Shuchi Kothari In Conversation with Michael J. Weithorn: Comedy Writing Craft

Script to Screen and Screen Production | University of Auckland in partnership with Ngā Aho Whakaari, Pacific Island Screen Artists, Pan-Asian Screen Collective, Proud Voices on Screen, and Women in Film and TV NZ present:

Shuchi Kothari In Conversation with Michael J. Weithorn: Comedy Writing Craft

Filmmaker and academic Shuchi Kothari joins five-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee, Michael J. Weithorn, for a 75-minute deep dive into the craft of writing comedy for both television and feature film.

Drawing on more than four decades in the industry, including creating and executive producing The King of Queens and Ned and Stacey, as well as writing and directing the features A Little Help (2011) and most recently The Best You Can (2025) starring Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon, Weithorn brings a rare cross-format perspective on how comedy works at every scale.

This conversation will unpack Weithorn's principles and practice of effective comedy writing: building fully inhabited characters, constructing comic conflict, and sustaining tone across seasons of a series or feature films.  It will also explore how, over the courses of one's career, writers maintain clarity, discipline, and purpose in the face of industrial change and uncertainty. 

Open to writers at all stages, this is a valuable opportunity to hear directly from a veteran creator about the craft decisions and creative instincts that underpin enduring screen comedy.

When: Saturday 21 March 3:00pm

Where: University of Auckland

Cost: FREE

Limited capacity, so get your tickets now!