Monday, June 27, 2011

Comedy Or Drama. Which Is Harder?

Having been a stage actor, people sometimes ask me if it’s harder to perform comedy or drama?

And honestly, I must say that even though it’s my forte, comedy is harder.

Mainly, because you can’t fake funny.

If you don’t believe me, try making yourself produced a laugh, and then try making yourself produce tears. I think you’ll find it much more challenging to make yourself genuinely laugh, than you will tears.

I once heard Bette Davis share in an interview, that she had great difficultly making herself laugh on cue in a scene.

I have found that most comedic actors can easily shift into drama, yet not all dramatic actors can make the shift into comedy.

Comedy is demanding because it’s all about having a keen sixth sense of timing.

You have to feel when to pause for the laughs; sensing when to continue.

Also, comedy must start with truth and seriousness in order for it to be genuinely funny.

A comedic actor must be aware of the humor, but play against it.

In addition, stage comedy relies much on the participation of the audiences audible reaction. So, if you have a dead audience some nights, you have to learn how to rise above it and not permit them to affect your performance.

And in film, comedy is even harder. Because there is no live audience.

Allow me to interject here, that whether it be comedy or drama, I truly believe you cannot be taught how to act.

Acting is a gift.

Sure, you can be taught a ‘technique’, but unless that technique is invisible to the audience, your acting will register as mechanical.

Many times I’ve watched an actor onstage or on the screen trying to use a particular technique, and to me it’s very obvious. Obvious, because I see them thinking about it, rather than trusting that the technique has become second nature.

A true artist knows how to take a technique, and then infuse it with their own natural talent; making it naked to the eye.

I have always found it frustrating to work with other actors who like to talk about and analyze a scene incessantly before rehearsing it. I guess you could call me an 'organic actor' because I don’t act by thinking about it. I act by throwing myself into a scene and then seeing what happens. I let my intuition lead the way.

I started out being a comedic actor because comedy came natural to me. I honestly didn’t think I could ever perform drama because I somehow thought I would over-blow it - and was scared shitless to try it. However, I soon discovered that if I took my understanding of comedy and then applied it to drama, I could do it.

Starting with the truth.

Believing in what I’m doing.

And then just surrendering to the dialogue.

Strangely enough, because of my background in comedy, I was able to uncover the humorous levels in a dramatic character. I mean after all, a human being is not all one thing.

I’ve played some not-very-nice characters in my career, and was able to find bits of humor in them so that the audience didn’t end up totally hating them.

Yes, comedy will always be my favorite. It’s both easy, yet very challenging.

However, dabbling in drama opened my eyes to portraying the truth in all characters.

Finding the comedy in the drama.

And the drama in the comedy.

As in life….it is all blended together!