The workshop exceeded my wildest dreams. Tom’s guidance was flawless. The structure of each session gave us the opportunity to share, receive feedback, and offer feedback to the others. The environment was always encouraging and supportive. Watching the growth of my classmates while experiencing my own was incomparable. I left feeling a deep camaraderie with Tom and my classmates and a sense of loss when it was over.

I LOVED the collaboration effort – really helped tighten my set.

It’s great to be with people and express your comedic viewpoints, everyone there feels like secondhand family by the second week. The criticism is valid and doesn’t go overboard, you also get an instructor who is very down to earth and is extremely helpful at wanting you to perform your best. Overall I would give this class a 10/10 every time.

Stand-up comedy can be intimidating for those of us who are new to comedy. Tom creates a very supportive environment to help you gain confidence and get prepared for your first show. He teaches all you need to know, from comedy techniques, to how to write great jokes. He also gives great tips on how to take your set to the clubs.

I had only two things left on my bucket list. Climb Mt. Everest or take a stand-up comedy class. Sure glad I chose the latter of the two. I thought it would be fun but it exceeded all of my expectations. The six weeks just flew by. Could hardly wait for the next class to begin.

Tom Riehl is a genius as a teacher, mentor and psychiatrist. If you ever wanted to know if you have the talent for stand-up this is the class for you. Want to know how to put a comedy routine together, set ups, punch lines —-this is the class for you. You have the magic formula. It works.

I was a “Big Baby” about public speaking, let alone a comedy routine in front of strangers but Tom lead a group of comics & myself (I’m not funny) in creating a routine that “Rocked the House.” It was stressful but what an experience – a life changing exciting – check that “Life’s Bucket List” box, experience. Thank you Tom and new friends!!!

A great sense of community. No one felt like they wanted to outshine everyone else. It was very much about the work. Tom was so good at making suggestions based on the work you would bring in. An overall great creative environment.

Everything was covered- from the business aspects of doing open mics, producing, getting gigs to writing which included formulas I hadn’t seen before. Enjoyed performing followed by feedback and group suggestions to punch up jokes (happy to report their suggestions helped!!) Class always great energy and fun!!

Afraid to try comedy?  Relax.  Nervous about what you might say or about getting up in front of others?  Relax.  Never done anything like this before?  No problem in Tom’s class.    Tom is kind, gentle, funny, encouraging and a master of comedy.  Through his class it will all come together.  He makes it work!

The Workshop is very exciting and fun. Tom, my instructor, is such an amazing gentleman. He is always looking for ways to help the students, which impressed me. There is never a discouraging word or attitude from Tom. Because of Tom, I want/wanted to become better and better. During my lifetime, I have had many instructors for many different subjects and I must say, in all honesty, Tom is the best !!!!

The atmosphere of the workshop was wonderful. All of the students participated and also, helped each other to better their set. I cannot say enough about Tom and his workshop. This has not only been a great experience, but a very fruitful one !!

Tom was great and very supportive as I was way out of my comfort zone!! The night of graduation show, I actually ended up just having fun. The nervousness went away. Tom was a big help in that area.  I learned a lot & it helped improve my self confidence in front of an audience….. big time!  I had a great time. Thank you Tom and see your in next course.

So many things. First, I love how Tom works with your material as an artist and doesn’t try to make you write jokes that are not your style. He really encourages each comic to dig into their individuality and he has the amazing talent of pulling out the best in you. Additionally, Tom has created an incredibly collaborative environment in which artist feel comfortable not only sharing their jokes but their process. We entered as strangers and left as friends. Incredible experience.

For some time I’ve had all these observations and thoughts written down but was never sure how to craft them into something that might get a laugh. Having gone through the class I have a much better sense of that process now. I also really enjoyed the process of performing the material the way I imagined it in my head.

Tom was such a supportive and helpful coach in educating us to the basics of stand up comedy and then helping us improve what we wrote with the collaboration of our fellow students… I felt very supportive and appreciated my class mates in improving my set… Graduation Night Was A Blast!!!!

I really appreciated the instruction on how to make your writing concise, relevant, and humorous. It was also a supportive environment to debut your material. This was a “bucket list” activity for me & I am so glad I took the class!

The relaxed setting, and having the opportunity to unwind and share before digging in each week was great. It helped the process to get to know each other, to feel safe and I think it enhanced the process. The materials were comprehensive and the worksheets a fun tool to open up our creativity and get ideas flowing.
This was a life changer! Even if I never get up on stage again (although I REALLY want to) it was a growth experience like few others. Tom is a natural teacher with the perfect combination of patience, encouragement and the ability to critique while keeping even the most fragile of us (who shall remain nameless…) intact. He’s funny as hell too!

Thank you so much for the great class and great experience! Attempting stand-up has always been a dream of mine, if I were honest I would say a dream that I thought was largely dead. So doing your class and show was really a dream come true! and I thank your for your part in it. This is a great class for anyone looking to try their hand at stand-up. Tom knows how to bring out the funny in everyone and his experience and expertise guided well.

That our instructor, Tom Riehl, created a comfortable, safe, relaxed, & fun environment for us students new to stand-up comedy to be able to express ourselves freely, be true to ourselves, be confident in our writing & presentation. I would recommend this Class to anyone that has had even a slight interest in doing Stand-up Comedy or even for someone who just needs help with Public Speaking. I’m looking forward to taking the Comedy Writer’s Workshop.

Tom created an environment that maximized our abilities to be creative and provided thoughtful feedback to all material. This is one of the few experiences in life that I would love to relive.

I loved the collaboration with working comics. It was a close knit group that got along really well. Tom has a knack for giving input and ideas and helping comics fine tune their material. Tom is very positive and upbeat and never makes anyone feel like they don’t belong. I’m glad this school exists and I’m proud to have gone through both the beginners class and the writers workshop. I am telling everyone I know about SOS and I hope it stays around for a long time.

Tom sets this class up just right. I have done several similar classes and this was the best primarily because of the comfortable environment Tom creates which allows participants to find their voice. It was also challenging and a blast at the same time. You instantly start writing your own work and get real stage time. Fantastic class!

Quite simply, Tom is the bomb. He is the best part of the workshop. He taught us a bit about the realities of doing stand-up comedy out in the world, inspired us, pumped us up and suggested ways to make our material better, tighter and smoother. I looked forward to the class every week. I enjoyed being involved in helping to improve the other student stand-up routines too. Though I was concerned I might mess up my routine or forget part of it, the showcase went well, people actually laughed (even more than once!) and most importantly, IT WAS A BLAST! Thanks for everything, Tom.

The chance to practice in front of others in a friendly, supportive atmosphere, and then get helpful feedback, along with the amazing opportunity for a “real-life” performance at the end. Thanks for a fun and helpful class!

Tom was a great/supportive teacher who helped his students develop and showcase their comedy work. His class was a great learning experience and I would highly recommend it to those wishing to try stand-up comedy.

I’ve taken it seven times. Class sucks.

Thank you so much for a great class! It was a great experience. I appreciated all your help, feedback and instruction.

It was a BLAST!!!!  The class, the show, getting to know everyone a bit… thank you all for the comments and supportive suggestions along the way.

I had a great time and learned a lot!  Thank you Tom for your expert guidance, encouragement and commitment to our success.  I also appreciate you making a special trip to support me at the open mic show.  You definitely went the extra mile!

I’m SO thankful for the opportunity to learn and perform. Most of all, I’m grateful for the privilege to know all the performers, learn from them and especially to Tom for his wise guidance and advice.

Tom taught me how to organize my thoughts in outline and how to “unpack” my jokes getting his feed back and structure was huge for me. After only one session, he had helped me focus my efforts and thoughts on paper. I saw a huge improvement in confidence on stage as the class progressed. Tom was patient, easy to understand, highly intelligent, punctual, and flexible during our writing sessions. Your future self will thank you!  Thanks Tom!

I have been producing comedy shows in Orange County for the past 10 years and I love going to the Students of Stand-Up graduation showcases.  Many times I have found Tom’s students ready and prepared to perform, and I have booked several of them for my show at the Irvine Improv.  As of today I am yet to be disappointed!

The whole class was a great experience and something that’ll be permanently embedded in me! Thank you for a great 6 weeks there Tom!

I loved being able to get Tom’s feedback between classes. I really appreciated that we jumped right into things on day 1 (which was really hard at the time). I liked that Tom gave us handouts on things but didn’t overwhelm us with too much information. Working through material as a group was always really fun and extremely helpful too. This was a great experience and ended up being far better than I imagined it would be. Tom was right; it did get easier. From this class, I was able to do something I never imagined I could actually pull off – and I ended up being very proud of what I did at the showcase! Thank you for being a great teacher, guide, supporter, believer and champion for us.

The handouts were textbook quality – I was amazed at the quality and depth of information on each sheet. Also the freedom to perform TBD minutes for the graduation showcase (I was looking at another class and they provided only 6 minutes max) along with a video copy of the set.

Tom Riehl is an encouraging and patient teacher, and you’ll learn the basics of joke writing and delivery. This class will add to your overall theatrical skill set.

After taking this class, I did something I never thought I would do. I appeared on stage before a real audience and did a stand-up comedy routine. It was an experience of a lifetime!

Remarkable. Truly eye-opening experience makes the vast and wonderful world of stand up comedy less like mysterious.

What a great place to start if you are interested in comedy and performing! This class took something I thought I could do and made it something that I can do! Since this class I have already started a path of performing and am having a blast doing it!

The Students of Comedy class was a great experience in helping people, interested in developing a stand up comedy program, to go forward to accomplish that goal….and to help them clear their bucket list.

I loved this class. Tom is an amazing teacher and his teaching methods really served to prepare us for our first performance. I would definitely recommend this class to anyone, especially those looking to have a blast while performing stand-up!

If you are thinking of braving the stage then this is the class for you.  Open mic nights alone do not provide enough time on stage or the opportunity for constructive feedback.  I’ve taken the class twice and would highly recommend to anyone considering stand-up.

What a great experience! Write your own stuff, workshop it and perform it live? Great! The classes are informative and, most of all, fun! The people you work with are all cheering for you to be your best. I can’t wait to take the next class. Thanks Tom!

Had a blast with Tom and the other classmates, the performance was surreal and so cool to do! I had an awesome time in class! Thanks Tom for all the love and support!

If your friends and family have always told you, “you should be a stand-up comic”, or it has been a nagging desire of yours to be one, then here is a great opportunity to try it out.  The class size is small and Tom Riehl is a very positive and helpful instructor. You will be in class with like-minded people and have so much fun encouraging and helping one another with their final sets. Performing live in front of your friends and family on “Graduation” night will give you as sense of accomplishment and desire to learn more and improve on your natural sense of humor.

It was a very comfortable environment and my fellow students are awesome and the teacher was over the top I would recommend this class to anyone.

This class rocks. You’re a true professional at comedy, and a natural teacher. And I loved being comfortable to rib each other (and even you) at the end. You took good care of us all! You teach without limiting or censuring, which I think gives the most room for growth. You’ll share your opinion, but if someone still holds to what they believe, you let them. That is ultimately very freeing.

Comedy isn’t as easy as you’d think, but Tom Riehl has a way of pulling out the best in each of his students. Even the shyest of folks gains the confidence and ability to go WAY outside their comfort zone after the course. What other school allows you to laugh out loud for three hours???

The format structure, the progression was well thought out, and got me comfortable in front of a microphone at the right time. Also, it forced me to write and perform at a pace that I would not have had the self discipline to do on my own. Tom has a vast experience, and has an infectious positive attitude that made each class lots of fun.