I moved to Hollywood with the dream of making it big. Just like everybody else. I wanted to be a stand up comedian. I visited the open mics and as many comedy clubs and shows as I could to soak it all in. I realized rather quickly that I needed some help and should probably take some classes. But who do you take a class from? If I was going to take a class from someone I wanted to see them be funny on stage and not just have them say they were funny. If they were going to teach me how to be funny and show me all the secrets behind the comedy curtain, I wanted proof they knew what they were doing. When I saw Greg Wilson perform I knew I wanted to learn how to perform comedy from him. I couldn't believe that someone who was that funny was willing to teach classes to beginners. He gives you all the tools you need to make it in the Stand Up Comedy business. He gives you a full dose of reality too. His honesty is refreshing and he lets you know what you are up against with no holds barred. The only reason I am not giving him five stars is that I have not been invited to do my Comedy Central special yet. When I get that, he gets 5 stars and when I get my invite we both know it will be because of Greg and his classes. I am currently doing headline spots on the road as well as producing, promoting and performing in my own show with my fiancee, also a comedian, that we headline together. read more

I've always had an interest in standup comedy and have admired all those who have attempted to perform in front of a crowd. I began joke writting and attending open mics all over LA. I quickly realized I needed help. I wanted to attend a standup comedy class to learn how to become a comedian. With so many options I was reluctant to choose an instructor. While at an open mic, professional comedian Greg Wilson headlined an open mic and "killed" it. I stayed for the show and watched Greg "kill" it again as the show's headliner. I discovered that Greg offered courses on how to be a standup comedian. I attended his Mastering Stand Up Comedy course and Crowd Work course. I also had a number of private lessons. As a result, I've learned how to write and structure jokes, tell funny stories, and include the crowd with my performance. I was one of the contestants in a comedy contest filmed by MTV in an episode of "Made." Even though I was not the featured comedian, I won the contest. Greg is as good as an instructor as he is a comedian. Greg will be honest with you (so be ready). The price for the courses and private lessons are very reasonable. I encourage anyone who is looking for a stand up comedy class and/or private instructor to contact TheGregWilson. read more

If you're looking for a great stand up comedy class, you've found it -- The Comedy Institute is the place to go. Hands down the most fun, practical, engaging school to learn how to be a comedian. Greg Wilson is a master of the craft. And, unlike many masters, he has the rare ability to teach his skills to other people in a useful and meaningful way. He breaks down the art of great comedy into an intuitive framework, and gives his students the tools they need to take their sets to the next level. He also relates the concepts back to his own jokes and experiences, so his classes always connect to the real world of stand-up comedy. It's also obvious that he loves what he does, and that makes all the difference. His energy and passion come through in each class. His energy is legendary (if you've seen his sets, you know). His classes have the same vibe. A truly awesome environment. I've seen writers (like me) learn a ton from his classes, and I've watched my stand-up friends put his methods to work with great results. I highly recommend Greg and The Comedy Institute. Check out a class. You'll learn a ton and have a great time! read more

I took Greg's Mastering Standup comedy class in 2011 and it was awesome! I had accumulated years of bar napkins and post-it notes with comedy ideas, typed them all up on my computer, even had some material that I *thought* was ready for stage. After taking Greg's class, I went back through all that material with a whole new perspective and realized that what I had were a bunch of concepts and some humorous anecdotes, but very little finished Comedy. 2 months later I did my first Open Mic. In the two years since, I've opened at least 30 times for professional Comedians at different bars, participated in a half-dozen Local Comedy shows and am currently hosting shows and Open-Mics at an established local comedy venue while developing my own material. That one 4-hour workshop saved me years of spinning my wheels with material that simply wasn't very refined. I've got a long way to go yet but Greg's class was a great starting point. Greg teaches ya how to be a comedian - starting with breaking down a joke to it's comedic essence and building it back up to a solid Bit. read more

About 5 years ago I started doing standup and after some initial struggles I was looking for a good stand up comedy class, that is, how to do stand up comedy and how to be a comedian. Not just an open mic-er, but to get good enough to hold my own with the other comics on a real comedy show. There are lots of folks out there who promise to show you how to "learn stand up comedy", but in most cases the instructors are neither funny nor instructive. Greg is both. He is a hilarious performer himself, AND he knows how to break it down, explaining the whys and hows of doing standup. Since taking his classes, I have made it into the finals of the next 3 comedy contests I entered, but more importantly, I learned how to tighten up the material I had and the best way to come up with and develop new material. I feel lucky to have taken the course early on as it has definitely accelerated my progress and improvement in comedy. Once you've been through Greg Wilson's courses, your chance for success goes up about 1000%. I highly recommend it. read more

Greg WIlson came out to Maui and did his stand up comedy class. The class was absolutely amazing. He breaks joke writing and more specifically how to be a comedian into very clear logical terms and uses really funny material to exemplify his lessons. He is very aware of different styles and upcoming comedians to show how his simple approach can be used with almost any variety of styles. Since taking his class, my sets have gotten tighter with great punch to set up ratios as well as finding my own voice on stage. Because of his class, I have headlined a packed house, was asked to do local television, and been invited to other Hawaiian Islands to do comedy. I am now a regular feature at the local comedy show. On a side note, he is really great guy who has a passion for what he does and continues to be available long after I took his class with help and advise. I have read multiple comedy books and they were all horrible with hack joke writing. Actually, I was not even able to finish any of them.Greg is the real deal. read more

I would give Greg Wilson and the Comedy Institute six or ten stars if I could. I was as green as green can be and decided I wanted to learn how to do stand up comedy. I had tried two other stand up classes in the L.A. area that were both 4-5 classes long and was disappointed as nothing was being taught and felt they were just a scam. I came across the Comedy Institute and took the five session stand up comedy class and learned more in one hour than I did in the other two 4-5 session classes combined. It was not only educational but fun, and I took the riffing and heckler classes too. I learned in these classes what would have taken me years to learn on my own, and it gave me the confidence and the riff ability to go on and perform at The Comedy Store, The HaHa Club , The Federal Bar and many others. Thanks, Greg, and regardless of your final goal, if you want to learn stand up The Comedy Institue is the best school and Greg is a great teacher. read more

I took a few classes at The Comedy Institute with The Greg Wilson, and they helped me tremendously in getting my comedy act to the next level. Greg is not only one of my favorite comics to watch in L.A., but he is a committed teacher that doesn't hold back (doesn't sugar coat what it takes to be a comedian) and brings his 20+ years experience as a working comic to each class. In his one-day Mastering Stand Up Comedy class he goes over a ton of material (I took over 20 pages of notes) how to write different type of jokes, how to build a comedy set around bits, the tools a stand up comedian can use on stage, the evolution of comedy, and also how the current comedy scene works. I took the workshop like 2 years ago and I still look back at the notes from that workshop when I want to write new material and I feel stuck. I always recommend The Comedy Institute when someone tells me they want to learn how to do stand up comedy. read more

The Greg Wilson's Stand Up Comedy Class is the best in Los Angeles if not the nation. It gives new comics not only the basics of joke writing but a realistic look at what it takes to be a Stand Up Comedian from somebody who's currently working in the business. He brings an unstoppable energy and passion for what he teaches. No nonsense, no babying, but lots of fun. The class itself is hilarious. Greg first teaches you how to trust your voice and dig deeper and then polish those raw ideas into solid bits with multiple punch lines. He inspires and challenges his students to "show up for stand up comedy every day." Right after taking Greg's Mastering Stand Up class I was given the opportunity to host my own show. The confidence and process I got from Greg's class have been invaluable to my success as a host. read more

I have been a fan of standup comedy since I was a little kid and had always had a dream of becoming a standup comedian. Before I had ever performed stand up a friend had brought me to Greg Wilson's Stand up Comedy Class and his Crowd Work and Riffing class. No class can teach you how to be funny but this class definitely teaches what it takes to do standup comedy and be successful. Within my 1st year of I went from being an open mic'er to opening & hosting for national headliners and running two open mic's. Shortly after I was voted the 2012 Anchorage Press Pick's Best Comic and One of my comedy open mic's was also voted 2012 Anchorage Press Pick's Best Open Mic. These classes have helped me immensely and anyone who is serious about learning the craft of standup comedy needs to take this class. Wyatt B read more

I own a comedy production group on Maui with a team of young comedians seeking more knowledge and insight to the finer points of comedy writing. We had brought Greg out to do a show with us, and also scheduled to do several of his classes for myself as well as the other comedians. I was blown away with the immediate results. Since the workshop classes of Greg Wilson, our comedians have been performing at levels we had not conceived as possible in such a short amount of time. There is no substitute for stage time, but I feel like we all fast forwarded a significant amount of months in confidence and performance quality. We are bringing him out again in April because of it. WOULD HIGHLY SUGGEST TO ALL COMEDIANS AT ALL LEVELS!!! Thanks again Greg for everything! read more

Missed Greg's Mastering Stand Up class, so I bought the DVD. 4 hours of training that is really helpful, and I can watch it over and over! I then went to his Crowd Work & Riffing 1 day seminar. Parking on and around the Vienna Cafe / Melrose is a problem, especially at lunchtime, so get there early to find parking. In spite of that, it was totally worth it! So glad I went! He brings experience, knowledge, and passion for comedy to his students using instruction, techniques, and exercises that I hadn't heard of before. He's encouraging and hilarious! Looking forward to the Handling Hecklers class. Great experience! Great teacher! read more

When I first started doing stand up, I thought I knew it all. Why would I need to take a stand up comedy class? Boy was I WRONG! After watching Greg get a standing ovation, it became obvious that my ship was way off course. I enrolled in Greg's class immediately. Greg opened my eyes to pure craft of stand up and how to be a comedian. And I am forever thankful. Since then, I've succeeded in multiple comedy contests in LA, and been booked in major clubs all over southern california! Greg Wilson and The Comedy Institute is as good as it gets. read more

There are a lot of stand up comedy classes out there and to be honest most of them are a joke. This one is not and I'll tell you why. Greg Wilson is both an awesome comic and an awesome teacher. He brings decades of experience and explains things in easy to understand terms. I took his crowd work class and I have felt more free and comfortable on stage ever since. If you're going to take a stand up class, make it Gregs! You won't be sorry, you will be a better comic. read more