Exploring different types of comedy
I am part of a group working on a devised piece based on the theme of
comedy. We have explored different types of comedy and are devising
ways of using these in a piece of drama.
We were given some stimulus material about commedia dell'arte, this
literally means artistic comedy. It started in the later half of the
16th century and this was a period where plays were stylish, classic
and cold. So, commedia dell'arte was the complete opposite and soon
loud, colourful representations cropped up all over Italy. The rules
of theatre were subverted in this new style.
Commedia dell'arte is mainly based on free improvisation on stage.
Actors starting performing on simple stages set outdoors with a simple
yet essential background. These improvised performances were never
subtle and the humour was very often bawdy and coarse.
There are a number of traditional characters that are related to
commedia dell'arte. Harlequin is probably the best known out of all of
the characters. He is comic servant who is lazy but energetic and both
stupid and clever. He adds to the comedy that is being created on
stage by the pure stupidity of the things that he does. He is often
seen leaping into the air, dancing and walking on stilts.
Another well known character is Pantaloon. He is a comic old merchant
from Venice. He loves to give advice although he often receives blows
from his servants, which creates comedy on stage.
Even though commedia dell'arte didn't generate specific ideas for
characters as such it did provide us with ideas for basic plot, as
this genre achieves most of its humour on stage from the ridiculous
situations that the characters are faced with.
Our group was given a second stimulus of pantomime, and we were given
'Dick Whittington', written by Derek Dwyer and Merlin Price. In
British theatre pantomime is a Christmas or New Year entertainment,
but its origins can be traced back to the 16th century improvised
comic drama, commedia dell'arte. This can be seen as pantomime
retained a number of elements of commedia dell'arte, including the
actress playing the part of the principle boy, and the actor playing
the dame.
Some new elements were also added into pantomime as it developed
throughout the ages such as popular songs, topical humour, audience
participation and a number of guest appearances from popular
entertainers of the day.
Many of these characteristics of typical pantomime can be seen in the
extract that we have been given of 'Dick Whittington'. For example,
before anyone even speaks there is a song to begin the show. This is
What is the most common perception held in this country concerning the people and the way they live in the South? The perception most of the country has about life down here in the South is one of slow-paced living, simple-minded people, and stubborn, unwarranted pride. One of the best ways to combat this perception is through the use of humor; Lewis Grizzard was one of the best at this, because he could take the experiences from his own life as well as the lives of others in the South and turn them into humorous semi-fictional stories. He was one of the preeminent fictional authors this country has ever seen because of his ability to connect with people and joke about everyday life in the south, without offending the subjects of those jokes, despite the popular opinion the rest of the country held.
Characterization is a good example of how this theme can be represented. The main character seems to be very dedicated to the building of the field and doing what the voice asks of him. There are few things he does that shoes how dedicated to the success of the field he is.
The theme in "The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara appears to be a lesson on
Josanna and the narrator are friends and co-workers, giving the narrator a unique perspective as she watches her friend deteriorate. In the opening of the story the narrator talks about a house fire on the prairie saying, “And you might think about the people in the burning house, see them trying for the stairs, but mostly you don’t give a damn. They are too far away, like everything else.” (Proulx, 189). The narrator compares Josanna to this house fire, you see it burning but there is nothing you can do to help but simply watch it as it turns to ash and embers. Josanna’s character before she meets Elk is depicted as a typical country girl who is tough and doesn’t take anything from any one. When Elk becomes a part of Johanna’s life she quickly looses her toughness and becomes complacent with Elks control over her because she was tired of being isolated and lonely for so long.
Barnet, Sylvan, William Burto, and William E. Cain. Literature for Composition. Boston: Pearson, 2014. Print
This essay is going to discuss about racism in comedy and in addition to that it is also going to look at whether it is acceptable for comedians to use certain racial words for example when black comedians use the word “Nigger”. Also it is going to look at how different audience put up with this kind of material, but first of all it is going to look at the actual word itself and where in the blue marble that we call earth it originated from.
Today, 78.1 million American adults and 12.5 million children are obese. Obesity in America is a unstoppable epidemic. Since the 1960s, the number of obese adults have doubled and the number of obese children have tripled. Because of America’s obesity problems, Surgeon General David Satcher issued a report saying; "The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight," said that obesity "have reached epidemic proportions" in America. Obesity in America has no doubt reached epidemic proportions. Since 2001, America has been the most obese country in the world. This essay discusses what obesity is and how it is affecting today’s America by answers the following questions:
According to Gazzaniga, Heatherton, and Halpern in Psychological Science, an effective to regulate emotion is through humor (430). Humor allows individuals to distance themselves from negative emotions and can strengthen social connections to others (Gazzaniga, Heatherton, and Halpern 431). In Native American communities, laughter and humor are often utilized to cope with stereotypes imposed upon Native Americans by non-Native people. Illustrations of this occurrence can be found throughout works by Native peoples, such as that by Sherman Alexie. These sources involve Native Americans embracing, rebelling against, and bringing attention to stereotypes about who they are and who the can be, all while using humor to cope with the emotions involved
The themes that are seen throughout the work are very effective in
The Federal surveys in America depict that there is a decline in the overall alcohol consumption amongst the members of a certain age group, whereas at the same time, the concentration of high numbers of alcohol abusers are associated with a certain age group. The total number of individuals aged below 65 who abuse alcoholic beverages in America has seen a drastic reduction in the last few years. However, the number of people between the age of 16 and 30 has been rising and has induced a significant short term and long-term effects especially on the health and productivity of the victims. The federal surveys indicate that there is an increased number of people who have been affected by the long-term effects associated with alcohol abuse the since 2009 (Yoshida, 2006).
When Ms. Havisham inherited money at a young age, she did not have to work anymore; therefore, she could do whatever she wanted, but it lead to a very sad and corrupted life. At a young age, Pip sees Ms. Havisham, “as an immensely rich and grim lady who lived in a large and dismal house barricaded against robbers, and who led a life of seclusion (53)." A mansion conveys that the owner is ‘immensely rich’ and usually contains all the materials a person may want in life, which can lead to happiness. Ms. Havisham inherited her wealth from her father, and has spent her days ‘barricaded’ inside the Satis House, ‘secluded’ from the outside world, showing that she is isolating herself from reality, leading to corruption. Her house, Satis House, which means enough house, implies that Ms. Havisham should be happy and completely content with her life, but she is not. Therefore, material and inherited money do not completely satisfy an individual or account for contentment. When Pip enters Ms. Havisham’s r...
While the Microsoft Empire maintains its status as a vast company of large-scale production, readily contributing to the national GDP, and yielding high interest and profits to its associates, criticism and controversial accusations keep mounting. The thought of a monopoly as the economic device for good business seems almost mind-boggling to Microsoft’s competing corporations, as well as the entire economic community, legal and commercial.
In addition to this, many of the characters in the novel show they also have the misconception that money makes a gentleman. Magwitch’s comment on Pip’s return that he [Pip] has ‘contracted expensive habits’ proves this and gives the impression that spending money in such lavish ways was no...
2. Obesity dramatically increased in the 70’s due to a number of factors. After World War 2, lawmakers, big business and labor leaders, along with many ordinary Americans put mass consumption at the center of their plans for a successful post-war nation. The availability of frozen dinners and a variety and surplus of different foods skyrocketed. In 1977, the US dietary guidelines changed drastically, promoting our diets as mainly carbohydrate based. Over the years, the sizes of certain foods and our portions have blown up. Twenty years ago, an average bagel was 3 inches in diameter and only 140 calories. Today, the size of the average bagel has doubled, now 6 inches in diameter and over 350 calories. The health problems that stem from being overweight go way beyond the ones we usually hear about, like diabetes and heart disease. Being overweight can also affect a person's joints, breathing, sleep, mood, and energy levels. In the U.S. 68.5% of adults are overweight or obese, 34.9% falling under the obese category and 31.8% of children and adolescents are overweight or obese with 16.9% being obese (Overweight and Obesity in the U.S.). Figuratively and literarily, the obesity rate is a growing problem. The total economic cost of overweight and obese persons in the United States and Canada caused by medical costs, excess mortality and disability is approximately $300 billion per year. $80 billion of this portion is due to overweight, and approximately $220 billion is due to obesity. Approximately 90 percent of the total $300 billon comes from the United States. The Trust for America's Healt...
The point of a storyline is to make people laugh. It does not have to