MasterClass – Steve Martin Teaches Comedy

A comedian walks into a classroom
One of Steves first gigs was at the drive-in movies. When the audience liked a joke, they honked.

In this class, Steve shares insights from performing for cars and humans over a 50-year career spanning sold-out arenas and blockbuster films. Learn how to find your voice, gather material, develop an act, and take your comedy to the next level.

Lesson Plan

01 Introduction
02 Getting Started in Comedy
03 Gathering Material
04 Finding Your Comedic Voice
05 Developing a Comedic Persona
06 Jokes and Bits
07 Delivery
08 Crafting Your Act
09 Student Session: Workshopping Nalini’s First Stand-Up Act
10 Student Session: Workshopping Tim’s Act
11 Opening and Closing Your Act
12 Profanity and Morality
13 Growing as a Performer
14 Nerves, Hecklers, and Bombing
15 A Life In the Arts
16 Creating Characters
17 Story Techniques
18 Screenwriting Case Study: Roxanne
19 Editing
20 Editing (cont’d)
21 Writing Case Study: Meteor Shower
22 Steve’s Comedic Inspirations
23 Steve’s Journey
24 Final thoughts
25 Bonus Case Study: Speeches
Screenshots