Acting for Comedians

Acting for Comedians

Comedy Works Downtown

1226 15th Street Denver, CO 80202 map

303-595-3637

Acting for Comedians

Artist's Website

Acting for Comedians

A 6-Week Performance Lab with Live Showcase
TO PURCHASE THE WHOLE 6 WEEK COURSE - purchase ONE $395 "ticket" on the November 16th date FOR THE ENTIRE SIX WEEK COURSE, (you only purchase once for all six weeks). The course schedule is as follows:

    Monday's at COMEDY WORKS DOWNTOWN

  • Monday, October 5 | 6-9pm
  • Monday, October 19 | 6-9pm
  • Monday, October 26 | 6-9pm
  • Monday, November 2 | 6-9pm
  • Monday, November 9 | 6-9pm
  • Monday, November 16 | 6-9pm FINAL CLASS

You've got jokes. This class is about how you perform those jokes to their fullest potential — and what happens when being funny gets you into an audition room. Many comics have never taken an acting class but then their natural ability to make people laugh lands them an audition… and nobody taught them how to make acting choices. This lab fills that gap.

Led by Comedy Works Pro Janae Burris (Just For Laughs New Faces, CalArts Theater BFA), Acting for Comedians uses theatrical tools to sharpen stage presence, audience connection, improvisation, and confidence — so that well written material can land harder, softer, dirtier, sweeter, or more dangerous depending on your intention. You'll also work audition techniques for when comics act: how to prepare, how to make clear choices, and how to bring your comedy instincts into a scene without freezing up.

    Over six weeks you'll work on:

  • Stage presence, “act outs” and physical storytelling
  • Audience engagement and reading the room
  • Improvisation as a performance muscle (not a crutch)
  • Confidence under pressure
  • Changing tone and intention to deliver the same bit in multiple ways
  • Playfulness on stage — risk, surprise, and staying alive in the moment
  • Audition technique and making acting choices (built for comics new to acting)

Each class mixes exercises, rehearsal, and on-mic coaching using your existing material. You'll leave with sharper instincts, a set that feels more alive, and tools for the audition room — not just the club.

The course culminates in a live showcase at Comedy Works on November 21st

Who it's for: Comics who already perform stand-up and want to level up how they act their comedy — on stage and in auditions — not beginners writing their first jokes.

Instructor: Janae Burris brings a theatrical edge from CalArts training plus years as a Comedy Works Pro, festival comic, and actor (Denver Center, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Aurora Fox, and more

ATTENTION: Tickets are non-transferable. 100% of ticket redemptions require the ORIGINAL purchaser to be present, as verified by government-issued ID & the Credit Card with which it was purchased. Tickets can no longer be purchased as a gift. Instead, Comedy Works Gift cards are available for purchase in person at the box office or online by clicking HERE. Must be 21+ to attend unless otherwise noted. Two-item minimum per person. Be ON TIME! If you arrive more than 30 minutes after the show's scheduled start, your tickets are subject to be canceled WITHOUT refund. Resale of tickets is not permitted and will not be tolerated (review our ticket resale policy). No refunds or exchanges. All sales are final.