Chris’s Comedy Class

Is trying stand-up on your bucket list??? If no, just add it right now and then keep reading.

In this 6 week you'll work on writing original material and developing real stage presence. The kind that turns nervous energy into confident delivery. 

Along the way, two working comics, Laura Hugg and Joe Kilgallon, will each teach one of the six classes to share their own approaches to writing, performing, and finding your comedic voice, giving you new perspectives from people who do this for a living. 

By the end of six weeks, you'll have a tight five-minute set, written and rehearsed, ready to perform in front of an audience of your own friends and family at our final class show. And this isn't some back-room open mic. It's a real performance on stage in our 150-seat room, lit like a mini streaming special, so the night feels like the milestone it actually is, and where your friends and family are obligated to laugh.   

It's about learning to trust your own perspective, getting comfortable owning a room, and walking away with a skill and story you'll carry for the rest of your life. It also makes a genuinely great gift.  Worst case, you'll have spent six weeks having fun learning something new, and best case, you'll finally have a good answer to "so what do you do for fun?" Plus, you'll have checked it off your bucket list!

Classes meet Tuesdays from 6:30–8:30 PM:

October 13, 20 & 27
November 3, 10 & 17

Final Showcase: Sunday, November 22, from 7:00–8:30 PM.

Bio: Chris Matsakis

I’ve been told my whole life that I’m an excellent teacher.  What those people don’t know is that I’m just really good at making mistakes so I’m able to help people avoid some of them.

I especially enjoy working with new comics because I remember exactly what it feels like to start from zero, and then in a short period of time, be asked to perform 20 minutes. I’ve performed at a dozen places around the Chicagoland area and even finished 2^nd in a comedy competition that had more than two contestants.     

Special Guest Laura Hugg is a Chicago-based stand-up comedian, sketch and improv comedy performer, director and emcee. She has performed at clubs like Laugh Factory, Zanies, Second City, shows and festivals throughout the country.

Special Guest Joe Kilgallon is a Chicago-born stand-up comedian known for his straight-shooting, high-energy style, mixing polished material with crowd work and stories drawn from his Chicago roots. He has performed at clubs and colleges across the country, opened for comedians including Hannibal Buress, Roy Wood Jr. and Steve Byrne, and released three comedy albums that debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Comedy Charts.