 2 by focusing on the various sources of scenic inspiration and delving deeper into satirical writing. Writing 3 addresses the satirical needs of a sketch comedy revue running order as well as the skills and…

Writing 4 completes the writer’s toolkit with advanced skills for achieving strong point-of-view and applying scenic writing skills to custom writing opportunities. Writing 4 is a culmination of the skills acquired through The Second City Writing Program. It is with this class that a student will be prepared to move…

Writing 5 focuses on generating and refining written satirical material that results in a fifty-minute sketch revue script. Writing 5 puts into practice the skills acquired from previous class levels to create and produce a Second City-style revue.

Students in Writing 5 learn how to complete a script for a Second…

Writing 6 is the culmination of the Writing Program guaranteeing the production and theatrical run of a Second City-style revue. Writing 6 focuses on producing a staged comedy sketch show by fulfilling production roles, writing to show and cast needs, and working with a director to mount a show properly…

Cry ‘Til You Laugh! In this four-week course, you will learn to write about sad experiences either in your own personal life or through fiction. This class will also teach you how to add humor to your writing in order to provide some comic relief. Writing about emotional experiences can…

Intro to Writing for TV & Film is for anyone who wants to learn the crucial basics of writing for film and television or anyone with a great idea of a movie who needs help putting it into (properly formatted) words. It gives you a strong foundation for TV and…

Learn how to write monologue jokes, desk bits, remote segments, guest pieces, sketch and a variety of segments for shows like Fallon, Kimmel, Amber Ruffin, Seth Myers, Colbert, Ellen, Noah, Oliver and more. Pitch monologue jokes weekly, brainstorm, explore and heighten material in this collaborative Writer’s Room environment. Create original…

Building on Writing for Late Night Level 1, this class will consist of expanding the joke writing, using the associated word technique, angles, and video and visual punchlines. We work on Rants on a topic, like Seth Meyers, “A Closer Look,” John Oliver, Samantha Bee, Colbert, Trevor Noah, etc. We…

Level 101 – Do you have an idea for a TV show but don’t know where to start? Comedy TV Pilots 101 is designed to give you the tools for converting your idea into an outline of your very own TV pilot. From character to relationship to story, each week…

NEW CLASS – FALL 2023

Discover the comedic magic of The Second City, where comedy writing meets improvisation in a one-of-a-kind creative process! For over 60 years, we’ve been honing our craft, using improv as our secret writing tool to bring laughter to our stages.

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Over this four-class intensive, learn to write short, satirical pieces in the style of McSweeney’s, The Beaverton, Reductress, Shouts and Murmurs, and The Onion. Explore the elements that make for especially powerful, smart, memorable and ~funny~ humour writing as you and your fellow students workshop…

Learn how to write monologue jokes, desk bits, remote segments, guest pieces, sketch and a variety of segments for shows like Fallon, Kimmel, Amber Ruffin, Seth Myers, Colbert, Ellen, Noah, Oliver and more. Pitch monologue jokes weekly, brainstorm, explore and heighten material in this collaborative Writer’s Room environment. Create original…

Building on Writing for Late Night Level 1, this class will consist of expanding the joke writing, using the associated word technique, angles, and video and visual punchlines. We work on Rants on a topic, like Seth Meyers, “A Closer Look,” John Oliver, Samantha Bee, Colbert, Trevor Noah, etc. We…

NEW CLASS – FALL 2023

Discover the comedic magic of The Second City, where comedy writing meets improvisation in a one-of-a-kind creative process! For over 60 years, we’ve been honing our craft, using improv as our secret writing tool to bring laughter to our stages.

More Details

Students living away from one of the Second City Training Centers can still study comedy sketch writing! In Sketch Writing 1 students receive individual instruction through online correspondence, exploring the fundamentals of character development and theatrical scene structure. Exercises include a variety of comedic genres, from “Simple Yet Impossible Goal”…

Building on Online Sketch Writing 1, students will continue to learn the universal comedy techniques used in mainstream media as well as focusing on satire, character development and rewriting.

Major Concepts: Short history of sketch comedy, relationship, game and blackout sketches.

Class Work Examples: 2-Person relationship sketches aren’t…

In Online Sketch Writing 3 you will continue building the blocks of a sketch revue! Explore sketch structures that “break the rules”, including blackouts and clothesline scenes. Expand your ability to collaborate with other writers as you learn the structure of a Second City sketch revue.

Major Concepts: Specialty…

The culmination of the Online Writing Program allows you to strengthen your own voice as a writer as you explore concepts of satire founded in historical and personal events. Gain new tools for rewriting your sketches to strengthen the point of view. This term includes special workshops in songwriting and…

Intro to Writing for TV is for anyone who wants to learn the essence of writing for television or anyone with a great idea for a series who needs help putting it into (properly formatted) words. This on-demand course gives you a strong foundation for TV writing structure, demystifies the…

Write desk bits, remote segments, guest pieces, sketch and a variety of segments for shows like Fallon, Seth Meyers, Kimmel, Amber Ruffin, Colbert, John Oliver, Trevor Noah, Ellen, Desus & Mero and more. Write monologue jokes weekly, create original material to strengthen your writing samples, and produce the elements to…

Building on Writing for Late Night TV and Talk Shows Level 1, this class will consist of joke maximizers for monologue jokes, finding the angle for your joke to help come up with multiple punch lines, jokes with visual punchlines, writing a rant on a topic like John Oliver’s show….

In this four-week online writing satire course, you will learn how to form a strong comedic point of view on topical news and pop culture events. You will brainstorm, draft and rewrite short pieces in the style of McSweeney’s, Shouts and Murmurs and The Second City Network. Internet presence, pitching,…

This second four-week satire writing intensive builds on the concepts learned in Satire 1 and puts an increased emphasis on writing at a professional level. Students will keep a running pitch document, have access to exclusive interviews with top editors and satire writers working today, and create a website for…

Portfolio, Pitching and Submitting Bootcamp

In this two-month class, the final in the Online Satire series, students will complete a writing portfolio that showcases their voice and POV, work to create a professional network, and focus on pitching and submitting finished pieces throughout the course. Topics covered…

Cry ‘Til You Laugh! In this four-week course, you will learn to write about sad experiences either in your own personal life or through fiction. This class will also teach you how to add humor to your writing in order to provide some comic relief. Writing about emotional experiences can…

Do you have funny personal stories to share? In this four-week course, you will learn to write about humorous experiences in your own life. We will discuss how to make your stories interesting and relatable to other people.

We will brainstorm ideas and develop them into personal essays. You can write…

Develop yourself as a solo comedic performer by writing and workshopping your own material. By understanding how earlier stand-up comics evolved, students experiment outside their comfort zone and experiment in a variety of styles until discovering their own unique style. Students will be encouraged to perform in local open mics…

An online, go at your own pace Personal Storytelling course.

Understanding the basics of a good, compelling story is essential to life, essential to connection, essential to whether you want to write a memoir, give a Ted Talk or share a story piece for The Moth. Understand your story and you’ll…