I thought with the upcoming Moon Over Buffalo, it would be a good time to talk about comedy. It has been said that comedy is hard. I cannot, nor will I try to refute this saying. This statement may cause one to say that drama is easy. Not so. Lee Strasberg and and his followers have tried to make drama more attainable by applying “The Method” to it. Perhaps, if we apply “The Method” to comedy, this will make comedy more attainable.
Using goals (what the character wants in a scene) and tactics (how we intend to reach those goals) is a good place to start. Let me say this: “Trying to be funny doesn’t work.” Comedy happens when we are trying not to be funny. Comedy happens, for the most part, when we try (in all sincerity) to achieve a goal and are unsuccessful. This can also be tragedy. Comedy and Tragedy are different sides of the same street. It is the mood of the play that determines whether something is tragic or comic.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. I want to start a discussion on this. If you wish to comment, or pose a different line of thought, I can be reached at onsredneh at hotmail dot com.
Editors note: This article by occasional contributor Jason Henderson, is the first in a series. Check back often.
