17.9 – How to Write Comedy Like Kathleen Madigan

Instructor:
Jerry Corley

What makes Kathleen Madigan such a killer stand-up comedian?

At first glance, it feels like she’s “just telling stories.”

No flashy gimmicks.

No over-the-top theatrics.

No screaming, no wild physicality, no desperate punchline gymnastics.

Just… talking.

And then somehow the audience is dying.

That’s because Kathleen Madigan is a master of what I call Zero Heavy Lifting Comedy—storytelling that feels effortless because the audience instantly recognizes the premise, the irony, or the absurdity without needing a roadmap, decoder ring, or explanation.

Kathleen emerged from the tail end of the great comedy club boom of the late ’80s—a proving ground where comics had to earn laughs from complete strangers night after night. That environment created disciplined joke writers. And Kathleen became one of the best.

In this Comedy Writing A La Carte course, we’ll break down the storytelling DNA that makes Kathleen’s comedy so effective.

You’ll discover how she uses just a handful of powerful comedy structures repeatedly:

👉 Comedic Irony — saying it without saying it

👉 Incongruity — colliding unrelated ideas for surprise

👉 Act-Out Conversations — turning stories into scenes with “he said / she said” tension

👉 Audience Completion — letting the audience mentally finish the joke

👉 Recognition Comedy — using familiar associations for instant laughs

👉 Character Voices — creating mini-performances through voice and perspective

We’ll analyze real Kathleen Madigan material, break down why it works, and most importantly…

you’ll begin building YOUR funny stories in real time during class.

If you’ve ever had a funny life story that didn’t quite land on stage…

or wondered how to make your storytelling tighter, sharper, and funnier…

this class is for you.

Because the goal isn’t to become Kathleen Madigan.

The goal is to learn the underlying architecture that made her one of stand-up’s most respected storytellers.