Unit 3 Creating A Character Chapter 9 Character

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Unit 3 Creating A Character

Unit 3 Creating A Character

Chapter 9 Character Analysis • To be a good actor, you must become a

Chapter 9 Character Analysis • To be a good actor, you must become a student of humanity. Your knowledge of people is one of the most valuable assets you have when it comes to creating a believable character. As you analyze and develop a role, you will draw upon the text of a play, your own experiences, and remembered observations of people you meet, read about, or see on film.

Chapter 9 Project Specs • Project Description: – You and a partner will each

Chapter 9 Project Specs • Project Description: – You and a partner will each create distinct characters with specific goals in a 3 -5 minute improvised scene. • Purpose: – To analyze a character in terms of internal and external traits, motivation, objectives, and stakes. • Materials: – A list of shared information between your own and your partner’s character, a list of your character’s internal and external traits, or the Character Analysis Activity Sheet provided.

Chapter 9 • Terms: – Artistic selectivity – Conflict – Dual role – External

Chapter 9 • Terms: – Artistic selectivity – Conflict – Dual role – External traits – Internal traits – Motivation – Objectives --Obstacles --Outcome --Stakes

Chapter 9 The Actor and The Character • As an actor in a play

Chapter 9 The Actor and The Character • As an actor in a play you have a dual role: you are both the actor-as-character and the actor-asactor. • If you are to be convincing onstage, you must use your imagination—and the work you’ve done analyzing and developing your character—to maintain your belief in what you as the character are doing, feeling, and saying. • You should think as your character thinks and concentrate on fulfilling his or her goals, or objectives.

Chapter 9 The Actor and The Character • On the other hand, as an

Chapter 9 The Actor and The Character • On the other hand, as an actor you must maintain technical control and a professional attitude at all times. • None of your performing will matter if the audience has trouble seeing or hearing you. • You the actor and you the character must work as a unit to create the delicate balance of believable characterization. • This may sound like a demanding job—and it is. But characterization shouldn’t be a strain. • Relax and enjoy the process as you create a believable individual onstage.

Chapter 9 Developing A Character • To be an effective onstage presence you will

Chapter 9 Developing A Character • To be an effective onstage presence you will need to know hundreds of things about your character—much more than you will actually be able to portray onstage. Your job then becomes one of artistic selectivity. • What are the really important aspects of this character? How can you effectively communicate the essentials of the character?

Chapter 9 Developing A Character • At the same time, remember that none of

Chapter 9 Developing A Character • At the same time, remember that none of the work you do while developing your character is wasted. • The more you know about the character, the more textured your performance will be. • And you must harness your character’s emotions and avoid overacting, which offends both the audience and your fellow actors. • The hundreds of things you understand about your character will reveal themselves through the various layers and colors you are able to bring to the role.

Chapter 9 Motivation and Conflict • In real life people often do and say

Chapter 9 Motivation and Conflict • In real life people often do and say things for no apparent reason. A character in a play, however, needs a specific reason, or motivation, for doing or saying anything. • Motivation determines your character’s objectives. • Whatever is standing in the way of your character’s objectives is an obstacle.

Chapter 9 Motivation and Conflict • This is the essence of conflict, which in

Chapter 9 Motivation and Conflict • This is the essence of conflict, which in turn is the basis of drama. • The outcome of a conflict is the result of the steps the characters take to overcome their obstacles. • What the characters may gain or lose as a result of the outcome are the stakes. • The higher the stakes are in a play, the greater the character’s motivation; the more powerful the conflict, the more important the outcome.

Chapter 9 The Character Inside and Out • To find your way into the

Chapter 9 The Character Inside and Out • To find your way into the mind and body of a character, you must know the role inside and out. That means you must understand both the character’s internal and external traits. • To determine a character’s internal traits, challenge yourself to discover what he or she is like inside. Find out the character’s background— that is his or her family circumstances, environment, occupation, level of education, hobbies, and so on—and his or her emotional reactions to all of these circumstances.

Chapter 9 The Character Inside and Out • You can break internal traits into

Chapter 9 The Character Inside and Out • You can break internal traits into 3 basic categories: – Mental characteristics: Is the character intelligent, clever, dull, slow, or average? – Spiritual qualities: What are the character’s ideals, ethical code, and beliefs? What is his or her attitude toward other people and toward life in general? – Emotional characteristics: Is the character confident, outgoing, happy, and poised or sullen, confused, nervous, cynical, and timid? What are his or her likes and dislikes? How does he/she respond to others?

Chapter 9 The Character Inside and Out • Answering all these questions should give

Chapter 9 The Character Inside and Out • Answering all these questions should give you a good idea of your character’s personality. • Now it’s time to get even more specific. You will have to determine your character’s motivating desire within the play or scene. • In other words, what does your character want? You may have to do the additional work of imagining the circumstances that led to the events of the play or scene. • A character’s external traits have to do with outward appearance and what that appearance says about him/her.

Chapter 9 The Character Inside and Out • Here are some external traits to

Chapter 9 The Character Inside and Out • Here are some external traits to think about: – Posture: Does the way the character sits and stands suggest confidence, timidity, awkwardness, or grace? – Movement and Gestures: Does the character’s movement and gait reveal poise, nervousness, weakness, or strength? What does the character’s movement reveal about his or her age, health, or general attitude?

Chapter 9 The Character Inside and Out – Mannerism: Does the character have any

Chapter 9 The Character Inside and Out – Mannerism: Does the character have any tics or little habits that provide keys to his/her personality? Examples might be nail biting, gum chewing, head scratching, or table tapping. – Voice: Does the character have a specific regional dialect or any vocal mannerisms? – Mode of Dress: Is the character’s appearance near, casual, prim, or sloppy? Are the clothes clean or dirty? Are they in good taste?

Chapter 9 The Character Inside and Out • When analyzing and developing a character’s

Chapter 9 The Character Inside and Out • When analyzing and developing a character’s external qualities, you’ll want to avoid stereotypes. • For example, you don’t necessarily want to choose a cartoonlike drawling “hick” voice simply because your character is supposed to be uneducated. Try to make the more interesting, less obvious choice.

Chapter 9 • • • Character Analysis Activity Sheet Finding Your Motivation Worksheet Critique

Chapter 9 • • • Character Analysis Activity Sheet Finding Your Motivation Worksheet Critique Sheet: High-Stakes Scene Character Analysis Quiz

Chapter 10 Character Development • An old theatre adage states, “There are no small

Chapter 10 Character Development • An old theatre adage states, “There are no small roles; only small actors. ” Even roles with very few lines are important to a play. No matter what size your role, you will need to develop your character in detail. This chapter will provide you with some tools to help you through the process.

Chapter 10 Project Specs • Project Description: – For this assignment, you and a

Chapter 10 Project Specs • Project Description: – For this assignment, you and a group of classmates will perform a 7 -10 scene from a play involving 3 or more characters. • Purpose: – To sharpen your analytical skills and develop a vivid characterization. • Materials: – An analysis of your character’s attributes or the Character Development Activity Sheet provided.

Chapter 10 • Terms: – Cue Pickup – Denouement – Fourth Wall – Nonrealistic

Chapter 10 • Terms: – Cue Pickup – Denouement – Fourth Wall – Nonrealistic Play – Presentational – Realistic Play – Representational – Subtext

Chapter 10 Using the Right Tools • In Chapter 9, you learned how to

Chapter 10 Using the Right Tools • In Chapter 9, you learned how to analyze a character’s internal and external traits, motivation, and objectives. • When you act in a play, you must also understand the relationship your character has to the play as a whole. • A thorough study of the play’s characters, and its plot, structure, and theme, will give you the tools you need to portray your character in a way that comes close to the playwright’s intention.

Chapter 10 Staying in Style • As an actor onstage, you must understand the

Chapter 10 Staying in Style • As an actor onstage, you must understand the style and tone of the play you’re performing. • Plays can be realistic or non realistic. • A realistic play imitates real life—it shows recognizable characters in dramatic situations. • Examples of realistic plays include: – A Doll’s House by Henrick Ibsen – Jar the Floor by Cheryl L. West – Spinning Into Butter by Rebecca Gilman

Chapter 10 Staying in Style • Typically, realistic plays utilize the convention of the

Chapter 10 Staying in Style • Typically, realistic plays utilize the convention of the fourth wall, meaning the audience looks and listens in on the action through an imaginary wall. • The actors in these plays perform in a representational style—in other words, as if they are unaware that there is an audience watching.

Chapter 10 Staying in Style • In a nonrealistic play, the characters and/or situations

Chapter 10 Staying in Style • In a nonrealistic play, the characters and/or situations are exaggerated or depart from real life. • Nonrealistic plays include fantasies in which plants and animals talk as well as people; symbolic plays where the characters and setting represent ideas; and romantic plays where life is pictured ideally and imaginatively, dreams come true, and the language is often poetic.

Chapter 10 Staying in Style • Examples of nonrealistic plays: – The Actor’s Nightmare

Chapter 10 Staying in Style • Examples of nonrealistic plays: – The Actor’s Nightmare by Christopher Durang – Cyrano de Bergerac by Ronstand – A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare – Far Away by Caryl Churchill • In many nonrealistic plays, actors use a presentational, or direct address, approach— meaning that they break the stage illusion by speaking directly to the audience.

Chapter 10 Plot and Structure • To analyze your character effectively, you must analyze

Chapter 10 Plot and Structure • To analyze your character effectively, you must analyze the play’s plot and structure. • Like any good work of literature, a play’s plot is made up of a series of incidents linked by a theme. • It involves conflict that is revealed through action, which leads to the dramatic climax, and the logical conclusion, or resolution.

Chapter 10 The Actor and the Traditional Play Structure • In order to really

Chapter 10 The Actor and the Traditional Play Structure • In order to really understand drama, an actor must understand the importance of a play’s structure. • The structure of a play is what holds together the characters’ actions and words. • By analyzing the elements of a story’s structure, the actor has important insight into the plot, theme, and his character’s motivations

Chapter 10 The Actor and the Traditional Play Structure • Elements of story structure:

Chapter 10 The Actor and the Traditional Play Structure • Elements of story structure: – Conflict: As you know, in most plays, the plot is built around a conflict. The conflict may be between characters, between a character and some object or event, or between a character and the character’s inner self. It is your job as an actor to assess your character’s role in the conflict and to determine how your character should act and react as the conflict intensifies.

Chapter 10 The Actor and the Traditional Play Structure – Rising Action: Any additional

Chapter 10 The Actor and the Traditional Play Structure – Rising Action: Any additional events that stem from the conflict are important elements for you to be aware of and to think about in terms of the forward movement of the play and your character’s role in it. – Turning Point: This is the highest point of emotional intensity in the drama. It usually occurs near the end of the play. Here, the main character will most likely take an action to end the conflict. All the play’s action leads to this point, and again, as an actor, you must be aware of the momentum that has been generated to this point and adjust your performance intensity accordingly.

Chapter 10 The Actor and the Traditional Play Structure – Falling Action: These are

Chapter 10 The Actor and the Traditional Play Structure – Falling Action: These are the events that happen after the turning point. As an actor, you must adjust your performance to the atmosphere of the denouement. – Resolution: Here is where the complications are worked out. And, although the play is at this point winding toward the conclusion, be careful not to lose your energy as an actor or to slide into sluggish line delivery or posture. Stay with the rhythm and flow of the play, but keep your performance energy high.

Chapter 10 The Actor and the Traditional Play Structure • KEEP IN MIND SOME

Chapter 10 The Actor and the Traditional Play Structure • KEEP IN MIND SOME PLAYWRIGHT DO NOT ADHERE TO THIS STRUCTURE! SOMETIMES THEY OMIT A PIECE TO BE “ARTISTIC”.

Chapter 10 Mood • The mood of the play is its emotional texture. •

Chapter 10 Mood • The mood of the play is its emotional texture. • The audience should sense the play’s mood early on—during the rising action. • Nearly every aspect of the play contributes to the mood—from the characters to the plot to the design elements. • When you have studied the plot, mood, and structure of the play or scene in which you’ve been cast, you can at last begin to focus on your particular character and how he/she fits into the play.

Chapter 10 Mood • After you have read the play once to understand all

Chapter 10 Mood • After you have read the play once to understand all of its elements, read it again to identify with your specific role. • Visualize the action through your character’s behavior and dialogue in view of his/her motivation. • Understand your character’s behavior and dialogue in view of his/her motivation.

Chapter 10 Characterization • In previous chapters, you’ve learned that making observations, drawing upon

Chapter 10 Characterization • In previous chapters, you’ve learned that making observations, drawing upon your own experience, using your imagination, and investigating the character’s internal and external traits all help you understand a given character.

Chapter 10 Characterization • To concentrate on knowing your character through and through, use

Chapter 10 Characterization • To concentrate on knowing your character through and through, use these steps as you memorize your script. – Concentrate on your character’s internal and external traits via the clues the script provides you. Think about people you know who remind you of your character. Discover ways in which your character is like you, and determine how the character is unlike you. Research aspects of your character that are unknown to you.

Chapter 10 Characterization – Have a clear sense of what happened to your character

Chapter 10 Characterization – Have a clear sense of what happened to your character before the events depicted in the play. Some actors make complete histories of their character’s family life, employment, friendships and alliances, and so on as a way of delving as deeply as possible into the person they are playing. – Ask yourself what your character wants and what he/she does to get it. Does the character want different things from different people?

Chapter 10 Characterization – Figure out whose side your character is on. Is yours

Chapter 10 Characterization – Figure out whose side your character is on. Is yours the central character? Or, does your character oppose the central character in some way? Or, does your character assist the central character? Most characters fall into one of these categories. – In addition to the dialogue, you should pay close attention to the stage directions to figure out what your character does—and why.

Chapter 10 Characterization – Pay attention to what the other characters say about your

Chapter 10 Characterization – Pay attention to what the other characters say about your character and how they behave toward him/her. – Think about how your character changes over the course of the play. Does the character experience a major shift—a change of attitude or circumstance? How will you convey this? – Pay special attention to your character’s rhythms. Does he/she speak in a staccato manner, or in long fluid sentences. The way the character speaks is likely to reflect the way the character moves.

Chapter 10 Characterization – Remember that plays, like real life, are mostly about what

Chapter 10 Characterization – Remember that plays, like real life, are mostly about what isn’t said. The dialogue of a play can be compared to the tip of the iceberg. What’s said represents only a part of the whole story. The information that is implied but not stated by a character is called the subtext. For example, consider the character who tells another character, “I hate you! I’m leaving!” but proceeds to stay onstage. What the character does contradicts what he/she says—so you can be fairly certain the character is experiencing something besides hatred—perhaps even the exact opposite! The subtext a character conveys is often much more important that what the character actually says.

Chapter 10 Character Development Activity Sheet Finding the Subtext Worksheet Critique Sheet: Characterization in

Chapter 10 Character Development Activity Sheet Finding the Subtext Worksheet Critique Sheet: Characterization in a Group Scene • Character Development Quiz • •

Chapter 11 Dramatic Roles • Many actors believe that dramatic roles are the real

Chapter 11 Dramatic Roles • Many actors believe that dramatic roles are the real “meat” of acting. Plays that treat their subject seriously are placed into 3 broadly defined categories—tragedy, social drama, and melodrama. While exploring each of these dramatic forms, you will acquire the tools to take on serious dramatic roles yourself.

Chapter 11 Project Specs • Project Description: – For this assignment, you and a

Chapter 11 Project Specs • Project Description: – For this assignment, you and a classmate will write and perform a 3 -5 minute dramatic scene. • Purpose: – To use strong characterization and controlled emotional intensity. • Materials: – An outline of your scene or the Dramatic Roles Activity Sheet provided.

Chapter 11 • Terms: – Antagonist – Catharsis – Melodrama – Protagonist – Regional

Chapter 11 • Terms: – Antagonist – Catharsis – Melodrama – Protagonist – Regional Accent – Social Drama – Tragedy – Tragic Flaw

Chapter 11 The Elements of Drama • Dramatic productions are categorized in 3 ways:

Chapter 11 The Elements of Drama • Dramatic productions are categorized in 3 ways: – Tragedy – Social drama – Melodrama • Each type has its own unique characteristics and each requires its own set of actin skills.

Chapter 11 Greek Tragedy • Considered to be the highest form of drama, tragedy

Chapter 11 Greek Tragedy • Considered to be the highest form of drama, tragedy magnifies the intensity of profound human emotions to tell the story of a person who achieves a sense of nobility by means of unswerving sacrifice and/or suffering. • In classic Greek tragedy, the protagonist struggles with a particular problem or an opposing force and eventually goes down in defeat—usually death—but not before achieving an aura of dignity.

Chapter 11 Greek Tragedy • Because of the depth of a tragedy’s emotion, they

Chapter 11 Greek Tragedy • Because of the depth of a tragedy’s emotion, they audience tends to experience horror, pity, and deep sadness, which are typically followed by a catharsis, the sense of calm that comes from purging the emotions. • Also typical in Greek tragedies is a tragic hero who comes into conflict with the gods.

Chapter 11 Greek Tragedy • The audience always knew the plot of these classic

Chapter 11 Greek Tragedy • The audience always knew the plot of these classic myths, but was eager to see how a particular playwright would handle the relationship between the gods and the hero. • Violence, as such, was never witnessed by the audience in these tragedies. • The chorus or a messenger would report the violent action. • The tragedies of Sophocles, such as Oedipus Rex and Antigone, are perfect examples of classic Greek Tragedy.

Chapter 11 Shakespeare’s Tragedies • The Elizabethan playwrights ignored the classical tragic form, for

Chapter 11 Shakespeare’s Tragedies • The Elizabethan playwrights ignored the classical tragic form, for the most part. • The tragedies of William Shakespeare often focused on a protagonist at odds with himself. • This often highborn hero has a tragic flaw, which ultimately brings about his/her own destruction. • Shakespeare and his contemporaries often mixed comedy into their tragedies; and music, song, and dance were sometimes part of a scene as well.

Chapter 11 Shakespeare’s Tragedies • Dialogue that was intellectual or meaningful would be presented

Chapter 11 Shakespeare’s Tragedies • Dialogue that was intellectual or meaningful would be presented in iambic pentameter; the uneducated or foolish often spoke in prose. • The tragic universe of Shakespeare’s plays often highlights a disrupted life that seeks to regain order within a spiritual context. • Hamlet, Macbeth, and King Lear are fine examples of Shakespearean tragedy.

Chapter 11 Serious Drama Today • Of course some actors are still taking on

Chapter 11 Serious Drama Today • Of course some actors are still taking on the plays of the Greeks and Elizabethans, but there are many contemporary plays that investigate issues similar to those in the tragedies of the past. • This serious drama, called social drama, tackles subjects that do not fall strictly into the category of tragedy—the everyday struggles and failures of ordinary folk in the hard-edged landscape of the 20 th and 21 st centuries.

Chapter 11 Serious Drama Today • Arthur Miller’s heroes, in such plays as All

Chapter 11 Serious Drama Today • Arthur Miller’s heroes, in such plays as All My Sons and Death of a Salesman, struggle to maintain their dignity and humanity while acting in immoral ways. • Lawrence and Lee’s Inherit the Wind and Rebecca Gilman’s Boy Gets Girl also explore important contemporary issues. • In Waiting for Gadot and Endgame, Samuel Beckett’s antiheroes come to realize the modern world is meaningless and chaotic.

Chapter 11 Serious Drama Today • In serious and tragic plays, the characters are

Chapter 11 Serious Drama Today • In serious and tragic plays, the characters are usually fully drawn individuals who have one dominant trait that the actor must project. • Hamlet is indecisive; Othello is jealous; Anne Sullivan in The Miracle Worker is stubborn and determined. • The protagonist of just about any tragedy or serious play is in some definable way very impressive.

Chapter 11 Serious Drama Today • This impressiveness is the result of not only

Chapter 11 Serious Drama Today • This impressiveness is the result of not only the character’s indomitable spirit, but also because he/she has the courage to stand up against a great obstacle. • It should go without saying that the antagonist must also be played with strength to provide an adequate conflict for the protagonist. • Keep all these things in mind as you prepare for a scene.

Chapter 11 Using Emotion • The intense emotions called for in dramatic roles must

Chapter 11 Using Emotion • The intense emotions called for in dramatic roles must be portrayed with utter conviction and sincerity while maintaining the poise necessary to put the play across. • To create these emotions, you may need to use emotional recall. • This is the process by which you use the memory of emotional incidents from your own past and transfer them to the similarly emotional situation your character is in.

Chapter 11 Using Emotion • To do this, you must focus on the details

Chapter 11 Using Emotion • To do this, you must focus on the details of the past event and try to visualize and feel the emotion all over again. • Then try to create that same emotion in the character.

Chapter 11 Melodrama • Melodrama is a type of play that focuses more on

Chapter 11 Melodrama • Melodrama is a type of play that focuses more on cliff-hanging action and tugs on the heartstrings than on character development or society’s real problems. • The purpose of a melodrama is to create a great suspense and excitement in the audience. • It was very popular in the US in the early 1800 s and is still performed by small theatre groups and high school drama groups across the country.

Chapter 11 Melodrama • Most melodramas have a happy ending. • Examples: – Frederick

Chapter 11 Melodrama • Most melodramas have a happy ending. • Examples: – Frederick Knott’s Dial M for Murder – Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap – Maxwell Anderson’s The Bad Seed • A subcategory of melodrama are the Gay Nineties melodramas (meaning they were written and first performed in the 1890 s).

Chapter 11 Melodrama • These plays have exaggerated values of right and wrong. •

Chapter 11 Melodrama • These plays have exaggerated values of right and wrong. • They feature such stock types as the mustachioed villain and the sweet, innocent heroine. • Though modern audiences find these plays, humorous, in their time such works also aroused tears.

Chapter 11 Using Regional Accents • A regional accent is the particular sound of

Chapter 11 Using Regional Accents • A regional accent is the particular sound of speech for a region. • Inexperienced actors are not usually cast in roles for which an accent is necessary, but even actors with plenty of experience can be frustrated by tricky speech patterns associated with particular places.

Chapter 11 Using Regional Accents • If you are cast in a role that

Chapter 11 Using Regional Accents • If you are cast in a role that requires you to speak with an accent of a certain region, you can, of course, get a book on the subject, but a better choice would be to listen to a native speaker, either in person on on tape. • To do a credible accent, you will need to develop your ear. For example, imagine that you have been cast as the cockney flower girl Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw.

Chapter 11 Using Regional Accents • To get familiar with the accent, you can

Chapter 11 Using Regional Accents • To get familiar with the accent, you can get a videotape of the play, or you might find a tape that includes a lower-class urban English accent. • Listen for specific sounds in the accent and think about how they differ from your normal speech. • You will need to figure out the phonetic differences so that you can recreate them consistently.

Chapter 11 Using Regional Accents • Consistency is key. • Consistency is the most

Chapter 11 Using Regional Accents • Consistency is key. • Consistency is the most crucial element when it comes to developing a believable accent. • When you perform, it’s important to give the suggestion of the accent rather than concerning yourself with making every sound recognizable as being from a particular place. • The most important thing is that you can be clearly understood.

Chapter 11 Using Regional Accents • Most actors take on the acquisition of an

Chapter 11 Using Regional Accents • Most actors take on the acquisition of an accent privately, not during rehearsal time. • However, professional theatre sometimes employ coaches to help the actors in this regard. • These experts work with the cast to hone and perfect their speech and create the kind of consistent accents that audiences expect.

Chapter 11 • • • Dramatic Roles Activity Sheet Using Dialects Worksheet Critique Sheet:

Chapter 11 • • • Dramatic Roles Activity Sheet Using Dialects Worksheet Critique Sheet: Dramatic Scene Dramatic Roles Quiz

Chapter 12 Comic Roles • It is said that tragedy is when you fall

Chapter 12 Comic Roles • It is said that tragedy is when you fall down the stairs and comedy is when someone else does. It’s not that we enjoy seeing others suffer—it’s that we know how to laugh at ourselves—after it stops hurting. Good comedy requires perspective: The comic actor presents a character’s misfortune while providing just enough emotional distance to let us laugh. It’s a juggling act, but when it works, it’s magic.

Chapter 12 Project Specs • Project Description: – You will write and perform a

Chapter 12 Project Specs • Project Description: – You will write and perform a comic monologue of 3 -5 minutes. • Purpose: – To develop a sense of comic presentation and timing. • Materials: – A list of character traits that describe your character of the Comic Roles Activity Sheet provided.

Chapter 12 • Terms: – Burlesque – Comedy of Manners – Farce – High

Chapter 12 • Terms: – Burlesque – Comedy of Manners – Farce – High Comedy – Hold – Low Comedy -Middlebrow COmedy -Parody -Rule of Three -Satire -Travesty

Chapter 12 What’s So Funny? • No two people have funny bones in exactly

Chapter 12 What’s So Funny? • No two people have funny bones in exactly the same spot. • What some people find hilarious, others find painful or sad. • What sends you rolling on the floor might only nudge a smile out of the person next to you. • In fact, humor varies so greatly that it can be classified in several different genres.

Chapter 12 What’s So Funny? • Low Comedy: physical and sometimes vulgar; includes outlandish/exaggerated

Chapter 12 What’s So Funny? • Low Comedy: physical and sometimes vulgar; includes outlandish/exaggerated forms of humor like farce and burlesque (both genres make use of oddly harmless violence) – Farce: make odd use of harmless violence; stretches common plots to the very edge of believability through exaggeration and surprise; tend to be extreme in appearance, movements, and reactions; the characters do not believe they are being funny, but their circumstance and habits are laughable.

Chapter 12 What’s So Funny? – Burlesque: make use of oddly harmless violence; uses

Chapter 12 What’s So Funny? – Burlesque: make use of oddly harmless violence; uses a great deal of exaggeration, but directed at a person, custom, artifact, or event; can take the form of a travesty and poke fun at respected subjects; parodies famous works by imitating the author’s style in a humorous way; extreme in appearance, movements, and reactions; characters are not intentionally funny.

Chapter 12 What’s So Funny? • Middlebrow Comedy: includes more plotbased, sentimental genres, such

Chapter 12 What’s So Funny? • Middlebrow Comedy: includes more plotbased, sentimental genres, such as romantic comedy, situation comedy, and sentimental comedy. These genres may provoke chuckles and smiles, but they also encourage weeping and other emotional responses. Characters in these comedies are more realistic, though their situations and responses can still be quite broad.

Chapter 12 What’s So Funny? • High Comedy: includes satire and comedy of manners.

Chapter 12 What’s So Funny? • High Comedy: includes satire and comedy of manners. Satire makes fun of individual people and their follies in an attempt to change their foolish behavior. A comedy of manners, such as Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The School for Scandal often makes fun of upper-class pretentiousness and the accepted standards of the wealthy. Both genres appeal to the intelligence of their audience. Pokes fun at political situations, cultural habits, and entrenched attitudes.

Chapter 12 What’s So Funny? • The more you know about the subject of

Chapter 12 What’s So Funny? • The more you know about the subject of satire and how comedies approach this subject, the more you can appreciate the characters’ sly and subtle sarcasm. • Characters in these genres must be fairly realistic and restrained, yet quirky and witty enough to provoke laughter. • What do almost all comic actors have in common? Commitment. No matter how ridiculous their situation…they take their acting seriously!

Chapter 12 Engaging the Audience • Obviously, drama and comedy have some things in

Chapter 12 Engaging the Audience • Obviously, drama and comedy have some things in common, however, some necessary techniques are particular to comedy. • A coming writer and performer must engage an audience in the comic character, employing at least some of the following elements:

Chapter 12 Engaging the Audience – Be sure that the audience identifies with your

Chapter 12 Engaging the Audience – Be sure that the audience identifies with your character. – The audience should feel that it knows something your character doesn’t. – Help the audience feel superior to your character. – Throw in the unexpected just when the audience is least expecting it. – Invert the logic of a situation by doing what seems illogical. For example, two enemies might hug in the middle of an argument. – Juxtapose 2 opposite things to heighten confusion. For example, pair a short, fat person with a tall, thin one, or create a character who loves kittens but is full of rage. – Use rapid-fire dialogue and movement. – Remember the Rule of Three

Chapter 12 Engaging the Audience • Once an audience starts to respond, the actor

Chapter 12 Engaging the Audience • Once an audience starts to respond, the actor must remember to hold for laughs. • This means you must pause a bit to wait until the laughing dies down. • If you speak and act over the laughing, the audience will start to restrain their laughter in order to follow the action, or they may lose an important part of the dialogue. • If you freeze, you can continue when the laughter subsides. This allows the laughter to build and, perhaps, fill the house.

Chapter 12 • • • Comic Roles Activity Sheet Analyzing Humor Worksheet Critique Sheet:

Chapter 12 • • • Comic Roles Activity Sheet Analyzing Humor Worksheet Critique Sheet: Comic Monologue Comic Roles Quiz