Level 2: Writing a Show & Live Performing Classes
Level 2: Writing a Show & Performing
We Teach Two Classes
- Greg Dean teaches in person at the Santa Monica Playhouse and then has a Live Performance at the Hollywood Improv.
- Gayla Johnson teaches live over Zoom and then a Student Showcase Performance Live over Zoom .
Prerequisites:
You must have minimally completed Greg Dean’s Stand Up Comedy Class: Level 1: How to Build a Stand Up Comedy Routine.
Now that you’ve completed your level 1 Class, you’re ready to take your skills to the next level! For the first five weeks, you’ll work on your stand up comedy joke writing and performing skills. Work out the bugs, manage and master stage fright. Learn how to read the audience and work with them to get every last laugh you can! Get feedback from fellow comedians, and get personal one-on-one time with Greg or Gayla!
You’ll Build These Skills
- Writing Jokes, Tags, and Punching Up Your Routine
- Editing, Cutting, Rewriting Jokes
- Adding Funny Stories to your Routines
- Adding Jokes to Your Funny Stories
- Defining & Mastering a joke premise
- Pulling the Audience into Your Comedy “Movie”
- Being Yourself on Stage
- Reading & Interacting with the Audience in Front of You
- Tags & Tag timing
- What to Do When You Go Blank
- and so much more!

Greg’s Level 2: “Writing a Show & Performing at the Improv”
This 6-week class meets every Wednesday night. In this class, you will focus on developing a stand up comedy performance that you will perform at the Hollywood Improv.
Next Six-Week Class Begins Nov. 1, 2023 There will be no classes the week of Thanksgiving.
Class Schedule & Location Greg Dean
- Weeks 1 – 5: In Person at the Santa Monica Playhouse – 1211 4th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401 Wednesday Night from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm Pacific Time
- Week 6 In Person at the Hollywood Improv – 8162 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046
Performance
The Hollywood Improv will sell tickets to the show and each student is expected to bring 3 or more paying guests. The Improv reserves the right to cancel the show if ticket sales are not in sufficient quantity to cover the costs of the venue. Performance at the Improv is on July 30, 2023 Students arrive at 3:00 pm, Showcase is 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
About Your Instructor
Greg Dean, the Professor of Stand Up Comedy. Author of the international bestseller, Step-by-Step to Stand Up Comedy, now sold in six different languages. Creator of the original Joke Structure technique. Greg Dean has been teaching stand up comedy for over 40 years and is a true innovator in the field of stand-up comedy education, having launched the first stand up comedy school in the world.
Registration Fee
$349.00 when you pay in full or use our payment plan and make 4 weekly payments at 99 a week. Choose an Option below.

Gayla’s “Level 2: Writing a Show & Performing Online”
Class meets every Monday from 4 pm to 7 pm Pacific Time live over Zoom. In this six-week class you’ll focus on developing a stand up comedy performance which you can then perform live over Zoom.
Next Class Session Begins Oct. 30, 2023. There will be no classes the week of Thanksgiving.
Class Schedule & Location Gayla
- Weeks 1 – 5: In Person over Zoom every Monday afternoon from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm Pacific Time
- Week 6 Live performance over zoom.
- Your zoom links for your classes will be sent to you along with your class documents prior to your class. Please look for this email from us 1 to 3 days before your class starts.
Performance
The Student Showcase (online performance with Gayla Johnson) will also require tickets, and students are expected to get paying guests to the performance. Students are expected to arrive an hour before the showcase. Showcase time to be announced. Tickets for the showcase can be purchased here.
About Your Instructor
Gayla Johnson is a talented actress and Stand-up Comedian, appearing on Comedy Central, Comics Unleashed, and Showtime Special, “Fierce Funny Women, Headlining at Comedy Store Improv, Ice House Comedy Club and Laugh Factory Club. She toured London and Montreal comedy clubs. She also has toured many West Coast Comedy Clubs, such as Laugh Out Loud, Rooster T. Feathers, Laughs Unlimited, and Santa Barbara Comedy Club.
Registration Fee
$349.00 when you pay in full or use our payment plan and make 4 weekly payments at 99 a week. Choose an option below.
FAQ Stand Up Comedy Level 2 Classes in Santa Monica and Online
(Frequently Asked Questions)
Additional Registration Documents & Zoom Links
You will receive 2 to 3 days before your group start date a packet of documents from Docusign. Please sign these documents before your first writing group. Once we receive the documents, a second email will be sent to you that gives the essential information you need to arrive at the group session. Your zoom link will be in this email.
Prerequisites
The Building Routines Basic class is the prerequisite. Greg Dean’s method is taught in that basic class and is required information to work on your peformance in this ongoing group.
No matter how advanced of a comedian a person may be, they’ll need the information taught in the Building Routines class because everything that you’ll do with your script depends on knowing those fundamental principles.
Global Community
Our instructors provide important class information via a special slack channel for the class you signed up for. Just prior to your class start date, you will receive an invitation to slack if you are not already a member of our slack community. Please accept the invitation and download the app. Slack works on desktops, laptops or mobile devices. If you have any trouble, reach out to [email protected].
The Best Training You’ll Ever Get
Learn from the Professor of Stand Up Comedy – He’s got 40 years in the trenches teaching students how to maximize their “funny!”
CHOOSE US
Why Learn with Us?
Greg Dean is The Original Stand Up Comedy Teacher
He was the first to codify, formulate, and develop techniques that could be used to create humor across cultures and languages.
Over 10,000 Graduates
Thousands have graduated the Greg Dean Method and moved on to have very successful careers.
Multiple Training Mediums - Multiple Class Times
In person classes, live zoom classes, ongoing groups, workshops, on demand classes
Certified Greg Dean Instructors
Greg Dean’s Instructors are all certified by Greg Dean himself.
Greg Dean Is Your Best Choice for a Stand Up Comedy Instructor
- ONLY GREG DEAN has been directly involved in the careers of the comedians he names.
- ONLY GREG DEAN has been teaching comedy for over 40 years with a unique, proven technique.
- ONLY GREG DEAN has written the definitive text on stand-up, used by comics throughout the world.
- You will never get an opinion of what we think is funny. You will only be taught real techniques and fundamentals so that you can develop your own “funny”!

Get Started Today!
We’ll Help You Develop Your Talent & Nurture You Every Step of the Way!