Helping with this session are Rajat Suresh, Paula Poundstone and Bill Hader. The online program is designed for creatives, professionals, students and comedy enthusiasts who want to explore the creative and business aspects of comedy, from writing and performance to production and distribution. Through personal insights from industry professionals, group discussions, deep dives into examples with some help from the Comedy Center’s archives and interactive seminars, participants will examine the worlds of film, TV, stand-up, sketch, improv and late night.

The course begins Saturday and registration is open. The course costs $750 and meets virtually weekends in May.

“Thank you for helping us empower the next generation of comedy creators and storytellers,” said Elle Doctor, National Comedy Center course instructor, in an email sent out to Comedy Center supporters. “Together, we can inspire creativity, support career development, and celebrate the art of comedy.”

Poundstone, a member of the National Comedy Center’s Advisory Board, is known for her quick wit, observations and improvisational style. One of the most respected comedians of her generation, she’s a longtime panelist on NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! and the host of her own podcast, Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone. Her distinctive voice can also be heard as one of the Forgetters in Inside Out. She was the first female comedian to headline the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

Paula Poundstone poses at the premiere of the film "Inside Out 2" at the El Capitan Theatre, Monday, June 10, 2024, in Los Angeles.

Hader is known for his work on Saturday Night Live as well as performances in several films and the television show Barry, which earned Hader multiple Emmy Awards, including two for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

Suresh is a writer and performer with credits on What We Do in the Shadows, John Mulaney’s Everybody’s in LA, and Severance. While studying business, marketing, and computer science/math at NYU, he also interned at Saturday Night Live and Comedy Central. He is a frequent contributor at The Onion and ClickHole.

Those who take part in the course will explore the creative process behind comedy with guidance from industry professionals and direct access to comedians like Poundstone and Hader, build essential career-focused skills, including resume writing, networking and interview techniques, while completing an individualized project to refine students’ unique talents; connect with and receive feedback from like-minded creatives from across the country and dissect classic comedic works, such as 30 Rock, Groundhog Day, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and others through original scripts and exclusive materials from the National Comedy Center’s Carl Reiner Department of Archives and Preservation.