Comedy Acting for Theatre: The Art and Craft of Performing in Comedies (Performance Books)

Analysing why we laugh and what we laugh at, and describing how performers can elicit this response from their audience, this book enables actors to create memorable – and hilarious – performances. Rooted in performance and performance criticism, Sidney Homan and Brian Rhinehart provide a detailed explanation of how comedy works, along with advice on how to communicate comedy from the point of view of both the performer and the audience. Combining theory and performance, the authors analyse a variety of plays, both modern and classic. Playwrights featured include Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, Christopher Durang, and Michael Frayn. Acting in Shakespeare’s comedies is also covered in depth. Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Permission Acknowledgments 9 Introduction 12 Notes 17 1 Why We Laugh 18 Notes 27 2 Improv and Comedy 30 Short-Form Improvisations 33 Warm-Ups, Relaxation, Focus 33 Body and Mind 33 Countdown 34 Whoosh 34 Listening, Staying Connected 35 Pick-Up Story 35 One Word at a Time 36 “Yes ... and” Line 36 Sound and Movement 37 Building Characters 37 Changing Bodies 37 Rapid-Fire Interrogation 38 No Admittance 38 Character Mirrors 39 Building Characters 39 Conflict 39 Conflict Improv 40 Push My Button 41 Mutually Exclusive Objectives 41 Status 41 Status Wander 42 Status Conversation 43 Highest/Lowest 43 The Game 43 Analyzing the Game 45 Patterns 45 Repetition 45 Improv and the Comic Actor 46 Notes 47 3 Basic Rules for the Comic Actor 48 Character Analysis and History 48 Character Interview 49 Playing Obstacles 50 Lost Object 51 Clarity of Expression 52 Alliteration Repetition 52 Body Awareness 53 Reflection of Self 54 Joke Structure/Comedic Timing 55 Comedy’s Fine Line: Too Real, Not Real Enough 57 Yourself and Your Comic Character 58 Dinner 60 Character Analysis/History: Paige 61 Playing Obstacles: Lars 63 Clarity of Expression: Hal 64 Joke Structure/Comedic Timing: Siân 65 Too Real, Not Real Enough: Mike 67 Your Self and Your Comic Character: Wynne 69 Body Awareness: The Waiter 70 A Coda on the Ending 71 Notes 73 4 Elements of the Comic Character 76 Overreacting and Underreacting 78 Playing Incongruity and Opposites 80 Applied Childishness 84 Rapidly Changing Emotions 84 Hypervulnerability 87 Status Shift, Collapse of Dignity, and Self-Ignorance 88 “Where We Went Wrong Was Getting on a Boat” 92 Notes 95 5 Psychological and Performance Issues in Playing Comedy 98 Energy and Intensity 98 Wonder of the World 100 The Comic Actor and the Life Beyond the Play 110 Self-Confidence/Relaxation and a Spirit of Play 113 Last to Go 115 Energy, Emotion, and Performance 118 Notes 119 6 Playing the Whole Comedy 122 Noises Off 122 Farce and the Comic Actor 124 Character Analysis 125 Energy and Tempo 125 Conflict 126 Status 126 The Game 127 Farce and Noises Off 127 Notes 136 7 Options in Playing Shakespeare’s Comedy 138 The Comic Routine: The Comedy of Errors 139 Comedy as a Verbal and Physical Battle: The Taming of the Shrew 142 Conscious and Unconscious Comics: Twelfth Night 144 The Comedy of Romance: Much Ado about Nothing 147 The Theatre Itself as Comedy: A Midsummer Night’s Dream 151 Notes 158 8 The Actor and Four Forms of Comedy 162 Playing Farce 163 Physical Comedy 169 Obstacles 169 Entrance and Exit Problems 169 Accidents 170 Misplaced Props 170 The Unstable Set 171 Improvised Dialogue, Role Reversals, and Script Problems 172 Sentimental or Romantic Comedy 172 Social Comedy 180 Objective–Obstacle: Stage One 182 Questions for the Actors 182 Objective–Obstacle: Stage Two 183 Questions for the Actors 183 Objective–Obstacle: Stage Three 184 Questions for the Actors 184 Objective–Obstacle: Stage Four 184 Questions for the Actors 185 Objective–Obstacle: Stage Five 185 Questions for the Actors 186 Needs, Obstacles, Tactics: Stage One 188 Needs, Obstacles, Tactics: Stage Two 188 Needs, Obstacles, Tactics: Stage Three 189 Needs, Obstacles, Tactics: Stage Four 189 Needs, Obstacles, Tactics: Stages Five and Six 189 Questions for the Actors 190 Objectives, Obstacles, Needs—and Comedy 191 Principles and Perceptions of Comedy 193 Notes 193 Coda: The Audience 196 Note 197 Index 198 "Rooted in performance and performance criticism Comedy Acting for Theatre is a textbook which offers a detailed examination of how comedy works, along with advice for the actor sending a comic message, allowing them to better understand the communication of comedy from the point of view of both the performer and the audience. Applying the twin perspectives of theory and performance, the authors analyse a variety of plays, both modern and classic, from writers including Harold Pinter, Tom Stoppard, Christopher Durang, Michael Frayn, among others, as well as an extensive exploration of acting in Shakespeare's comedies. Analysing why we laugh and what we laugh at, and describing how performers can elicit this response from their audience, Comedy Acting for Theatre: The Art and Craft of Performing in Comedies is a detailed and essential handbook for actors seeking to put in memorable - and hilarious - performances"-- Provided by publisher Front matter -- Dedication -- Permission Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- 1. Why We Laugh -- 2. Improv and Comedy -- 3. Basic Rules for The Comic Actor -- 4. Elements of The Comic Character -- 5. Psychological and Performance Issues in Playing Comedy -- 6. Playing The Whole Comedy -- 7. Options In Playing Shakespeare's Comedy -- 8. The Actor and Four Forms of Comedy -- Coda: The Audience