Check out this article on Clowning written by one of my amazing students!
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“Laugh as much as possible, always laugh. It’s the sweetest thing one can do for oneself & one’s fellow human beings.”
- Maya Angelou |
“Tell it in action.”
- Buster Keaton |
On Comedy
Comedy is a serious art form. How serious? Well, it's a matter of life or death. If you fail, you've 'bombed' and 'died out there,' but if you succeed, you've 'killed!'
I believe that at its core, all comedy is rooted in clowning and lazzi. Lazzi are physical or verbal routines derived from Commedia dell'arte that demand precision, timing, honesty, improvisation, physicality, both non-verbal and verbal communication, awareness, and imagination. A lazzi can be as simple as two beats—a setup and a punchline, a premise and a point of view, or an expectation followed by a twist—or it can extend indefinitely. Its effectiveness can be observed and utilized across a wide range of comedic forms. Describing a clown is more complex. The inner clown represents the most authentic, vulnerable, curious, and playful aspects of oneself. It is the part of you that would dance freely, regardless of being observed.
I teach comedy by first exploring various forms of lazzi, such as laughing lazzi, fly lazzi, hungry lazzi, and tight-rope lazzi. I then apply the aforementioned principles—including timing and precision—to scenes from classical comedy, clowning routines, stand-up, and contemporary scripts. This approach enables students to adapt and excel across multiple comedic forms, providing a versatile skill set.
I believe that at its core, all comedy is rooted in clowning and lazzi. Lazzi are physical or verbal routines derived from Commedia dell'arte that demand precision, timing, honesty, improvisation, physicality, both non-verbal and verbal communication, awareness, and imagination. A lazzi can be as simple as two beats—a setup and a punchline, a premise and a point of view, or an expectation followed by a twist—or it can extend indefinitely. Its effectiveness can be observed and utilized across a wide range of comedic forms. Describing a clown is more complex. The inner clown represents the most authentic, vulnerable, curious, and playful aspects of oneself. It is the part of you that would dance freely, regardless of being observed.
I teach comedy by first exploring various forms of lazzi, such as laughing lazzi, fly lazzi, hungry lazzi, and tight-rope lazzi. I then apply the aforementioned principles—including timing and precision—to scenes from classical comedy, clowning routines, stand-up, and contemporary scripts. This approach enables students to adapt and excel across multiple comedic forms, providing a versatile skill set.
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