Aspiring comedians can learn how to hone their routines during a workshop sponsored by Improbable Comedy, according to an announcement from producer Kim Levone.
Standup comedian Sara Armour, who started in the business in Washington, D.C. in 2011, will lead the three-hour workshop.
“I have done a ton of these workshops before, and they are some of my favorite things to do,” said Armour, who’s now based in New York City.
“I look forward to performing as much as I look forward to the workshop, but actually, on some level, I think the workshops are more fun,” she added.
While still in D.C., Armour was named runner-up as the District’s funniest comedian in 2013 by Washington City Paper. She has since appeared on NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and “New York’s Funniest” on STARZ.
Armour can be heard on the podcasts “Hot Mic with Dan Savage” and “Sounds Like America,”and is a regular performer at Caroline’s on Broadway, according to her biography.
“Local folks want to try stand-up and they don’t know where to begin,” said Levone in the announcement. “They have been asking us to offer this class for a while.”
Rather than emphasize the technical aspects of comedy and joke writing, “what I really want to do is create an environment where everybody is really comfortable, really having fun,” Armour said.
“It’s less about learning to be funny and really learning more about in what ways you’re funny already, and figuring out how you’re coming off to people, what your creative persona is, or would be, and start to play with your own ideas,” she continued.
Each participant will have the opportunity to do some writing and also perform during the workshop. They’ll get feedback from Armour and the other participants about their ideas, what’s funny about what each performer is doing on stage, and ways to improve.
“I would really like it to be something that you leave feeling like, ‘Oh my God, even if I’m not the best clinical joke writer, I’m funny, and I know in what ways I’m funny,’” she said.
“I want you leave feeling like you could go to an open mic, or you could go to a show, and know what to do,” Armour added.
The workshop will be held on Sunday, Aug. 25 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Cissel-Saxon American Legion Post 41 at 905 Sligo Ave. Registration is $75 per person and participants can sign up here.
Prior to the workshop, Armour will headline “Stand-Up Silver Spring.” The show, featuring four comedians, will also be held at the Legion on Saturday night, Aug. 24, at 8 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $16 to $25 and are available here.