comedyclub

We laugh in the face of death
The Stand- Up Artist as Storyteller
“It’s common knowledge that comedians are extremely serious people.” The stand up comedian today has metamorphosed into a living being; a character so to speak, on whose shoulders rests a much superior task than the mere tactful recitation of ‘knob gags’ and ‘man walked into a bar…’ jokes.

There is something that intimately knits the stand up artist to the performer of monologues on stage - his evident association with the notion of the ‘storyteller’ . They take on a myriad of roles, sometimes becoming the narrator, at other times the witness, and ever so often turning into characters within their stories - speaking directly to the audience, making them laugh, making them cry, playing to the gallery. This fundamental connect with the audience, the minimal employment of costumes and props as well as the tirelessly changing use of body language and voice modulations ,reminds us of the sheer simplicity that rests at the heart of any performance act.

Numerous stand up acts around the world today, too, revolve around single, story-like narratives. These are no longer confined to the age-old convention of the comic artist coming on stage dressed in a formal suit, sharing with the audience his stories of bad flights, nagging girlfriends. Moreover, the employment of various supporting characters, props, lighting effects and absurd theatrical antics, is contributing to make stand up comedy increasingly theatrical.

Stand up comedy can definitely be seen as a stage performance. Even comedy is still unquestionably drama - and not fluff - more so due to its increasingly sharp political standpoint. It is a performance in no way derogatory. It’s about using your acting skills, not just telling jokes.
Comic ‘acts’ and theatrical performances are usually seen as inhabiting different worlds. Stand up comedy is considered a genre in itself and while that is great, what is saddening is that it is commonly treated with the same kind of lightheartedness that it is most enjoyed for. “….There is a habitual exclusion of stand-up comedy from serious, elevated discourse. In newspapers and periodicals, it is de rigueur to segregate stand-up comedy and theatre event listings. Editors decree their resting places-theatre events in the left column, comedy in the right. There the two genres remain, holding each other at arms’ length like wary neighbours… Their shared qualities notwithstanding, comedy and theatre are treated as unrelated, disparate forms.The topic of venue repeatedly comes up as a central influence on the tone of a performance and its reception. Visual artists like Marcel Duchamp showed us long ago that placement and context can constitute and legitimize the "artness" of art.”The fact that stand up comedy is most frequently performed at pubs and bars might tell us something about where we place it in life and what it means to us. It belongs to that time and space we reserve for relaxation and genial fun. Even provocation over major issues (which in another context may lead to serious results) is not seen as anything more than friendly banter and urges only lighthearted laughter.
Whether one is a genre extremist or not, it doesn’t take more than a glance to realize how theatrical even the setting of a stand-up show is. A single spotlight, a mike on a stand and small table with a bottle of water inadvertently produces an anticipatory effect. One anticipates drama.
Most stand-up artists are praised for being great showmen or performers but hardly great actors. Many argue that the stand-up comedian is not really an actor because he’s not really out of himself. Unlike the theatre actor, he’s not really playing a role or character, not consistently at least.
As spontaneous as it seems the comedian rehearses his routine much like the theatre actor, his part. And yet on stage it seems like the idea has just formed in his head, the thought has only just occurred and the lines are completely off the cuff. The stand-up comedian is quite evidently an actor, only one can never tell if he’s acting.
Comedy can respond to events with a speed that theatre cannot match. And even apolitical absurdity is an appropriate response to mass panic. We laugh in the face of death