Comedy Writing and Using Actors

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Works under consideration: 0
Current Dominant Thought: Comedy Writing for the greater good
Ideas: 1.1

Working with actors can be fun. It can also be a complete bastard. It’s fun when they are not pursing their own believe in THEIR ability and a bastard when they try to assert their ego.

I worked with friends to put on my own theatre performance. The first time it was sublime as the two friends were talented, listened and contributed to make the piece stronger. The second time the actress walked out on me two weeks before taking a show to the Edinburgh fringe. The third time the show drifted away from me as I resigned control – various reasons…

I’m running our of opportunities and so I have to make my own. So what am I going to do…

Create my own online comedy publishing empire with a series of web sites showing my work. So I have to recruit a pool of performers (but not their egos), film it, and promote in online on video sites including the uber YouTube.

I’ve written a plan. A big plan full of BIG IDEAS and I’m going to make it work.

There are dozens of tools, improv’s etc that you can use to take a piece and make it special and one other fact…anyone can act.

So I’m going to start recruiting in the new year. I need a pool of actors to work on my material but also have the ability (and I have to like the F***ers) so I can create new stuff.

EXERCISE 1
Opening a door and introducing yourself.

The performer goes out of the room. He/she knocks, enters, says their name and leaves.

Easy isn’t it? Well it tests them as they are faced with an audience and they have to be themselves. You can build this exercise into a comedy piece very quickly. You can ‘hot spot’ them and integrate them and you can also make it into a silent clown piece. You can learn instantly what suits them as a performer and write to their strengths as you see their discomfort.

Tune in Next Time for…
For Exercise 2 – how strong is the performer.


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