Mohawk Valley Community College is providing aspiring comedy writers a unique opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business. Rich Talarico — award-winning writer and producer best known for his work on the acclaimed sketch comedy series “Key & Peele” — will lead “Intro to Comedy Writing,” an eight-week live online workshop starting this month through MVCC’s Center for Corporate and Community Education.
Held via Zoom from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays, June 17-Aug. 5, 2025, this workshop — designed for those 18 and older — will cover the fundamentals of comedy writing, including idea generation, joke structure, comedic devices, brainstorming and pitching techniques, scene development, and proper screenplay formatting. Talarico will draw from his extensive experience as a writer for “Saturday Night Live,” “MADtv,” “The Tonight Show,” “Review,” and “Key & Peele” — where he wrote standout sketches such as Substitute Teacher, which was added to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in 2024. Joining Talarico in the workshop is James Livingston, fellow writer on “Key & Peele” and “MADtv,” who will serve as a writers’ assistant and provide student feedback and notes.
The cost is $500. Space is limited; register today to save your spot: https://bit.ly/3ZnAfyg
Talarico, a native of Frankfort, N.Y., is a Peabody Award recipient and a four-time Emmy and Writers Guild Award nominee. An alumnus of The Second City and Improv Olympic, he also coaches and performs with the longform improv group Dasariski and has appeared on screen in “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” the feature film “High Fidelity,” and the classic A&W Root Beer ad, “Mr. Dumass.” Talarico’s extensive experience in the comedy industry has made him a sought-after teacher, writer, and consultant. To learn more about him and his work, visit www.richtalarico.com.
