Everything was covered- from the business aspects of doing open mics, producing, getting gigs to writing which included formulas I hadn’t seen before. Enjoyed performing followed by feedback and group suggestions to punch up jokes (happy to report their suggestions helped!!) Class always great energy and fun!!

So many things. First, I love how Tom works with your material as an artist and doesn’t try to make you write jokes that are not your style. He really encourages each comic to dig into their individuality and he has the amazing talent of pulling out the best in you. Additionally, Tom has created an incredibly collaborative environment in which artist feel comfortable not only sharing their jokes but their process. We entered as strangers and left as friends. Incredible experience.

If you are thinking of braving the stage then this is the class for you.  Open mic nights alone do not provide enough time on stage or the opportunity for constructive feedback.  I’ve taken the class twice and would highly recommend to anyone considering stand-up.

The Students of Comedy class was a great experience in helping people, interested in developing a stand up comedy program, to go forward to accomplish that goal….and to help them clear their bucket list.

I loved the collaboration with working comics. It was a close knit group that got along really well. Tom has a knack for giving input and ideas and helping comics fine tune their material. Tom is very positive and upbeat and never makes anyone feel like they don’t belong. I’m glad this school exists and I’m proud to have gone through both the beginners class and the writers workshop. I am telling everyone I know about SOS and I hope it stays around for a long time.

Comedy isn’t as easy as you’d think, but Tom Riehl has a way of pulling out the best in each of his students. Even the shyest of folks gains the confidence and ability to go WAY outside their comfort zone after the course. What other school allows you to laugh out loud for three hours???