Comedy or Tragedy (1 Viewer)

[chingly_choo]

Hey I was wondering for people who are doing monologues, wether you will be doing a comedy or a serious one?

Opening it up for all discussion who prefers to do comedy or seriousnessness???

I am interested becaus emy drama teacher once told me that people take seriouness as being harder to do while believing that comedy is easy?

What do people think?

 

[^CoSMic DoRiS^^]

i personally prefer comedy/lighthearted pieces to dead serious dramatic ones, because when i do really serious/sad/dark monologues i tend to feel a bit selfconcious and i never feel that i've done as well as i could have, wheras when i perform pieces that are comedic or are really unusual and interesting i feel a lot better about them. I dont think serious pieces are hard, but you do have to be careful how you present them so that they dont come across as that kind of cliched "burst into a sobbing heap on the floor" type of performance - those get boring after a while. the best serious pieces ive seen dont necessarily include screaming or crying and if they do, they build up to it, lots of tension etc.

i also like performing/watching black comedy pieces where they take a serious issue eg the murder of the character's father and treat it humourously.

 

[Crowie]

yea im doing a serious performance
i devised a piece from the play equus its a play about a teenage guy who thru all these influences stabs out these horses eyes n how he effects everyones life
i decided 2 choose a more serious one mainly cause i started drama in yr 9 2 push myself n break boundaries n push my self to do things i wouldnt hav seen myself doing so i decided cause i am a happy laid back guy lol i would do sumfin the opposite as more of a challenge
but what i hav done so far its realli great and so happy with wat i have and enjoying the challenge n cant wait till we start on groups as well !!!

 

[chingly_choo]

i personally prefer comedy/lighthearted pieces to dead serious dramatic ones, because when i do really serious/sad/dark monologues i tend to feel a bit selfconcious and i never feel that i've done as well as i could have, wheras when i perform pieces that are comedic or are really unusual and interesting i feel a lot better about them. I dont think serious pieces are hard, but you do have to be careful how you present them so that they dont come across as that kind of cliched "burst into a sobbing heap on the floor" type of performance - those get boring after a while. the best serious pieces ive seen dont necessarily include screaming or crying and if they do, they build up to it, lots of tension etc.

i also like performing/watching black comedy pieces where they take a serious issue eg the murder of the character's father and treat it humourously.

I agree I get really self-concious when I do serious pieces, and tend to do interesting quirky ones, which suit me better.

In saying that I have great repsect for people who can do deep and meaningful pieces without sounding cliche or over the top!

 

[timtam]

I like both serious and comedy and if you can pull either off then you are going to get good marks. The examiners shouldn't be bias towards one or the other. Personally i don't think it is harder to do serious, it just depends on how much work you are prepared to do on it. My monologue is deals with both comedy and seriousness

 

[Meldrum]

In a lot of ways, I've taken the whingers way out and mixed both in an adaptation of Richard III, but in saying that I'm really not acknowledging the frig-load of work I've had to do to change it.

But I wouldn't like to rate one above the other because even though OnStage is 80% comedy, that's only representative of the audience's expectations...if you look at marks across the state it goes 50-50.

 

[GlobalOperation]

with my monolouge i wanted to stimulate the mind and have the judges question something(life, the way they live it, their perceptions on things) so i have gone with a more serious tone but i use a bit of light hearted humour to make it enjoyable as well. so i have a deep and meaningful reflection followed by a laugh. i think thats the best way to do it.

 

[chingly_choo]

Yeah that's what I think works the best.

I have heaps of repsect for people who can have the audience laughing happily away and then hit them with something that makes them think. The audience gets used to laughing and then suddenly thinks, hang on a second that's not funny at all.

 

[Meldrum]

Yeah that's what I think works the best.

I have heaps of repsect for people who can have the audience laughing happily away and then hit them with something that makes them think. The audience gets used to laughing and then suddenly thinks, hang on a second that's not funny at all.

lol

That's only the whole basis of modern, Australian theatre.

You're right in that but it's very hard to put exactly the right ammount of emphasis in certain, specific parts of your performance.

 

[freaked!]

i wish i was but i'm just not funny, so i guess that it will be serious for me, i think that comedy is harder....anyone can put on teen angst (such as myself) but to make an audience really laugh is a gift

 

[^CoSMic DoRiS^^]

hmmm, ur right there...but all the same i really hate performing serious pieces. i feel like such a tool, plus my "pain" face is really closer to my "constipation" face. so yeah. comedy all the way for me

 

[Pierotte]

It really depends on what you enjoy, and what you feel you can pull off. Id always been a comedy person untill last year when i did a dramatic monologue and topped the grade ( oh im allowed to brag a little ), but this year i decided to go back to comedy as it is really hard to find a credible dramatic peice out there, they all seem so cliched over the top/screaming/crying/moaning/talking-about-issues that-were-taboo-and-contavercial-years-ago-but-are-now-the-norm/ topped off with a suicide.... theyre just plain annoying, if u cant find a good peice steer away from dramatic ones at all costs!!! As for your teacher saying comedy is easy !!! BAH! it is not an easy thing to keep and audience amused for 10 minutes on your own, it actually quite a terrifying prospect! especially since in the HSC i doubt the markers will be laughing so it can be discouraging and daunting.
Both dramtic and comedy have their postives, dramatic is more personal, but comedy is more physical.
Just make sure you cover all the necessary marking criteria well and you will do fine, after all not all the perfomances that get into onstage are the most entertaining things you will ever see, but they are all flawless!
good luck

 

[ti_amo_anthony]

i cant do comedy, well i have done bridget jones before, and have done alright, but i dont think i can pull off comedy really well, i dont know, i spose its coz there are a few ppl in my class who are naturally hilarious, so i feel like i am pathetic, and when the audience laughs i lose concerntration and start laughing, i cant help it, so that is why i like the more dramatic pieces coz then i have no reason to laugh and i feel more confident with them

 

[chingly_choo]

It really depends on what you enjoy, and what you feel you can pull off. Id always been a comedy person untill last year when i did a dramatic monologue and topped the grade ( oh im allowed to brag a little ), but this year i decided to go back to comedy as it is really hard to find a credible dramatic peice out there, they all seem so cliched over the top/screaming/crying/moaning/talking-about-issues that-were-taboo-and-contavercial-years-ago-but-are-now-the-norm/ topped off with a suicide.... theyre just plain annoying, if u cant find a good peice steer away from dramatic ones at all costs!!! As for your teacher saying comedy is easy !!! BAH! it is not an easy thing to keep and audience amused for 10 minutes on your own, it actually quite a terrifying prospect! especially since in the HSC i doubt the markers will be laughing so it can be discouraging and daunting.
Both dramtic and comedy have their postives, dramatic is more personal, but comedy is more physical.
Just make sure you cover all the necessary marking criteria well and you will do fine, after all not all the perfomances that get into onstage are the most entertaining things you will ever see, but they are all flawless!
good luck

Yeah the audience can get bored if the piece is either, constantly funny, in the same old way...as in evertying is delivered in the same way and the jokes get old. But if the piece is waaaaay to emo and over the top I hate my life then they get bored to. that's why a mixture is good. Comedy can be personal too, though I understand what you are saying.

Ahh hell why don't we al do the exact same monologue and really give the markers a suprise

 

[ashg]

i can only do comedy if im playing a male character...which aint that cool what with me being female and its discouraged to play male if your female, for obvious reasons. im doing a serious/tragic piece, only problem with it is that i tend to get too involved, my piece is pretty depressing.

 

[Gummy_bear]

i think ppl prefer to do comedy because it is more obvious if you get a response from the audience. its nice to know that ppl understand your piece, and in comedy you can really hear it, where as in dramatic performances its more difficult to know what the audience thinks, unless of course they start crying loudly!
i was in year 11 last year and we had to watch the HSC markings as part of the criteria, as most you know. anyway, one girl was hilarious and the girl next was doing a dramatic piece about hereshimo. when she came out she said 'i didnt do as good as the girl before me' i said to her 'you cant compare, they are different pieces!' in fact, she had done great, everyone had a tear in their eyes and one girl was crying afterwards.
so, comedy is easy to get a result, but i think dramatic shows so much more because it IS harder to get a response.
im gummybear and thats my two cents

 

[jaihson]

I wouldnt say either is necessarily better, i spose its just what u feel more comfortable with. I think comedy is very hard as great comic timing is something that you cant be taught, you just have to either have or develop yourself. I agree, serious may not seem as good to people as the response isnt as obvious; but when ur onstage, and ur doing something really good, you'll always know you've got the audience. The way you work the audience in the two types is totally different.
But i reckon if your doing a comedy, make sure that its not the script thats 'carrying you'. Sure, anyone can get laughs from funny lines, but it takes a talented actor to really 'own' the script and get laughs from clever delivery and timing.

 

[Meldrum]

That's why, if you look at past OnStages, the funny scripts have all either been adapted or written by the actors. Comedies a very personal experience. That goes to explains why so many comedians are on anti-depressants - Rowan Atkinson had another attack the other day.

 

[chingly_choo]

i can only do comedy if im playing a male character...which aint that cool what with me being female and its discouraged to play male if your female, for obvious reasons. im doing a serious/tragic piece, only problem with it is that i tend to get too involved, my piece is pretty depressing.

Hey me too! I was always made ot play the man when we needed a guy in our drama pieces, as a result I feel silly playing anything else, which is screwed :S

Its funny though

 

[beckles]

to laugh or not to laugh...

damn guys, im really struggling with the IP thing!
i need some advice, or some ideas! i was doing virginia woolf, but found my piece incredibly BORING! so now im doing a famous character from the mid to late 20th century, with dissociative identity dissorder.
HOWEVER, im finding it difficult to get any actual storyline accross because its hard to get much into that short time frame when your a few different people! any advice would help heaps
thanks xx