From Premise to Final Draft (Sketch)

Description

Dive deep into the art of sketch comedy in this intensive 4-hour workshop! Led by Ian MacDonald and Chad Moore, this class guides you through the entire writing process, from generating a solid premise to crafting a final draft. About your Instructors: Growing up in Auburn, ME, Ian MacDonald now spends his Winters, Springs, Summers, and Falls in Brunswick, ME. Ian is a razor sharp joke writer. He has performed at a number of prestigious comedy festivals, including the Boston Comedy Festival in 2023, 2024, and 2025, in which he was named a semi-finalist in 2023, and 2024, semi-finalist in the 2024 Blue Ridge Comedy Festival, the third place finalist in New England's Funniest Comedian Competition 2022, finalist in Maine Event Comedy's Tightest Five Competition. Other festival appearances include the North Carolina Comedy Festival in 2023 & 2024, the 2024 iO Fest in Chicago, and the Portland Maine Comedy Festival. He is a regular performer at Empire Comedy Club in Portland, ME. His Mom will tell you he's been doing comedy his entire life. Others may tell you his life is absurd. Specifically, Camus. To quote Ian, himself, from his upcoming book: “I like to hit things with sticks.” Chad Moore was in his mid-twenties when he learned that a hippodrome wasn't a facility that hosted hippopotamus races, as he originally thought. He was crushed by the cruelty of the world. He's since found much joy by being a husband to one, and father to two. He relishes in absurdity as a Sketch and Improv comedian. You'll learn: The step-by-step sketch writing process (idea, draft, table read, revision). Various sketch types (parody, satire, fish-out-of-water, character pieces, and more). Creative writing techniques to spark ideas (mapping, lists, mind maps). Essential sketch elements: identifying the "premise," "the funny," the "game," and crafting effective "beats," "heightening," and "buttons." Tips for smart, impactful comedy writing ("punching up"). Standard sketch formatting. Through analysis of examples, guided exercises, and a significant workshop component involving writing, table reads, and feedback, you will actively develop your own sketch idea. By the end of the session, you'll walk away with a completed sketch in final draft form, ready for the next stage of rehearsal and performance. This class is limited to a small group to ensure personalized attention.