Doors at 7:00 PM || Writing at 7:30 PM || FREE Creative Experience
Please bring: Your sense of humor, something to write on, and something to write with!

Participants get a complimentary beverage or a drink coupon for a future Sherbino program, because comedy should be loose, not thirsty!

Looking to stretch your creative muscles? Just want some free funny on a Wednesday night? You’re in luck! The Sherbino is launching a brand-new program: Sherbino Writers Room: Sketch Comedy!

Led by long-time Sherbino Night Live writer and local comedic comrade Lexi Trachy, this drop-in writing group welcomes anyone interested in writing (or just laughing through) sketch comedy. Whether you’re a seasoned joke-slinger or just sketch-curious, no experience is necessary; everyone is welcome!

Meetings will take place twice a month on Wednesdays, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM.

What to expect from a Writers Room session:

• Table reads of group work  
• Group idea sharing and editing
• Brainstorming games and inspiration exercises
• Collaborative idea-sharing
• Laughs (hopefully)

What’s the end goal? That’s up to the group! Maybe it’s reviving Sherbino Night Live. Maybe it’s developing a shared curriculum for “real learning” and honing the craft. Or perhaps it’s just creating hilarious sketches for fun. 

Let’s get writing. Let’s get weird. Let’s get funny again.

Next Assignment for JULY 9th

For the next session on July 9, all participants are asked to:

• Create and fully develop a character.
  Think deeply about:
  • Their personality traits
  • Background and quirks
  • Profession or daily habits
  • What kind of situations they naturally find themselves in
  • What makes them funny, unusual, or endearing
  • How they might evolve in different sketch contexts

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HERE ARE SOME INTERNET TIPS FOR CREATING A CHARACTER that might help get you started:

1. The Comedy Crowd – “How to Create a Comedy Character”

• Encourages drawing on real-life traits: mannerisms, speech patterns, beliefs.
• Advises building a character with distinct, recognizable traits that resonate. collab.sundance.orgthecomedycrowd.comnordiclarp.org+1decider.com+1

2. Sundance Collab – Five Tips for Strong Comedic Characters

Key takeaways from Jenny Bicks:

1. Know your character deeply — background, flaws, objectives.
2. Test them with conflict or juxtaposition — comedy arises from character-driven dilemmas.
3. Let humor emerge from the character’s desires, not random gags.
4. Keep the lead character driving the sketch.

“If a character’s comedy doesn’t come from their need, want, pain, or discomfort, then probably that comedy is coming situationally…” vogue.com+4collab.sundance.org+4newyorkimprovtheater.com+4

3. Nordic Larp – Concrete “Sketch Comedy Character” Method

• Use a visual hook that makes the character instantly identifiable.
• Add repetitive pattern: catchphrases, recurring topics, and distinct speech rhythms. reddit.com+13nordiclarp.org+13mumblecomedy.net+13

4. New York Improv Theater – Sketch Comedy 101

A solid checklist:

1. Define the premise.
2. Develop unique characters.
3. Heighten humor through exaggeration and subversion.
4. Keep it concise (1–5 minutes). apnews.com+4newyorkimprovtheater.com+4nofilmschool.com+

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Expert Perspective

Check out Keegan-Michael Key on creating comic characters—his insights are gold for this assignment:  https://youtu.be/FrGKqugNuU8 

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Action Plan for this Assignment

Use these steps in your character development:

1. Anchor your character — decide basic info (name, age, occupation, background).
2. Create a visual or verbal hook — identifiable trait or phrase.
3. Define their inner conflict or goal — what do they want, believe, or fear?
4. Give them two opposing traits — unexpected combos make them funny and multifaceted.
5. Test them in funny situations — put them into conflict that reveals comedy inherent to their traits.
6. Plan their patter — catchphrases, mannerisms, or verbal tics.
7. Keep sketches short — 1–5 minutes, build escalation and a strong “button” ending.

Element	Example
Name & Job	e.g., Marla, a self-help guru
Visual Hook	Wears two-tone mismatched shoes
Verbal Patter	Repeats “You can’t fail-forward!”
Opposing Traits	Extremely enthusiastic but deeply insecure
Goal/Desire	Wants to inspire others—but crumbles when spotlighted himself
Possible Situations	Runs a workshop, bombs during public speaking, unexpectedly helps someone
Conflict Test	Forced to lead a session on confidence—but freezes mid-sentence