The Big Green House

Tuesday, September 23, 2003

 

Dying is easy... comedy is hard

People ask me, from time to time, if I miss the theater. Invariably I say no, in the most emphatic way possible. (This usually involves grabbing them by the ears and headbutting them, while simultaneously screaming �No fucking way!�. It�s hard on both parties, but I find it an incredibly effective way of getting my point across.) My experience therein can be summed up thusly: it�s a collaborative art in which very few people actually want to collaborate. As always, your personal mileage may vary.

One thing I do miss, though, is the experience of getting a laugh from an audience. If you�ve never experienced that sensation, I don�t know if I can describe it accurately for you. I mean, it�s one thing to crack up a couple of friends at the bar; it�s something else entirely to get, say, 300 strangers to laugh. It�s very� satisfying. That sounds really lame, but it�s the truth. You put in a lot of work in rehearsal, getting your timing worked out, adjusting whatever business you�re doing, and then you take it out in front of an audience and (hopefully) get your yuks.

Physical comedy is deceptive: when it�s done well, it looks absolutely effortless. None of that work should show. Acting like a klutz and actually being one are very different. A good pratfall requires exquisite timing, the physical dexterity and grace of a dancer, and a willingness to make yourself look like an ass. I had no problem with that last part, but as I am a klutz by nature, the other two weren�t always there. My hat�s off to those who can do that sort of thing and do it exceedingly well. Including the following:

Probably one of the nicest guys I ever had the privilege of working with was Jeff Raz. I first met him when he taught a clowning seminar at our school; I later did some backstage work for the Pickle Family Circus during one of their holiday shows. (The second picture from the top is from the show I worked on.) Raz is a great teacher, very patient and constructive in his criticism. He�s also a really funny person, both onstage and off.

I never had the opportunity to work with Geoff Hoyle, but I can tell you that the hardest I�ve ever laughed in any theater was when I saw him perform his solo show A Feast of Fools. (Apparently now he�s using an accompanist; I don�t remember anyone else involved in the show, but it�s been about 15 years since I saw it.) It�s almost merciless, how his bits are stacked one on top of another. There was very little time to breathe, I was laughing so hard. Go see him if you get the chance.

Otherwise, you�ll be kicking your self for years afterward, as I am for not seeing Bill Irwin�s Fool Moon when it played in Seattle a couple of years ago. He�s probably the most famous physical comedian working today.* Those of you in or near New York have a great opportunity to see him at the Signature Theater this year.

*I don�t want to hear about Jim Carey. Mugging and physical comedy are not the same thing.

bmarkey 9/23/2003 08:59:00 PM