I just finished doing a run of a musical called Urinetown. It's a comedy and, as the title suggests, it is a show about pee. More specifically, a show about what happens when your rights to pee for free are taken away. It's also one of the few shows that breaks the fourth wall and makes fun of the structure of musical theater. The show is actually hilarious. While it was and still is one of my favorite shows, and while I have to say that this it is probably the most fun I've ever had doing a show, I also have to say that it was also very difficult and very much a learning experience.
I've always known somewhere in the back of my brain that comedy was difficult. People always say that comedy is harder than drama and I nod in agreement, but secretly I'm thinking, "Is it, though? I find that making people laugh is pretty easy." But through doing this show I've learned that comedy is a lot more than just making people laugh. Comedy comes with pressure and expectations. In dramas, it is about the story; the plot and the relationships take the front seat. In comedy, especially musical comedies, it is all about the performance. People don't leave the theatre stripped of their souls or questioning the meaning of life. They leave thinking about how good your comic timing was, how good your singing was or who played Ms. Pennywise.
On top of all that is the pressure of doing a comedy that everyone is familiar with. I put a lot of pressure on myself through this performance to find my own take on Bobby Strong, not Hunter Foster's take (although he did have a very good one). Not an easy task for someone who knows the cast recording backwards and forwards. And apparently, I wasn't the only one because every night when I started singing the first line of "Run, Freedom Run" someone in the audience would go, "YES!" They had no idea if I was going to be good at it or not, but they knew they loved the song so I better not fuck it up. That's the kind of pressure that I find can be debilitating. Now I know how Elphie feels every night when she starts singing "Defying Gravity." How does one deal with it?!? Well, folks, here's what I learned - Just drop in the breath, and focus on the given circumstances. In the end, theatre isn't about pleasing an audience, it's about storytelling. So I learned that the only way to combat the pressures of comedy is to just focus on living in the story. Thanks BFA. And, while I'm at it, thanks to everyone involved with Urinetown and anyone who came to see it. Couldn't have capped off senior year more magnificently.
I love you all, Comfy Cornerers!
2 comments:
You definitely made Bobby your own. I loved the show---you guys made me laugh every second!!
Thanks Elise! I am glad it made people laugh, after all theatre was meant to amuse.
Post a Comment