New Stand-Up Course Starts January 10
Kristen Einarson believes in laughter, including at herself. Her Fringe play, Oversharer, took the 2025 Winnipeg Fringe by storm, as she explored her ADHD diagnoses at the age of 29. Einarson says her stand-up comedy show included some of the storytelling elements she learned as a student at MTYP.
Einarson is teaching a Stand-Up course at MTYP, starting in January. “MTYP was absolutely my creative outlet, and I still have friends I see to this day. In my play, I talked about how wonderful it was to be a student at MTYP when I was struggling to make friends at school.”
What kind of kids thrive in your Stand-up class? (Or what qualities should kids possess to take this class?):
All kids can thrive in stand-up comedy! These kids should want to perform at the end of the class recital, and be brave enough to try to make some jokes that might not work. We also will not make fun of each other if a joke doesn’t work because it’s all a part of the process of being a stand-up comedian.
Kristen Einarson
What happens in a typical Stand-up class?
We will each get a very important stand-up notebook to write down our ideas for jokes and funny observations we have. We will talk about how to structure a joke, what kind of things make good jokes, different forms of comedy (character comedy, puppet comedy, parody, physical comedy) and we will all work towards an open mic in the final week which parents are invited to drop in to. We also play a lot of improv games to get our creative juices flowing and to learn how to think quickly on our feet! I don’t want this class to feel like an English class at school, so while there is definitely some writing and thinking, we have fun and move around as well.
People always think you have to be the class clown to take a comedy class. Is this accurate? Or is there space for the “quietly funny” kids or kids whose humour is dry?
Absolutely! Stand-up comedy attracts all different types. A lot of professional comedians are much quieter off-stage than you’d ever expect. Some of the funniest people I have ever met are the ones who observe things and say something hilarious under their breath to the person beside them. Of course, a lot of people who are incredible comedians have very loud, funny personalities too. It truly attracts all types, and everyone can find a way to be relatable and funny to an audience. If you’re interested in stand-up comedy, you should give it a try.
Any final thoughts?
Stand-up comedy is a fantastic way to build confidence and to make good friends. It’s also a great way to build bravery.
To register for Kristen Einarson’s Stand-Up course, click here.
