Comedy Division
The Stella Adler Studio of Acting’s Comedy Division is a creative hub dedicated to the art and craft of comedic performance for stage and screen. Blending rigorous training with bold experimentation, the division invites students to explore the history, structures, and techniques of comedy while developing their own original work.
Through sketch, stand-up, improvisation, solo performance, and devised theater, students cultivate their unique comedic voices as both writers and performers. Emphasizing truth, commitment, and collaboration, the division fosters an environment where artists can take creative risks, receive constructive feedback, and refine their process through iterative work.
Devised Comedy Intensive
This 5 week program emphasizes creative risk-taking, ensemble work, and iterative feedback to refine each student’s process. With a key focus on the practice of de-centering the self and re-centering the writing, students will grow as thoughtful, versatile comedic artists.
Devised Comedy Winter Immersion
Through a dynamic mix of classes—including improvisation, sketch, solo work, and physical comedy—students will engage with a variety of comedic forms while learning to connect their personal truth to today’s comedic landscape.
Stand-Up Comedy for Actors Workshop
Partnered with the renowned Comedy Cellar, join us to hone your comedic chops. Acclaimed comedy instructor Rick Crom will delve into joke structure, dissect comedy writing with detailed line-by-line analysis, and guide students in the art of stand–up performance.
Improvisation Workshops
If you’re looking to start your career, dust the cobwebs off your skills or take a deep dive into the complexities of the art form, this is the class for you. You’ll move quickly from the basics of improvisation, to learning the fine art of playing within a specific show form.
A defining principle of the Comedy Division is the practice of de-centering the self and re-centering the writing—ensuring that comedy is rooted in the integrity of the story, the honesty of the character, and the shared experience of the audience. Students are encouraged to engage deeply with the contemporary comedic landscape, finding the communities and conversations they wish to contribute to.
Under the leadership of prolific director, writer, and educator Matt Gehring, the Comedy Division builds on the Studio’s rich tradition of comedic excellence, with alumni making their mark on Saturday Night Live, The Daily Show, major films, television series, and the world’s top comedy stages.
Whether in the classroom, on stage, or on camera, the Comedy Division offers a space for laughter, discovery, and artistic growth—because the world needs comedy now more than ever.
#AdlerAlumni in Comedy:
Casey Wilson as Dolley Madison on Drunk History (Comedy Central).
Morgan Jay, a comedian with a social media following in the millions, performs a stand-up comedy routine.
Chloe Fineman as Britney Spears on Saturday Night Live (NBC).
Utkarsh Ambudkar as Jay Arondekar on Ghosts (CBS).
Rachel Sennott in I Love LA, the original comedy series she created and wrote for HBO.
Devin Delliquanti, Emmy-winning writer for The Daily Show, performs a stand-up comedy routine.
June Diane Raphael as Brianna Hanson on Grace and Frankie (Netflix).
Nyambi Nyambi as Wyatt Shaw on Night Court (NBC).
Natasha Leggero, a stand-up comedian and actor, makes a guest appearance on Conan (TBS).
Nelson Franklin as Adam Stoker on The Millers (CBS).
Jane Levy as Zoey Clarke on Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (NBC).
Nick Kocher, comedian and writer for film and television including Saturday Night Live, speaks on a conference panel.
Natalie Cuomo, a nationally-touring comedian, performs a stand-up routine.
Matt Cox on the red carpet for his original Off-Broadway musical, Puffs.
Jamie Linn Watson as Joanna Roscoe on What We Do In The Shadows (FX)