When writing a three to six minute comedy skit to present at church, school, or some other organization, you need to move quickly to the plot and theme of the skit. There is little time to develop funny characters.

But if your audience doesn’t have a level of understanding of your funny characters, your comedy skits will be dull and lifeless, without the depth or emotion that creates conflict and drives it in any meaningful way.

Therefore, your audience needs to have an idea of ​​where a funny character comes from in order to understand the motivation behind what they say and do. So use these three techniques to create fun characters your audience will relate to and comedy skits they’ll enjoy.

Use stereotypes to create funny characters

The most obvious character that everyone already knows and understands in a comedy skit is the stereotype. The vain female Diva, the goofy athlete, the crafty guy who lurks in the shadows, the nerdy geek, the miserly accountant. And now that I’ve started on a few for your comedy skit, I’m sure you can create an extensive list.

Stereotypes create funny characters because your audience understands the character right away. You already know something of the character’s motivation and the reasons behind what they say and do.

exaggerate to the max

Now, to make that stereotypical character really funny and increase the laughs, go overboard. The female diva isn’t just vain. She’s so smug every time her reflection of her appears, she stops to preen herself. The fool of hers is so clueless that she doesn’t realize that the football helmet she misplaced is on her head. And the nerdy geek is so socially awkward that he talks to computers as if they were people.

People laugh at stereotypes because the funny characters in your comedy skit are so exaggerated that they can’t represent anyone in the audience. Although everyone can probably think of someone in the audience who is very well represented in that funny character.

In a comedy skit I wrote and directed for a church worship service titled Focused on Priority, three out-of-shape suburban ladies signed up for a gym class thinking it would be a relaxing time of easy exercise. Instead, their personal trainer resembles a drill sergeant who pushes them far beyond their expectations and comfort zone.

Add contrast to funny characters and situations

In comedy skits, opposites don’t attract, they create conflict. And the conflict creates humorous energy in your skit. People in real life are never one dimensional. And your funny characters shouldn’t be either. Even your stereotypical characters can surprise your audience and take your sketch comedy to a deeper level.

The easiest way to achieve this is by thinking in opposites.

So your smug Diva volunteers at a homeless shelter. The foolish sportsman is good at chess. The nerd nerd skates while listening to hard rock music. The cheapskate accountant feeds a stray dog ​​who lives behind his office building premium dog food.

You can also pair opposite characters. This is the entire premise behind the odd couple. One guy is exceptionally clean and tidy and the other guy is complete slop.

When you put your over-the-top, stereotypical characters in a situation together, you create instant conflict and the potential for great comedy skits.

What happens when a liberal atheist and a conservative evangelical work together for a common cause? A church moves next door to a strip club? A cranky and negative old man adopts his eight-year-old granddaughter, innocent and full of faith, who just lost his parents?

By creating exaggerated stereotypical characters, adding contrast, and combining them with opposing characters in various situations, you’ll create funny characters with deep, comedic skits that your audience will appreciate and enjoy.