Rodney Dangerfield Institute

The Rodney Dangerfield Institute (RDI) at Los Angeles City College was established in honor of the late iconic comedian. Offering four classes including a stand-up workshop, improvisational comedy, joke writing, and an American film comedy genre class, the RDI is the only comedy institute in the country housed within a community college.

The RDI was established in cooperation with Joan Dangerfield, Rodney Dangerfield’s widow, who will serve as the honorary chair of the RDI Advisory Board.

Rodney Dangerfield appeared in 22 films, 20 commercials and as a guest on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” a record 70 times. Known for his iconic “I don’t get no respect” line, his signature black and red tie are part of a permanent collection at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.

About Joan Dangerfield

Joan Dangerfield is chairman of ROCKDOME, a highly immersive multi-use entertainment performance venue with patented technology presenting and capturing content in an unprecedented format to create revolutionary music, film, nightlife and electronic entertainment experiences. Projects in various stages of development are located in the US, Asia and Middle East. Joan also provides exclusive consulting services, securing well-known artists and branded interactive exhibitions to premiere entertainment promotion and technology companies in China.

Speciality Courses

Attention writers, performers, or just fans of comedy! Join this fun course and explore your comedic voice through in-class exercises and take-home sketch writing assignments. By the end of six weeks, students will have a foundation in sketch comedy basics including tools for idea generation, story structure, creating comic characters, set-ups/punchlines, and dialogue.

Stand-Up Comedy 101 I bet you’ve been told you’re funny. Well, here’s your chance to show off your comedic instincts. This class will teach you the basics of stand-up comedy: joke-writing, performance, structuring your set, even handling hecklers. Following the workshops, students will have the opportunity to perform their own original stand-up routine at Flappers Comedy Club! Stand-Up Comedy 201 is available for experienced comedians or those who have taken Stand-Up Comedy 101!

Want to build confidence in public speaking while having fun? Whether you’re a teacher, lawyer, IT professional, or just improv-curious, this class teaches the core skills of improvisational comedy—communication, teamwork, and trust. Through games, exercises, and scene work, you’ll learn the fundamentals in a supportive, playful environment. The advanced class concludes with a live showcase!

RDI Instructors

Christian Cintron is a stand-up comedian, writer, and teaching artist. He has performed at Caroline’s Comedy Club, Gotham Comedy Club and Flappers. His writing on comedy has been featured in Backstage. Christian also created Stand Up 4 Your Power, a self-improvement approach to stand-up comedy.

Mike Holley, a veteran improv performer and instructor, recently guest-starred on NBC’s “Young Rock.” With over 15 years of experience, including teaching at USC and Cal Tech, he brings a fun and educational approach to improv. Mike’s impressive resume features over 250 improv show productions and teaching engagements across various venues. Additionally, his acting credits include commercials, TV shows, and movies.