About

GABE ABELSON spent 5 years in New York City as Head Monologue Writer for Late Show with David Letterman, garnering 5 Emmy nominations and 3 Writer's Guild Award nominations. In Los Angeles, he worked as Writer/Producer on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late, Late Show with Craig Kilborn, Lopez Tonight, and as showrunner on The New Tom Green Show. Gabe is also a veteran stand-up comic, performing in clubs across the country and abroad, and appearing on TV shows like Late Night With Conan O’Brien, Late Show with David Letterman, The MTV Half-Hour Comedy Hour, and Caroline’s Comedy Hour.

For 30 years, Gabe has written/produced for, and performed alongside, comedy stars such as: Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Dave Chappelle, Ray Romano, Eddie Murphy, Wanda Sykes, George Lopez, Bill Hicks, Sarah Silverman, Kevin James, and Jon Stewart. Many of Gabe’s former students have gone on to great success, like Gary Greenburg, Head Writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live, and Travon Free, writer for The Daily Show, among many others.

“Not only is Gabe a very, very funny writer, but he is also a wonderful, inspiring teacher. He taught the comedy class that got me started.”

-Gary Greenberg, Head Writer, Jimmy Kimmel Live!

“Gabe Abelson was my first and only teacher in comedy. It was his knowledge of the art and the business that made for such a great class. He is a wonderful comic who showed me the way.”

-Eddie Pepitone, national headlining comedian who has appeared on Late Night With Conan O’Brien, Weeds, The King Of Queens, Flight Of the Conchords and in the movie, Old School.

“In addition to having a comprehensive understanding of the comedy writing science, able to deconstruct the art form down to its nuts and bolts, Gabe is also prolific in his writing production, and can churn out any number of jokes on a given subject.”

-Michael Barrie, head writer for The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, as well as numerous Carson anniversary shows, The Academy Awards, The Emmy Awards and The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

"I approached Gabe Abelson’s writing class when I came back to stand-up after having taken a hiatus from comedy and wanted to get my joke writing game back on track. Not only for my own personal jokes, but for writing a packet that my new manager wanted me to submit for Real Time with Bill Maher.

Gabe not only helped me understand which Late Night show my voice would be best suited for, but how to actually format the writing packet itself, as everyone’s fear when it comes to writing packets, besides the jokes being subpar, is that the packet itself won’t even get read, because the incorrect format will telegraph to others one’s amateur status. He also honed in on the different structural techniques for joke writing that professional comedians tend to learn, then veer away from when searching for their own style. His class was an important reminder that in comedy, rules are great when they’re broken, but even better when you find your way back to them, in order to tighten up delivery and start landing harder punches.

The result lead to even more requests to write other packets for Late Night, not to mention the ease of incorporating newer material into my own act with quicker, smoother and less verbose bits.

I would recommend his class to those wanting to take their comedy to the next level, and also to the novice who always wanted to understand the nature of the comedy joke writing beast."

-Felicia Michaels, recipient of the American Comedy Award for "Best Female Stand-up Comic " and Star Search Grand Prize winner.

“When it comes to joke writing, nobody cuts to the punchline quicker then Gabe. One of the sharpest, most nimble minds I've ever teamed with.”

-Robert Oschack, stand-up star of his own Comedy Central Presents special, and staff writer for Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Dennis Miller Live, The Showbiz Show with David Spade, Chocolate News, and others.