I am directing a play that’s a trainwreck, on purpose.
If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to the “Goes Wrong Show” franchise, available on YouTube. Created by Henry Shields, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Lewis, it follows the acting triumphs, but mostly tragedies, of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society as its players present their interpretations of various theatrical genres.
The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong premiered in 2012, and the same group of actors moved from the stage to the small screen in 2020. As the title implies, things don’t go according to plan. Couple this to the ethos of theatre, “the show must go on,” and the results are predictable. The actors valiantly forge ahead as malfunctions of set, costume, props, and performer occur around, under, and on them.
As a student I was cast in a variety of productions; musical, dramatic, classic, and comedy. Classical theatre – Chekhov, Williams, Ibsen – is considered the most challenging. The scripts require the actor to find the subtext of what is happening, and that can be especially difficult. Having spent the last four weeks directing comedy, I know for certain that comedy is the Everest of theatre. And as much I love to laugh, and watch all types of comedy, my own personality is showing itself to be not well-suited to the genre.
Comedy must be planned, and choreographed to create defined moments, and performed precisely. My years of training emphasized treating each performance as something unique, that evolves over the course of a run. My upbringing favored impressionistic pastels where the edges are blurred, the hues subtle. Comedy demands crisp lines and saturated colors. Recent rehearsals are giving me hope, as the choices become bigger, and more defined. And the actors become more at ease with just how outrageous the script will allow them to be.
The Fresno City College Theatre Department’s production of The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong opens March 10, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
| Copyright © 2023 by James Knudsen |
James, I hope that your experience directing “The One-Act Play That Goes Wrong” will reveal to you just what it is about your “own personality [that] is showing itself to be not well-suited to the [comedy] genre.” I, for one, believe that a column about your introspective findings would be a marvelous read! Here’s to it!!!
ReplyDeleteI am sure this will an extraordinary event!! 1 act leaves time for drinks!!
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