If you've ever thought about trying your hand at stand-up comedy, San Francisco Comedy College is an excellent place to start. Located conveniently near Chinatown, this comedy school offers a fun and supportive environment for beginners to learn the craft. I recently took their Beginner Stand-Up Comedy class, and it was a great experience. Our teacher, Kurtis, was fantastic - knowledgeable. engaging and truly passionate about helping students develop their comedic talents. (At times it felt like he was doing his stand up routine). The class covered crucial topics like joke structure, character development, and delivery techniques, giving us the foundational skills to write and perform our own material. What I really appreciated was the incredibly supportive atmosphere fostered by both the instructor and my classmates. Everyone was respectful, encouraging, and willing to provide constructive feedback, making it a safe space to take risks and experiment with new jokes. The school offers both in-person and online class options, which is convenient for those with busy schedules or located outside of San Francisco. As a student, you also get access to sit in on their advanced classes, free admission to student comedy shows in SF and the South Bay. Whether you're simply curious about stand-up comedy or actively pursuing it as a creative outlet or career, San Francisco Comedy College is an excellent resource. Highly recommended for anyone looking to add more laughs to their life! read more

San Francisco Comedy College - Specialty Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

SFCC provides a great opportunity to explore your interest in becoming a Stand up comedian. It's a supportive group of students and teachers that focus on making people who think they're funny actually be comedians (or not). Feedback from Kurtis, staff, and classmates plus mic time each week, what's not to like. read more

Please do not waste your money! 1.5 hours of listening to Sales Pitches (for specialty classes, &early enrollment in the advanced class) and "front lines" stories (of 2 main varietals: "the worst time kurtis ever got heckled", and "famous people kurtis knows" tales). The workbook was touched on the first class.... A "lecture-style" class is not really the best way to teach stand up. Give the class an exercise, let them do it, and let them discuss how it went. that's called learning-by-doing. what SFCC does in its beginning "class" bored most of the class. you'd think that a stand up like Kurtis would know when he's bombing - by the last class a third of the participants had stopped attending. BUYER BEWARE -- your ONLY STAGE TIME IS IN THE one OPEN MIC. if you don't, you are not going to get much out of the class that you can't read in a "how to write jokes" book. i talked with Kurtis on why I was dropping and he does not care--- this is a cash cow for him. read more

I love the SF comedy college. I took the intro class and was intrigued. But I wanted more. The advanced classes were awesome and acted as an informal open mic with great feedback from Kurtis and the other students. I am about to take my 3rd advanced class. I love Kurtis' one on one feedback. He comes up with some great ideas that I would not have thought of. I highly recommend. read more

Disclaimer: I probably attended this school at the LEAST FUNNY time in its history - amidst a move to a new location + a high profile crime that (indirectly) involved the leadership of the organization. They seemed preoccupied with these goings on and the class suffered for it. THAT SAID -- there are aspects that I feel would have been unsatisfactory anyway that I felt I should comment on... so here goes. Stand Up comedy, per the SFCC, is a 2 step process: learn how to write jokes. Learn how to perform jokes. Beginning Class is joke writing Advanced Class is joke telling Throughout your enrollment in any class at the College, you are entitled to perform in several in-house "open mics" as well as to attend other classes. for beginning students THIS IS YOUR ONLY STAGE TIME. I was definitely under the impression, as a beginning student, that we would have more of an opportunity in class to get on stage, to get over our fears, and work some stuff out in a supportive environment. What I found, instead, is that "class" was primarily 2 hours of listening to Sales Pitches (for specialty classes, &early enrollment in the advanced class) and "front lines" stories (of 2 main varietals: "the worst time kurtis ever got heckled", and "famous people kurtis knows" tales). The only people who actually got stage time, oddly enough, were random other comics who were passing by in the hallway that Kurtis would rope in to do a brief set, show how they riff with an audience, or to tell their own "front lines" stories. Sorry to break it to them, but a "lecture-style" class is not really the best way to teach stand up. Give the class an exercise, let them do it, and let them discuss how it went. that's called learning-by-doing. what SFCC does in its beginning "class" bored most of the class. you'd think that a stand up like Kurtis would know when he's bombing - by the last class a third of the participants had stopped attending. would i take another class here? perhaps. but here's the BUYER BEWARE part of this yelp -- your ONLY STAGE TIME IS IN THE OPEN MICS. so use them if you want to try out your material. if you don't, you are not going to get much out of the class that you can't read in a "how to write jokes" book. To Rich's credit, since my class did NOT get most of the open mic time (because of the move and the murder), he extended our eligibility to use that space over the next 6 weeks of classes. that was cool and the main reason i gave this class 2 stars instead of 1. There do seem to be other good teachers in the school -- Adam gives excellent feedback in the open mics, for example -- and I'd bet if the teaching of the intro class wasn't so sucky, there'd be more people enrolling in the Advanced Classes, so there'd be less need to give a 30 minute sales pitch for it on the last day of class. UPDATE: the comedy college also has no sense of humor or willingness to receive criticism. after writing this review, they revoked the promised 6-week extension to the open mics. dropped to 1 star. byebye read more

Although I had always been interested in performing stand up comedy, I really had no idea how to get started. Going to a free initiation class at the SF Comedy College was illuminating. I asked many questions and the class gave me the tools to get up in front of my first real audience and actually get them to laugh. The College helped me understand many aspects of performance. The three most valuable aspects of the college for new comics, in my opinion, are Kurtis Matthews, the open mics, and Adam McLaughlin. Kurtis makes himself very available to any student who is committed to getting better. And Kurtis knows a LOT about the comedy biz. He's been around a long time and has very strong views on the subject that he is always willing to share. For one, Kurtis will encourage you to talk about what is really important to you rather than what you think is funny. This makes performing a lot more engaging. The open mics are in front of real crowds that have come to watch comedy. I cannot emphasize the value of this enough. It gives you a great place to get laughs, learn what works, and what doesn't. You will get over stage fright in a heart beat and you will learn to take away good lessons from a bad set (rather than just feeling like an ass for bombing). The best value (for your money) at the college is one-on-one classes with Adam McLaughlin. I saw my biggest improvements in performance while working one-on-ones with Adam. He is fun to work with, has lots of exercises to help you improve your performance, and can write good jokes so easily (although he will try to get you to write the joke on your own by asking you questions). The college is full of lots of egos and colorful characters. I would say this gives you a glimpse of the bigger comedy world. If you're not interested in meeting some colorful characters along your comedy journey, then you're going to miss out on a huge aspect of what the stand up journey has to offer. read more

This review is long overdue. I took classes with Kurtis about 8-12 months ago but I really enjoyed my experience. I took both the intro group classes and a few private lessons with Kurtis as well. Firstly, Kurtis is funny as hell and this is a no frills class. He will tell you exactly what he is thinking and if he thinks you're nuts he has no problem letting you know. For anyone that wants to try something new, this is a great way to gather the balls to get up on stage and try out material. In addition to the classes, students also can perform live at the Purple Onion in FiDi as an additional feature to the actual class. Very cool experience to try your stuff in front of a live audience. Most people are beginners and most people are terrible but that is part of the fun. Thanks for the laughs Kurtis, miss you! read more

I have taken many classes at SFCC including Stand Up and Improv, Have had a ton of fun! and all the courses have been a good experience. Imrov: The improv classes are perfect for anyone. If you want some stress relief after work, they will help you "let it all out" and you really can't offend anyone (which makes it a safe place, especially for me - I have been told I have no filer. :-) ) I LOVE that you get to do an on-stage performance at the end of each course, because I think that is where the real learning occurs. The teachers are fun and the classes are affordable. The students you get in the class with you is really luck of the draw - but it helps to learn to work with all kinds. The improv section of SFCC has also been called FRISCO. It's great that they are now pushing the creation of new Improv troupes in SF and have provided an awesome venue to perform in front of paying audiences. They have moved locations, so it is TBD where the new venue will be, but since SFCC is committed to its students, I am sure whatever happens will be great for all. http://www.yelp.com/biz/frisco-performance-company-san-francisco#query:improv Stand-Up: Kurtis is a fun teacher and he gives awesome feedback. The other teachers are also great. The opportunity to do Open Mics is one of the best values from the Stand Up courses. The venue is supportive and brings in fresh new audiences to test your stuff with. As I said before, given the move to a new location, the new venue will be announced soon. I love STAND UP...and will continue to work with the school to develop my skills. I think in combination with the teachers, there is a lot one can learn from other fellow comics that attend the school. The classes are affordable as well. Stand Up is more work than Improv, in terms of outside coursework. But, both can be a stress relief even if you are not serious about a career in either and just want to have fun. SCREW YOGA - TAKE CLASSES AT SFCC.....it will take the up-tightness right of you!!!!!!! Don't look at me - YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! read more

SFCC is by far the most expensive hobby I've ever had! But... well worth it! I am enjoying the friendships I'm making, and get excited to hear new comics perform every week! The class you have (provided your with serious comics) continues to grow week by week. I don't know if I'll ever be 100% comfortable on stage, but thankfully I'm naturally more comfortable talking to strangers than most people are. I really respect the people I work with, and know that deep down Kurtis is a big teddy bear, despite his i don't give a "what attitude. SFCC is a great place to meet people from all different backgrounds, people of all different ethnicities, and people who walk all types of roads through life. Here you really learn to respect one another, and most of all... yourself. read more

"F*%k grad school Mom, I'm going to Comedy College!" I've had a great experience at the Comedy College and I highly recommend it. I'm a copywriter and have written funny scenarios, headlines and dialogue... but never wrote any standup comedy "jokes" before taking classes at the Comedy College. I always wondered what it'd be like to get up on stage and deliver material I'd actually written, and when a friend told me about the college, I checked it out. I went to the introductory class (free session), heard what Kurtis Matthews (the lead instructor and comedian) had to say and decided to take the intro class. The introductory class is a combination of written exercises, joke theory, performance tips and acting exercises. The joke writing method they teach is simple, clear and easy to understand. And you really get an inside look at what it takes to be funny on stage. (It's also pretty inexpensive for what you get.) I left the introductory class with about 3 minutes of solid material, and through open mics built that out to 5 within a month or so, relying on what I learned in class. I continued on to several sessions advanced classes and felt the encouragement, advice and supportive criticism helped me improve my stage presence and material. I'm also a lot more confident giving presentations at work, and my smart-ass cracks come a hell of a lot quicker these days. If people tell you you're funny, you think you're funny, you've always wanted to know what it's like to do stand up, and most importantly, if you're NOT funny, I highly recommend the SF Comedy College. You will be funnier. And the world needs laughter. It's a sh*t-ton of fun, too. read more

This review is for the beginner stand-up comedy class which I would have loved to give a better rating for. What you get for $300 plus is a booklet and 6 sessions of the instructor talking/acting/ranting and the students doing the same with little to instructions. Most of the classes start with the instructor asking the students did we talk about this before? Did we do this exercise last time? Then it proceeds with the students standing up talking about something, ranting, imagining a situation and it ends with read pages X through Y, any questions, see you next time. Maybe this is the way to teach comedy but I was expecting more instructions and going through the material...etc. read more

I've had friends go through the San Francisco Comedy College in the past and they always spoke very highly of it. Recently I was able to carve some time out of my hectic schedule and was pleasantly surprised how amazing the classes are. Kurt Matthews and WIll Franken are great teachers that allow you to find your voice. I loved the beginner classes and signed up for the advanced class immediately following the end of the beginner classes. What's even more amazing is the stage time you get. As a student, you can sign up for open mics at ThePurple Onion. I don't know of anywhere else you would get more stage time. If you live in the bay area and are interested in performing stand up comedy, even if stand up comedy isn't your thing, this is one of the best classes I've ever taken in my life. read more

Great experience! I heard about SFCC from a friend and after some consideration, decided to give it a shot. I'm so glad I did! It was a very supportive and constructive environment to try getting up on stage and doing real, live comedy - a perfect setting for someone (like me) trying this for the very first time. The class itself gelled nicely and people were really encouraging of each other's work. Kurtis, who taught the beginner class, set a good tone for that through the type of feedback he provided. The classes also offer the opportunity to actually perform live in a club (The Purple Onion). Although this can be intimidating, it's also invaluable experience, and crucial for anyone who wants to go on in comedy. The beginner class is great for a range of goals, whether you want to become a professional comedian, get more comfortable performing in front of audiences or just have fun and meet cool people. Highly recommended! read more

Kurtis is a great teacher that teaches you more than comedy. Yes, you learn stand up and how to be funny. You also get opportunities for stage time. Additionally, you learn valuable lessons for life like "how to take yourself less seriously", "bring the joy to everything you do" and "enjoy the process." read more

Normally I burn down the mission, but I can't nor I won't in the case of Kurtis's brainchild. Oscar Wilde once said that all art is useless and he was right. If art is useless so too is love, friendship and laughter. Interestingly the most important things in life are useless and in need of support. Inter alia, Mr. Matthew's practices, supports, promotes, and teaches the art of stand-up comedy. Although,he may be an extraterrestrial, I sense he really wants to teach folks to enjoy the art of making people laugh. I am just starting and I am somewhat thick and it takes me awhile to get into the swing of things, but this group of comedy disciples has its' chops together and I am getting allot out of it. Stand-up is hard and can be intimidating, their approach works really well at getting people started from all backgrounds. The classes and the onion are safe, supportive, and fun. One caveat, if you don't live in the city it is tougher to get the most out of the onion opportunity. I understand that SFCC has classes in San Jose as well, but I haven't surfed there. If you got questions, message me and I will tell you what I know. read more

I've been doing classes as SFCC college for a few months now. It started in person but has been via Zoom for the past month and a half since the shutdown. The school is owned by Kurtiss Matthews, a professional standup comedian who's been in the business 35 years. The experience has been incredible from the standpoint of real, "live" experience in front of fellow students in a very supportive and collaborative environment. It's incredible fun and there's also practical teaching and constructive feedback/critique on how to make us all better at performing, Whether you're doing this because it's something you just always wanted to try or you're trying to create a career, the feedback is individually tailored to wherever you are or what you want to accomplish. Most impressively, Kurtiss is incredibly generous by providing free writing sessions three times/week to existing students and access to open mic nights on Monday nights plus graduate comedy nights one Saturday night/month. Kurtiss is all-in to support his students and build a thriving, local comedy community. read more

A couple of years ago I had been jonesing to try stand up comedy, and stumbled upon this place while looking for open mic nights. I'm really glad I found it. Kurtis and the other instructors bring invaluable years of professional comedy experience, and provide an environment that's both supportive and critically honest. They also guided people on how to hone their act, get noticed, and make comedy a career if that's what they so chose. After seeing people going up over weeks and months, everyone who made the effort got substantially funnier. Whether you're just curious about trying out stand up, or are interested in a career related to it, this is the best place you could start. read more

I wanted to get into stand-up for a long time but wasn't sure how to do it. I came across the SFCC and liked the model: learn how to write jokes, and get up on stage to try them out. SFCC was also flexible given my work schedule, which was a huge plus for me. The comedy club attached to the school, the Purple Onion, is a small comedy club in the basement of Kell's in north beach. It's an intimate setting and provides an up and comer with a stage to build core comedic skills. Go to a free intro class (check their website for dates/times) to check out the vibe. If it seems like something you could be into, the beginner classes are a good value and will give you a taste of what it's like to be a stand-up comic. The advanced classes help you build your material into a workable set and you get to try it out in front of audience members and other comics. If you want to get into stand up or just get better at riffing w/ co-workers, the SFCC is a solid starting point to help you get there. read more

Kurtis and his team are hands down the best stand up comedy instruction in Northern California. If you want to do this professionally, or just explore a new hobby like I did, you will find thoughtful and in depth instruction and a community of cool and funny people. Take a chance and do the free intro! It's awesome!! read more

I have always had a secret desire to become a standup comedian. I never knew how to go about it. I toyed with writing sets and jokes but never told them to people. Then, I met some people who had attended SFCC. While you can't teach someone how to be funny, you can teach them techniques that professional comedians use. This helps you find your funny. SFCC brings actual working comedians to an accessible level where you can meet them and get info. from the horses mouth. It's not like many other comedy "teaching" places that essentially just use their students to get jokes for themselves. SFCC is the best place to start this journey. read more

I've been with the SFCC for about 8 months and it is a HUGE help if you're trying to break into comedy here in the Bay Area. Here's what I like about it: 1. Flexible classes. You choose the night and the comic you want to work with: Kurtis Matthews, Will Franken or Sal Calanni. All 3 offer different areas of expertise, have plenty of experience traveling and making a career from comedy. They're approachable and offer direct, honest feedback while being supportive and helpful. 2. You get a ton of shit for your $. Weekly writing workshops, internal open mics to work out new stuff, stage time at the Purple Onion and group or 1:1 meetings. Kurtis is also great about planning annual trips to NYC and LA and hooks it up with stage time, tours and classes in those spots (of course you have to pay for the trip, he gets you connected). 3. Collaborative, diverse community of new talent. I've made some awesome friends through the SFCC and it's nice to have that network. Because there are so many students enrolled in the SFCC in both SF and San Jose, you get a ton of different personalities and senses of humor all giving feedback on your sets...which means (hopefully) you are constantly writing new stuff and you improve quickly. 4. Great if you just want to cross "do stand-up" off your bucket list. The SFCC staff totally respect your intentions. If you're unemployed, bored, inspired or looking to be the next Louis CK, you have flexibility to pursue your own comedy goals. 5. It's f*ing fun. read more

Great place and community to learn stand-up. If you put in the effort, work with the teachers, and practice, you'll learn how to be a stand-up comic. Do that for ten years and you'll be even better. read more

Took the writing and performance classes... 20 years ago... literally was in the second class after the school started... I did it cause they were earthquake retrofitting the building where I was working and I was going stir crazy... so wasn't expecting much... but my wife and kids are reminded often that I'm a graduate ... the gift I gave myself that keeps giving...congrats Kurtis on creating a college institution that actually is not some irrelevant piece of shit that over charges and underserves its students ... the Ivy League schools could learn a thing or two about ethics @ SFCC Being funny's cool ... understanding why makes it more interesting and fun... and as far as improving your overall writing skills, getting your points across and honing your brevity.... every writer ... actually anyone that talks should enroll...I would of kept taking classes and become a comedian if it wasn't such a rough life style... it was also a great community and I really looked forward to classes and hanging around with people that make you laugh (intentional or not)... try it... it would be a bargain at ten times the class costs... read more

This is a great place to learn standup. The atmosphere is much different than you'll find in open mics and comedy clubs...it's supportive and conducive to the growth of the performer. The students and faculty support and encourage each other. I'm now a paid, working comic thanks the the SFCC read more

When I was in my 20s, fresh out of college, I thought I'd try my hand at stand-up. After all, I'd had a lifelong love of all forms of comedy, and I'd had friends tell me over the years that I should be a comic. However, tossing funny quips into conversations is a lot different from stand-up, where you've got no one to play off of. When I tried to write material, I found that I simply couldn't. So, I let that dream go, and stuck with acting to get my performance fix. Fast-forward 20 years, and I found out about the San Francisco Comedy College, and I enrolled. The Beginner class focused primarily on---(trumpet fanfare)---how to write material. I learned several practical techniques for creating comedic content. I finally had the missing piece of my puzzle! Subsequently, I took the Advanced class, which focuses more on performance and polishing existing material. The nature of the Advanced class is such that, if you choose to, you can take the class over and over, since it's all about improving from whatever point you're at. I repeated the class three times. I'd be back for more if I hadn't been let go from my job last year. I have since gone on to performing locally over the past couple of years, and I love it! It's noteworthy that all the teachers at SFCC are *working* comics themselves. Also, because it has its own comedy performance space, students get ample opportunity to get up on stage and perform at open mics. In my experience, SFCC's open mics are one of the few in the Bay Area where the audiences consist of more than just other comics waiting to get up on stage, which is a *significant* difference. The last point I want to make is that the class tuitions are very reasonable. They certainly compare favorably to those of local acting classes! read more

BYOB!! Whats not to love about bringing your own booze to a comedy show. The performers were all pretty funny. It was a fun & inexpensive night out. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Overall a pretty clean comedy show, too. read more

I feel at ease in the class(beginners stand -up) even while sitting down; and the teacher and founder, Kurtis Matthews is welcoming, safe and funny(go figure!) He sets the tone for everyone to feel they have a gift to bring to the world of stand-up and he shares his wisdom in a very casual way that is not full of ego. Great teacher-engaging and I am learning a great deal of the art behind comedy. Suzanne in Oakland read more

If you are not pursuing stand-up comedy at SFCC, you are simply wasting your life. Kurtis Matthews has created a fun, supportive, and affordable environment for aspiring comics to focus on both performing and creating. He brings knowledge and experience on the business end of comedy, and creative feedback designed to help you find and develop your own style of funny. Pro comics are always around and accessible, whether as guest instructors, paid performers, or drop-in visitors...current/former SFCC students represent a significant minority of the comics on the local showcase/open mic circuit. Run, don't walk, to your friendly neighborhood comedy college...after all, you're certainly not getting any funnier just sitting there. read more

This place is the best. Great and fun place to learn some of the mechanics. Useful and applicable. Would recommend to anyone who's curious about stand up. read more

Had a GREAT time in the beginners class! Instructor and fellow class members were all fun and very cool. Thinking about advanced class down the line. Thanks Kurtis!! read more

San Francisco Comedy College is a great enviornment to learn comedy. It's a safe, friendly place to get your feet wet before going out into the sometimes cruel world of comedy clubs. IIt's a place to make life-long friends, network and be a part of the San Francisco comedy community. The instructors are experienced, energetic and charismatic; and their classes are both inspiring and informative. read more