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Students in WSU comedy class write, perform sets for exam

Christina Bishop (left) and Cindy Vanzant crack up during the final exam for the Basics of Stand-up Comedy class Friday afternoon, June 5, at Wright State University.

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Lindsay Thomas performs her four-minute stand-up routine final for Wright State's comedy class, which is offered through the English department.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Dave Larsen, Staff Writer 11:19 PM Friday, June 5, 2009

FAIRBORN — Talk about pressure. Performing comedy before an audience is one thing. Try doing it for a grade.

Twenty-eight Wright State University students performed their own four-minute comedy sets this week for the final exam in a stand-up comedy class.

“It was really nerve-wracking until I got up there and stood in front of everybody, and then it just kind of went away,” said Lindsay Thomas of Beavercreek, on Friday, June 5.

Thomas, 30, riffed on the fact that she looks 12. “When I go to Chuck E. Cheese, I can still play in the ball pit,” she said to laughter from a large crowd in Millett Hall atrium.

The Basics of Stand-up Comedy was a new class taught by Michelle Metzner, a lecturer of English, and Jeff Jena, a professional comedian and adjunct instructor. Students learned how to structure jokes and sets, and how to use the microphone.

“For the majority of the quarter they’ve just been ... doing writing exercises, performing in front of the class,” Metzner said.

Thomas said she worked harder for this class than any other at Wright State.

“Every single thing I’ve written for this class I’ve revised four and five times, which I don’t do,” she said.

People always ask Chicago native Laquanta Sandifer if she grew up in the projects.

“My parents kept me away from the projects because they didn’t want me to catch anything — poverty, teen pregnancy,” Sandifer said during her routine.

“It’s been one of the most enriching, rewarding experiences that I’ve had here at Wright State,” she said.

The class included textbook reading and lectures on the history and process of the art form, said Metzner.

“We got to develop our own style and our own performance,” said Sarah Lynch of Fairborn.

The finals week performances are the result of nine weeks of writing, said Paige Piper of Oakwood.

“About 90 percent of what you write is bad and about 10 percent is good.” Piper said. “At the end you combine the 10 percent from each time you write … and, hopefully, it gels into a funny set.”

The class taught Jason Frisbie of Dayton how to find comedy in his day-to-day life. “The hardest part was presenting that in front of an audience because it is so personal,” he said.

Aaron Larson of Beavercreek presented a portrait of his family, which he described as “less of a Norman Rockwell and more of a Salvador Dali.”

Ashley McGinley of Dayton was happy just to remember his entire set. “At my age I have the short-term memory of Tommy Chong,” said McGinley, 59.

Being funny wasn’t among the class requirements, said Jena of Middletown, who performs 150 stand-up comedy dates a year and has taught similar classes in Los Angeles and at the Dayton Funny Bone.

“Talent is something you either have or do not have,” Jena said. “You had to take whatever talent you do have and do the best you could with it. I think everybody’s done an awesome job with that.”

The students have formed a Facebook group in hopes of continuing their stand-up comedy efforts.

“I’m going to start to try to do some open mic stuff around town and see if I can get into some comedy shows,” Piper said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2419 or dlarsen@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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