Comedy Writing for Character

Service Description

COMEDY WRITING FOR CHARACTER w. RICH TALARICO Rich shares insights and techniques from his years in comedy and late night TV (SNL, MADtv, Key & Peele, The Tonight Show) and from having co-written five resident company shows for Second City in Chicago. Students will learn how to develop original characters, how to brainstorm, pitch and create original scenes. Weekly homework to be reviewed in class. Students will learn story structure, scene formatting and be ginve access to free online screenplay software as well as tips and strategies on how to develop characters for pilot and film writing. STUDENT GUIDES PG-13 Conduct and Content No Recording, please MORE ON RICH TALARICO “Rich Talarico is one of the all time great Caucasian Improvisers.” — Tina Fey Rich Talarico is a Peabody® Award-winning writer/producer with four Emmy® and four WGA Award nominations, best known for his work on Key & Peele. Rich was responsible for K&P fave Substitute Teacher, (“…Ay-ay-Ron?”) which in 2024 was added to The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum Of American History. Rich wrote dozens of K&P faves: Racist Zombies, Karim and Jahar, Hatz, Teaching Center, Obama Greets, I Pressed It Already, Mr. Mahina, Killing An African Warlord, When The Cameraman Thinks You’re Gay, Black Ice, and many more. Other TV credits include: MADtv, The Tonight Show w. Jay Leno, Saturday Night Live, and the critically-acclaimed, Review. An alum of Chicago’s Second City and Improv Olympic, Rich also provided punch-up work on Mean Girls and Get Out. As an improviser, Rich teaches, coaches and performs with long-form group Dasariski, Rich played in the early casts of Chicago’s The Armando Diaz Show and co-created the shows, Close Quarters, Strap Heads and Trio. As an actor, Rich appeared on screen on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, MADtv, the feature film High Fidelity, and in A&W Root Beer’s classic TV ad, “Mr. Dumass.” Talarico’s extensive experience in the comedy industry has made him a sought-after teacher, writer and consultant. Rich is currently teaching and performing stand-up comedy around the US. — more at www.richtalarico.com