About Us

We’ve been teaching stand-up comedy for over fifteen years. We originally started as “Caroline’s Comedy School” but have since evolved into an independent comedy school teaching stand-up comedy classes in New York City.

Currently, our classes meet on Manhattan’s Upper West Side near The Lincoln Center and our class shows are in the East Village at St Mark’s Comedy Club.

The Current Instructor: Ben Rosenfeld

Ben Rosenfeld is a stand-up comedian, writer and comedy instructor who has appeared on FOX’s Laughs, The Nick Cannon Show, BuzzFeed Video, Travel Channel’s Mysteries At The Museum, CBS This Morning, Nat Geo’s Brain Games, Netflix’s Brainchild, NPR’s Weekend Edition, SiriusXM Radio, The New York Post and been featured as TimeOut New York’s Joke of the Week.

Ben has been teaching stand-up comedy since 2020. Before coming to us, he taught at Caroline’s School of Comedy. Ben has also spent over a decade doing private comedy coaching for beginners, working comedians and corporate executives looking to punch up their keynote speeches. 

Ben twice headlined at Caroline’s on Broadway, hosted at the Lincoln Center and performs nearly nightly in New York City. Ben has two comedy specials on Amazon Primefive comedy albums and two illustrated humor books.

Before becoming a comedian, Ben spent three years as a management consultant and corporate trainer for Accenture, a Fortune 500 company, working in change management by developing and delivering training materials. Ben was also a teaching assistant at the John Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth. In addition to being funny, Ben has taught thousands of people in many other disciplines and understands how to apply adult learning theories.

Ben talks about the class

The Comedy School Founder: Linda Smith

Linda Smith taught and coached comedy for over twenty years and founded Caroline’s Comedy School – which was NYC Comedy Class’s original name. She has taught hundreds of aspiring comedians as well as actors and celebrities, including the Today Show’s Ann Curry. She was born and raised in Cresskill, New Jersey, about 9 miles from the George Washington Bridge. After graduating from High School she moved to Boston, Massachusetts to begin a career in stand-up comedy while always working towards returning to the New York area. Four years later she was back and working all the major clubs in New York City.

Linda went on to become a headliner at clubs and colleges across the country. She also appeared as a featured comedienne on numerous television programs including The Conan O’Brien Show, HBO’s Women of the Night, and countless programs on Comedy Central. Her more recent television appearances were Good Morning America Now, The Today Show and CW11 Morning News.

Eventually she made the transition into comedy writing for television. For 3 years she was a staff writer on the Emmy Award winning Rosie O’Donnell Show. After that she became a staff writer for the Caroline Rhea Show and then a freelance writer for HBO. All the while she was maintaining and honing her live stand-up act.

What Our Students Are Saying

Focuses On Making You Funnier

“I really enjoyed my standup class with Ben. With every practice set he had tons of ideas of how to improve, whether they were as granular as word ordering or as expansive as brand-new jokes. Whether you’re a clean comic or telling dirty jokes, he only focuses on what can make you funnier and otherwise lets you be yourself.”

Jeff G.

Manhattan

Helped Us Reach Our Full Potential

“Ben helped each of us reach the full potential of our comedic abilities, not an easy task.  With lightning speed, he came up with clever suggestions that made a huge difference in my content.  I highly recommend Ben and can’t imagine a better mentor.”

Laura B.

White Plains, NY

Helps You Get Comfortable In Front Of A Crowd

“I registered for comedy classes because I wanted to improve my public speaking skills, and see if I could actually entertain people on my own. Not only has this boosted my confidence, I had a lot of fun! Ben’s comedy classes are a great setting that help you get comfortable in front of a crowd, and learn how to curate a comedy set.”

Staci B.

Bronx, NY

Gifted Instructor

“Ben is a gifted comedic writer and instructor. He deconstructs the jokes and helps you improve your materials!”

Sharon K.

Upper West Side

Fabulous Graduation Show

“It was a great class and a fabulous graduation show. I felt prepared which ensured comfort and that never would have happened without Ben’s guidance.”

Maryellen B.

Upper East Side

Provides Structure

“Ben’s class provides you structure when you need it and room to play all in one! It gave me a chance to become confident in my own perspective and comedic voice and pushed me to be funnier than I had hoped I could be. If you’re on the fence, don’t be; I came all the way from Canada for his class!”

Carly B.

Toronto, Canada

Incredible Coach

Ben is an amazing writer and an incredible coach. He can take a premise you’re working on and turn it into one of your best jokes. I highly recommend him.

Charles D.

Upper West Side

Always Improving Our Sets

“Thank you so much for such a great graduation show and class. You taught me a lot and I really loved working with you. Your classes were always organized and on time and you never quit trying to improve our sets. It was a great experience all around!”

Lisa W.

Upper West Side

Turned My Writing Into Stand-up

“Thanks for the amazing class! It helped a lot; made me think about things in a different way and gave me more of an idea of how to turn my writing into stand-up! It also helped me feel more comfortable to try doing this.”

McKeea P.

Harlem

Develop Your First Five-minute Set

“Ben was an ideal instructor who provided me with solid mile-markers and guidance on the path to my stand-up debut. If you’re a total beginner, like me, Ben will help you develop your first joke into your first five-minute set. If you’re more experienced, Ben will give you the schedule, coaching, and feedback you need in order to develop new material.”

Nick G.

Philadelphia, PA

Makes Your Comedy The Best It Can Be

“Ben is a phenomenal comedian and an amazing instructor! He knows exactly what everyone needs to make their comedy the best it can be! 11/10 would recommend this class! It’s perfect for someone looking to try comedy for the first time or a veteran looking to brush up on their skills.”

Kevin B.

Crown Heights

Great Teacher

“Ben is a great teacher! He knows his stuff, gave great feedback and helped me improve. The assignments he gave allowed me to develop a range of material. By the end, I was confident enough to deliver a 5-minute set that got laughs! I’d highly recommend his class!”

Nik R.

Upper West Side

Helps The Aspiring Comedian Grow

“This class is the real deal. Ben offers so much in the way of real, detailed content to help the aspiring comedian grow and generate new material and take their material to the next level. Students get quality time on the mic during each class followed by detailed feedback from the instructor each class. Over just a few weeks you really get a sense of the major way to structure jokes- what works and what doesn’t and how to craft your best delivery. The writing prompts are super helpful! The chance to perform really drove all the points of the class home and created a whole new network of fellow comics that I’ll take with me beyond the class. Take this class! You’ll get so much to move you along in your comic development!”

Jessie K.

Tribeca

The Real Deal

“This class is the real deal. Ben offers so much in the way of real, detailed content to help the aspiring comedian grow and generate new material and take their material to the next level. Students get quality time on the mic during each class followed by detailed feedback from the instructor each class. Over just a few weeks you really get a sense of the major way to structure jokes- what works and what doesn’t and how to craft your best delivery. The writing prompts are super helpful! The chance to perform really drove all the points of the class home and created a whole new network of fellow comics that I’ll take with me beyond the class. Take this class! You’ll get so much to move you along in your comic development!”

Cynthia D.

Upper West Side

A Supportive Learning Environment

“Ben’s unwavering attention to each student’s progress ensured a supportive learning environment that brought out the best in everyone. Though the experience was initially nerve-wracking, it ultimately proved to be a transformative and enriching journey that left me brimming with newfound confidence and a greater appreciation for stand-up comedy. Recommend to all.”

Bobbi K.

Harlem

Incisive Feedback

“I really enjoyed Ben’s incisive feedback and clever suggestions.”

Aya J.

Jersey City, NJ

Constantly Helping Us

“Ben is a great teacher! His class was the perfect balance of encouraging and constructive. He gave extremely thorough feedback to each student and really paid close attention to individual personalities and styles. He was constantly helping us refine jokes and brainstorm ideas along the way. I walked away from the class with newfound confidence in my writing skills thanks to his class!”

Rosie M.

Upper West Side

Great Class

“The class was great. Ben was very helpful in rewriting my tornado-divorce bit.”

Kelly F.

New Jersey

Killer Insight

“Ben’s instruction and insight have been KILLER. I loved the class. Ben’s a great teacher!!!”

Michelle W.

Brooklyn

One Of The Best Stand-up Teachers

“Ben is an amazing teacher. He does a wonderful job preparing students to do this in the real world. Ben may be one of the best stand-up teachers in NYC.”

John B.

Upper East Side

Kind, Patient and Encouraging

“Ben is a fantastic standup comedy instructor. Not only does he have years of “real world”, stand-up experience performing in clubs, but, he’s also an excellent writer. So, he helped us better tailor our routines. Including witty punchline suggestions, etc. He’s very kind, patient and encouraging, focusing on the positive of what you’re doing well. And, adding onto that that in a constructive, supportive way. The classes are fun, inspiring and educational. A great way to network too.”

Debbie F.

Fort Lee, NJ

Awesome Class

“It was an awesome class, Ben is a great teacher and really aced it.”

Sarah E.

Bronx, NY

Gave Me A Lot Of Confidence

“Ben was a great instructor and created an environment for success! Personally, the comedy class made me very vulnerable, and my nerves were high. However, the overwhelming feeling of excitement I’d get every class, in congruence with Ben’s preparation and instruction, was definitely worth it! Furthermore, the sense of accomplishment I got after completing my five-min set gave me a lot of confidence in this craft. If you’re still mulling over taking the class, I’d suggest to stop overthinking it and sign up immediately! You won’t regret it!!”

Sama K.

Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, NY

Taking It Again

“I enjoyed Ben’s standup class immensely. The classes were educational, inspiring, and just plain fun. Ben is a great teacher.  He is motivating and so organized. I have signed up for another standup class with Ben.”

Lily F.

Upper West Side

Brought Out My Creative Side

“The class was inspiring and Ben is motivating. The class brought out my creative side and Ben guided me through the process. I highly recommend trying stand-up comedy if you enjoy public speaking and would like to be challenged.”

Sarah K.

Queens, NY

Third Time Taking The Class!

“This is my third time taking class with Ben. I learn something new every time and I now have 15 minutes of material to show for it. The highest compliment I can pay is that I keep spending my time and money with Ben because the results are totally worth it!”

Lisa W.

Upper West Side

I Learned So Much

“I learned so much about the nuts and bolts of stand-up from Ben. And by the way, I love doing it.”

Merle R.

Upper West Side

Outstanding Class Experience

“Thanks for an outstanding class experience.  Your expertise as a comic is noteworthy.”

David W.

The Bronx

Makes You A Better Comedian

“This class makes you work, makes you think, and makes you a better comedian.  It’s a safe space, and I highly recommend it to all. Ben is a seasoned comic, and really listens to your personal comic ‘voice.’”

Alice O.

Jersey City, NJ

You’ll Be In Good Hands

“I’ve taken Ben’s class twice now. Both times I came in with basic ideas for jokes. By the end of six classes, Ben had helped me work them into crisp, sharp jokes that landed laughs and applause in the show. Whatever your reasons are for wanting to do standup, you’ll be in good hands with Ben’s guidance.”

Genevieve C.

New Jersey