Frequently Asked Questions

The cost of the 8-week “Comedy Writing Secrets” Comedy Class is $395.00. (Which includes a graduation showcase and a professionally edited High-Definition DVD of the show!). Jerry Corley’s travelling weekend “Comedy Boot Camp” (coming soon to a city near you) is just $295.00 ($275 for early birds).

That means you can attend one night of a regularly scheduled class for FREE and observe and see if it’s right for you.

You should find yourself being booked on the Tonight Show immediately and commanding a personal appearance fee of about 50 thousand:easy. NO! Just kidding! Learning comedy is a process. Here’s what you should expect from this clinic:

• A better understanding of comedic structure.
• The knowledge and application of the most powerful and commonly used formulas to write jokes from scratch.
• A heightened awareness of life’s incongruities and how they can be used in a comedy routine, sketch, or humor column.
• How to write for the twenty comic personas.
• How to apply your craft to get stage time and continue to develop in ‘real-world’ situations.
• How to construct a routine that has a beginning, middle and end.
• An understanding of the single most important element required in a joke, which triggers human laughter.
• A working knowledge of how the comedy business works and how to get work.

The Stand Up Comedy Clinic studio is located at 1213 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CA 91506. It is between Buena Vista Blvd. and N. Victory. Weekend Boot Camps are held in various cities throughout the nation – check each event on this site for one near you!

I also plan showcases at the end of the 8-week comedy classes. However, let me be clear: None of the showcases that are offered at the end of any comedy class are a guarantee that you will be observed or offered work by anyone who represents that club. The only way you get that work is through the clubs’ audition process. You will be videotaped at the end of the Stand Up Comedy Clinic and that DVD can be used to promote yourself and help get your foot in the door so that you can get one of those auditions. In the meantime, I will help you in the process of getting showcases in clubs locally, based on your skill level and my relationships with the bookers in those clubs.

If Monday night sells out, I will be booking a class for Tuesday nights. If that conflicts with your schedule then you might consider trying private coaching. (It’s much more flexible, not to mention personal. See the Pricing page for details.)

A very common question and I’m glad to respond with a rousing “yes” (maybe that should’ve been capitalized:) Studies done by San Diego State University and the University of Arkansas show that speeches and presentations are much more entertaining when they are humorous; therefore, they are more memorable. Besides, there is an old saying: “It’s impossible to dislike someone who makes you laugh!”

I would say that you should be at least 13 years old (permission of parents required) and you shouldn’t be so old that you fall asleep in the class. Rodney Dangerfield didn’t make it until he was in his sixties. But if you want to continue to grow and learn, then I don’t think there is any upper age limit.

Yes. PayPal and Google CheckOut are provided for your convenience to pay for the comedy class. If you want to make other arrangements, you can call Jerry and work out the details. But to secure a seat in the class, advance payment is required.

I don’t think anyone should be stuck in a situation they don’t think is right for them, so if you decide the class is not for you and have to quit, then you will be pro-rated (total divided by 8) and the balance for untaken classes will be returned to you.

 This question has more than one answer:

1. I would suggest to anyone studying any particular subject to study from many teachers. You don’t become doctor by studying under only one professor. Sometimes it takes several different teachers for a student to really grasp the process of any science or art form.
2. My 20-plus years as a comedian and my experience as a contributing writer to the Tonight Show has provided me with a lot of knowledge that I can impart on students helping them to apply that experience and helping them to cut through the trial-and-error that comes with just winging it. I also believe that I have developed methods in humor structure that can get you writing funny immediately-techniques you can apply every day to write new material faster than your peers; methods that are not taught by other instructors in town which in includes my simple 10-Steps To Writing A Joke, these are just a few items that make my comedy class one of the best comedy classes in Los Angeles.