Playing comedy – for real
A young actor remarked to me the other day “when you play comedy, you can’t be real.” My response was a heartfelt denial.
Broadway actress, Andrea Martin, 5 times nominated and 2 times winner of a Tony for Best Featured Actress in a Musical, says in today’s New York Times, that “comedy comes from dedication to a role, rather than angling for laughs. ‘To go into something thinking, How am I gonna get a laugh? Is really disastrous in a play'”.
Her current co-star, Tracee Chimo, agrees: “You want the audience to laugh, and you want them to enjoy themselves, but you can’t ask for it – it’s a funky balance,” she said, “like walking this beautiful tightrope. You just have to stay as true as possible to the material and hope that they find it funny.”
Happy Festive Season!
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