COMEDY Not Necessarily Funny... But as Beautiful as SPRING

Comedy is based on the idea of an alteration of the oppressive nature of societal conventions....

Think about …. an opportunity to do what is generally deemed “incorrect” or “immoral” think of Mardi-Gras and Carnival an opportunity to break free of the rules and create imaginative ways of enjoyment a release of tension is created

The original reason for HOLIDAYS (prior to them being HOLYdays) were to have days of rest and play for the workers who were usually bound by the long days of labour and strict laws of behaviour. Again... there is a sense of letting go and releasing the stresses of life. NO REST FOR US.... :( Music SOOTHES us :)

COMEDY ALLOWS FOR A DOUBLE LEVEL OF EXISTENCE.... FIRST LEVEL conventional and rigorous ________________________ SECOND LEVEL imaginative and limitless

The CENTRAL GOAL OF COMEDY IS TO REACH THIS SECOND LEVEL OF EXISTENCE This second level is a NEW WORLD that is: - more tolerant - more understanding - more creative - more imaginative - more free than the first level we regularly live in

Comedy is about REBIRTH like the season SPRING... it is about:  - new transformation  - rebirth and rejuvenation  - human achievement COMEDY then is about nature’s power to renew itself and human’s ability to bounce back from defeat

THINK OF WHAT HAS JUST COME BEFORE the icy coldness of the winter the deadness of the world as it sleeps the isolation of humanity (we’re kept indoors) the starkness of a cold, sharp, bitter season

Who is the COMIC HERO/HEROINE? Young (if not in age, at least in spirit) Close to the reader’s ability (not larger than life, but like us) Representing the BEST of humanity (and this is the heroic nature of the Comic hero/heroine - being such a great representation of our possibilities as humans)

The hero/heroine’s main problem is.... HOW TO STAY HEROIC IN A SOCIETY THAT IS ALWAYS TRYING TO INHIBIT HIS/HER GOODNESS Because There is ALWAYS a BLOCKER to the hero’s attempts.

The classic COMIC STRUGGLE then is.... The INNER GOODNESS of the of the hero/heroine VS The OUTER FORCES of the blocker and his/her power (often society or government)

And, while the hero/heroine doesn’t always win... there is still HOPE! The hero/heroine’s very existence shows the possibility of goodness in the world (just like in Tragedy) Through the hero/heroine’s dealings with the blocker we can see the hypocrisy of the world The hero/heroine’s spirited fight shows that the difference between life and death is more than physical... it’s about the spirit and the imagination

About the blocker Can be SOCIETY AS A WHOLE Can be a representation of society’s rules Can be a single blocker to imagination and freedom Can be thoughts, feelings and beliefs (either individual or societal)

About the hero Is naive but never ignorant Hopeful for the future and sees the best in us all Never becomes corrupt - always has a moral advantage over the blocker Embodies all that makes humanity good

Different points on the wheel The PHASES of Comedy Phase 1 - the hero is ultimately defeated but there is hope in the struggle. Phase 2 - the hero succeeds over the blocker, but is ultimately unable to create change in the society (no rebirth) BUT the laughter we get from the hero’s adventure that frees us from the hypocrisy (like a seed). Phase 3 - the hero overcomes the powerful influence that attempts to block freedom (often depicted as a lover who overcomes an obstacle to finding love) and the love leads to REBIRTH (you know, love, wedding... sex... babies). Phase 4 - the hero begins to change society - like the transformation of the flower from the seed. The society sees the hypocrisy and begins to change. Phase 5 - the hero is the society as a whole that has a better understanding of the hypocrisy of the world and can look down at other societies that are still “in the dark” - think of faeries and elves. Phase 6 - the arrival and beginning of enjoyment in the land of freedom, spirit, creativity and imagination. The whole society is living in the greenery of spring and all life has opened up to its own possibility. The use of memory of the journey acts here as a tool to teach of the dangers of the world. Here... the world hasn’t really changed, but the human perspective of its place in the world has changed and everyone has a new appreciation of life and imagination.

In general... we can deduce COMEDY using the following criteria Is there a main goal or message dealing with renewal, rebirth, or transformation? Is there a sense of love, imagination, and free spirit embodied in a character who is initially oppressed but who eventually triumphs over the power that restrain? Is there a happy ending that embodies the values of truth, tolerance, imaginative growth and love that gives a sense that the world and humanity will continue to rejuvenate itself against the oppressive forces of evil and death?

REMEMBER..... The Comic hero/heroine is resisting the forces of death and oppression using his/her imagination and understanding powers. Imagination is more important than knowledge. Albert Einstein

What we see as comedy in our own everyday lives, if not satire (which pokes fun specifically to make a point), then is based on the basic principal of BREAKING OF THE CONFINING RULES SO... anything that challenges the unnecessary rules of society and lets imagination and creativity run free is comic. Humour is a good part of this, because the things we find funny are often rule-breaking, or at least rule-pushing... think of The Simpsons, Tom Green, Flight of the Concords, Saturday Night Live... they are all about pushing the boundaries of “good taste” and “proper deportment”.... and they represent a move toward a more tolerant and understanding society.

PLAYING COMEDY.... how to. Can be physical and broad (think Jim Carry) OR can be elegant and witty (think Mitch Hedberg) Farce (low, bawdy, rude, physical) - Something About Mary, Superbad Comedy of Manners (high) - Sex in the City, Importance of Being Earnest Black Comedy = The Cable Guy, Fargo, Dr. Strangelove Romantic Comedy = Sleepless in Seattle, Shakespeare in Love, Twelfth Night Always using exaggeration, aggression, incongruity, reversal (think drag) Always has an awareness of humanity’s contradictions and incongruities, and helps us to accept and reconcile them (we are OK with our own limits and learn to live with them using our imaginative spirit and creativity) BUT THERE IS A BASIC IDEA COMMON TO ALL OF THESE ---- Society is challenged and the rules are broken and the hero is somehow fighting against the forces of power and control.