PAINESVILLE, Ohio – Lake Erie College is offering a minor in comedy studies.
While anyone can tell a joke, the art of comedy is not so easy, the college said. The minor in the school of arts, humanities and social sciences will help students harness their creativity across disciplines while honing their techniques and exploring the rich historical, cultural and theoretical dimensions of comedy as an art form.
Associate professor of theatrer Jerry Jaffe developed the new minor and will teach most classes. He performed in many comedies as a young actor and did stand-up while he was in college.
Studying comedy is worthwhile for anyone regardless of career aspirations, Jaffe said in a statement.
“Comedy has a wide range of applications,” he said. “While it might seem obvious for someone interested in standup or theater to study comedy, the skill set can be useful in other vocational disciplines ranging from advertising to public relations.”
Jaffe said comedy studies programs have been created at several colleges across the country.
Lake Erie students will study comedy in all forms including performance, art, creative writing, history and theory. They will also study standup comedy, film, design and advertising.
The classes will prepare students to be better communicators, the college said.
Jaffe will invite professional comedians and industry professionals to campus to perform, visit classes and work with students.
Actor and comedian Sean Lynch will be on campus in March to visit with students before giving a free performance on Tuesday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the C.K. Rickel Theatre. Lynch is co-creator of “Celebrity Death Match” and has appeared in the current season of “The Walking Dead.”
For more information on the comedy studies minor contact Jaffe at jjaffe@lec.edu.
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