Stand Up Comedy Classes – FAQ

1. Owner Joe Falzarano has developed, booked, managed, produced, and helped launch the stand-up careers of many of today’s top comedy stars who have gone on to appear on Letterman and the Tonight Show, and wrote for “Seinfeld,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Sex and the City,” “Conan,” and “The Daily Show.”
2. Teacher Cathy Ladman has appeared on the Tonight Show 10 times, and was a writer on Roseanne, Guest Star on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Modern Family, Mad Men and more!
3. We are award winning comedy producers who understands the business of funny.
4. We has taught and instructed stand-ups and comedy writers for over two decades. Although we’ve had success in many areas of the comedy business, our greater talents are in analysis, coaching, and inspiring people to reach their full comedy writing potential.
5. You learn from an industry insiders who wants to share their first-hand knowledge.
6. Most how-to books, workshops and DVD’s try to give tips, tricks, and techniques to help you write. Intentionally or not, they validate the belief that who you are is not enough. That there’s some other way you need to become, but we’re here to tell you that you are enough – all your fears, feelings, hopes, fantasies, and curiosities are all that is necessary to begin writing and performing stand up comedy.
7. Your hard earned dollars need to be spent on the BEST! Read, watch, listen and learn from the best performers who have reached the top of their craft. DO NOT waste your money on classes, books or DVD’s from anyone who has simply made a career “teaching!” One of the best books you should read is Judd Apatow’s Sick in the Head.
8. Unlike other teachers, our motivation is not to sell you books, DVDs, or anything other than our time, expertise, passion, and 25+ years of experience working with some of the most amazing joke writers and comedy performers in the business.
9. We tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. Any creative endeavor is bound to encounter circumstances where opinions differ. So, like all great comedy, we insist upon honesty. And we invite healthy debate. That said, we know what we’re doing. We’re not infallible. But we expect that if you’re partnering with us, that you’ll trust our guidance to lead you where you want to go.

Santa Monica Classes are held in a great rehearsal space one-minute off I-10 West at:

The Realm Creative Academy – 400 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405, at the corner of 4th and Pico. Pull into the parking lot (parking is FREE) and head straight into class.

You, your material, an open mind, plus a pen and notebook, cell phone voice recorder. Other materials will be provided for you.

It’s not required, but bring it, plus new ideas. This class is perfect to help you punch up jokes, develop half-baked ideas, or reconstruct your entire act.

Because there is a high demand for LA Stand Ups Classes and we limit the number of students per class, we must enforce a strict refund and rescheduling policy. You can receive a FULL refund up to two weeks prior to the start of the first class. After that there are no refunds. If your schedule changes and you need to reschedule your enrollment, please do so at least two weeks prior to the start of the first class. Reschedules with less than two weeks notice will be subject to a $50 rescheduling fee. If your schedule changes and you can not complete the class you are enrolled in, you can always transfer to another class, switch to private lessons, or give your spot away as a gift. If you have to miss a class, you can make it up.