Teen Comedy Workshops

Stand-Up Comedy, Performance Skills, and Confidence-Building for Teens (Ages 12–19)

PhotoArtGraphy Teen Comedy Workshops are designed for teens ages 12–19 who want to explore stand-up comedy, creative writing, performance, and self-expression while becoming more confident speaking in front of others.

Under the guidance of performer and creative instructor Drew Jensen, participants learn how to develop original material, understand why humor works, improve timing and delivery, and become more comfortable expressing their own personality in front of an audience.

These workshops are appropriate for teens who already enjoy making people laugh as well as those who simply want to become more confident, creative, and comfortable speaking in front of others.

Based in New Freedom, Pennsylvania, PhotoArtGraphy regularly serves Southern York County, PA, as well as nearby areas of northern Carroll, Baltimore, and Harford counties in Maryland.

Meet Your Instructor: Drew Jensen

Teen Comedy Workshops are personally taught by PhotoArtGraphy owner Drew Jensen. I have more than three decades of experience working with and instructing middle school and high school students, along with a lifelong background in creative performance.

My performance experience includes comedy, acting, stage magic, ventriloquism, theater, interpretive speech, directing productions, and performing in schools, churches, and nonprofit settings. Over the years, I’ve learned that humor can be a powerful way to build confidence, strengthen communication skills, and help young people become more comfortable expressing themselves.

I’m also a husband and father of three young adult sons. My wife is a schoolteacher, and we live in New Freedom, Pennsylvania, just minutes from I-83 and the Maryland state line.

My teaching style is relaxed, upbeat, encouraging, and hands-on. Comedy involves experimenting, trying ideas, discovering what works, and occasionally finding out that something isn’t as funny as you expected. That is part of the process.

I want teens to feel comfortable taking creative risks, laughing at mistakes, trying again, and gradually developing a style that feels natural to them.

I offer one-on-one instruction at a family’s home or another agreed-upon location within a reasonable driving distance. Workshops may also be held at my home in New Freedom when my wife is home. When several young people in the same general area are interested in similar instruction, small-group workshops may also be arranged.

Learn more about Drew Jensen and PhotoArtGraphy

What Teens Will Learn

Teen Comedy Workshops combine creative writing, performance, communication, and confidence-building.

Topics may include:

• Fundamentals of stand-up comedy and joke structure
• Finding humorous ideas in everyday experiences and observations
• Writing original jokes, stories, and short comedy routines
• Understanding setups, punchlines, misdirection, callbacks, and exaggeration
• Timing, pacing, pauses, facial expression, and delivery
• Using voice and body language effectively
• Developing stage presence and becoming comfortable in front of an audience
• Improvisation and learning to think creatively in the moment
• Editing material and learning why some jokes work better than others
• Building confidence through practical performance experience

The exact focus can be adjusted to the participant. A beginner may spend more time learning how jokes are constructed, while a teen with performance experience may want to develop original material, improve delivery, or work toward performing a short comedy routine.

Comedy That Is Creative, Positive & Age-Appropriate

Teen Comedy Workshops focus on clean, age-appropriate humor and creative self-expression. Participants are encouraged to develop comedy based on observations, experiences, characters, storytelling, wordplay, exaggeration, improvisation, and the funny situations that happen in everyday life.

The goal is not to teach teens to get laughs by embarrassing, insulting, or targeting other people. Instead, we explore how humor can be creative, clever, surprising, relatable, and genuinely entertaining. Learning what not to say can also be an important part of learning comedy. Teens can explore how comedians make choices based on their audience, setting, and purpose while developing material that reflects their own personality and sense of humor.

Comedy Skills That Go Beyond the Stage

A teen does not need to dream of becoming a professional comedian to benefit from comedy instruction. Comedy develops skills that can be useful in many areas of life, including public speaking and presentation skills, creative writing, communication and storytelling, confidence speaking in front of other people, quick thinking and improvisation, reading an audience and adjusting communication, as well as learning to recover comfortably when something doesn’t go as planned.

For some teens, the goal may be performing a short stand-up routine. Others may simply want to become funnier, more expressive, or more comfortable speaking in front of a group. Both are welcome.

One-on-One or Small Group Instruction

One-on-one comedy workshops allow instruction to be adapted closely to a teen’s personality, comfort level, interests, and goals. A session might involve brainstorming material, writing jokes, practicing delivery, developing a comedy story, working on improvisation, or rehearsing a short routine.

Small-group workshops may also be arranged when two or more teens in the same general area are interested in similar instruction. Group workshops provide additional opportunities for improvisation, audience interaction, collaborative creativity, and practicing material in front of other participants. Families are welcome to inquire individually – you do not need to organize a complete group before contacting PhotoArtGraphy.

The goal in either format is to keep the experience positive, creative, encouraging, and fun while still helping participants develop practical performance skills.

Workshop Location & Parent Information

One-on-one comedy workshops can take place at your home or another mutually agreed-upon location that works well for instruction, writing, and performance exercises. Workshops may also be held at my home in New Freedom, Pennsylvania, when my wife is home.

Parents are always welcome to remain nearby during instruction. My goal is for both teens and their families to feel comfortable with the workshop arrangement from the very beginning. Instruction involving minors is kept age-appropriate and focused on comedy writing, performance, communication, creativity, and confidence.

For families who prefer instruction at their home or another location, travel within 10 miles of New Freedom, PA is available for a small fee. Locations beyond 10 miles can also be arranged at a reasonable mileage-based rate.

Workshops are scheduled based on interest and availability, including evenings and weekends.

Why Learn Comedy with Drew?

My approach to comedy comes from years of performing, working with young people, and experimenting with several different forms of entertainment. In addition to stand-up and comedic performance, my background includes acting, stage magic, ventriloquism, theater, interpretive speech, directing productions, and other forms of live performance. Each of those disciplines teaches something useful about comedy: timing, audience awareness, character, delivery, storytelling, improvisation, confidence, and learning how to respond when something unexpected happens.

I also understand that performing comedy can feel intimidating. Telling a joke to friends is very different from standing in front of other people and intentionally trying to make them laugh. That is why these workshops are designed to be low-pressure and encouraging. A participant does not need to walk in already believing they are “funny.” We can start with ideas, observations, stories, and personality and build from there.

Teen Comedy Workshop Pricing & Travel

PhotoArtGraphy offers flexible workshop options designed to provide engaging, personalized instruction:

Workshop Options & Pricing

• One-on-One Workshop: Personalized coaching in comedy writing, joke development, performance, timing, and delivery.
  • Price: $150 per 90-minute session
• Small Group Workshop: Up to 3 teens practicing comedy and performance skills together in a fun, collaborative environment.
  • Price: $120 per teen for a 90-minute session

Travel & Location Details:

• Workshops may take place at your home, another agreed-upon location, or at my New Freedom home when my wife is present.
• Optional travel is available:
  • Within 10 miles of New Freedom: $20 flat fee
  • Beyond 10 miles: $1 per mile round trip
• Scheduling is flexible, including evenings and weekends, to accommodate school and extracurricular activities.

Each workshop includes guided instruction, creative exercises, live feedback, and opportunities to practice written or improvised comedy.

Small-group workshops are scheduled when sufficient interest exists. If a group session cannot be formed, families may choose a future group opportunity or a one-on-one workshop.

Spots are intentionally limited so every participant receives personalized attention.

Reserve Your Teen Comedy Workshop

Whether your teen loves making people laugh, enjoys creative writing, wants to experiment with stand-up comedy, or simply hopes to become more confident speaking in front of others, a PhotoArtGraphy Teen Comedy Workshop can be adapted to meet them where they are. No previous comedy or performance experience is required.

Contact PhotoArtGraphy and tell me a little about your teen’s interests, experience, and what they would like to explore. From there, we can determine whether a one-on-one or small-group workshop would be the best fit.

Inquire About Teen Workshops

Download the Flyer (PDF)

Helpful Tips & Guides for Teen Comedians