FUNNY MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD Education Resource Melbourne International Comedy Festival’s Class Clowns program Melbourne International Comedy Festival Class Clowns and Deadly Funny Kids 240 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, Victoria are proudly supported by Phone: (03) 9245 3700 Email: [email protected] Website: classclowns.com.au Facebook: /MICFClassClowns Website: headspace.org.au Facebook: /headspaceAustralia © Melbourne International Comedy Festival Ltd 2015 Something familiar, something peculiar Something for everyone: a comedy tonight Something appealing, something appalling Something for everyone: a comedy tonight Something convulsive, something repulsive Something for everyone: a comedy tonight Something aesthetic, something frenetic Something for everyone: a comedy tonight Comedy Tonight, from Stephen Sondheim’s “A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum” Why an education resource? Making comedy and making people laugh is the ultimate education. In the process of thinking about and creating a comic routine/show you use critical thinking, you engage with audiences as you try out those ideas. You write, you improvise, you consider intercultural understanding (different cultures can find different things funny…or not), and consider what might offend or be appropriate. You might want to satirise or subvert common understandings, you engage with BIG ideas and consider who you are in this crazy world. You make art and you perform art. But wait, there’s more…when you engage with comedy you actually have to think about your sense of self, your identity, who you are and what you have to say. You ask others to listen to your ideas and stories, you take risks, you build confidence, you dare to fail, dare to be brave, you laugh and you cry with laughter. Through making comedy you recognise that while life can occasionally pose challenges, it can also be awesome, especially when things are hilarious. Curriculum links? At the end of this resource is a comprehensive table that draws links between the activities and learning in these resources to the Australian Curriculum, and also to senior curricula around the country. Teachers are encouraged to select and apply these links as appropriate. What’s in this resource? In this resource you will find: The aim of Class Clowns Definitions of comedy, humour, funny and laughter – feel free to agree or disagree with them How funny and being funny makes you feel good and builds self-esteem How key headspace goals fit into creating, making and performing comedy…and vice versa How the Class Clowns program relates to the Australian curriculum for Years 9-10 and senior Drama syllabi in Australian States and Territories A brief history of Western-European comedy with links to examples An overview of contemporary comedy styles and practices with links to examples Introduction activities for getting into comedy, ones that explore a range of comic forms Post workshop activities to build on students’ ideas, encourage them to write, rehearse and refine their comedy routines Links to visual resources and recent articles that are all about comedy NOTE: If you find links are broken or don’t open – please contact us! 2 About Class Clowns: Class Clowns aims to: Help young people develop their comic Think left and think right and writing and performance skills think low and think high. Provide recognition and exposure of Oh, the thinks you can think up if budding comedy talent only you try! Enable young people to work with and Dr Seuss learn from professional comedians Build appreciative comedy audiences for the future Comedy and mental health This resource is designed for students in Years 9-12 and also for their teachers. It has been created as a basis for exploring comedy, making comedy and performing comedy. It has also been designed to connect with some of the key ideas promoted by headspace, the National Youth Mental Health Foundation. Class Clowns has a long history of helping young people become comedians. headspace has a history of offering wellbeing support and mental health services to young people. Both organisations believe laughter and comedy enable young people to develop a positive outlook on life and build their self- esteem. It’s a win-win. headspace – helpful tips There are a number of ways young people can look after and maintain their mental health and wellbeing. headspace encourages young people to: Get informed Set goals Build self-esteem Seek help Build strategies Practice positive self-talk Relax, and Exercise The Class Clowns program enables young people to set goals, build self-esteem, practice positive self- talk, relax and “exercise” their mind and sense of humour. Laughter is the best medicine Who said this? Humour is infectious…but better than a cold. Laughter brings us together. Did you know when you laugh you improve your health, boost your energy and reduce stress – it’s true. Laughter is also free, fun and easy to use. Three good tips about laughing When you laugh you CAN’T feel anxious or angry or sad. Laughter reduces your stress and anxiety. Laughter and humour allow you to see things from a more positive and realistic perspective. 3 Welcome to comedy Sometimes people think of comedy as just people being silly but comedy is really one of the most important human activities. Comedy serves a very important role in human society. It makes us not accept things too readily. It makes us question authority by daring to be irreverent. It makes us see ourselves and others from a new angle, it reveals things we haven’t thought of before. It helps us to understand what it is to be alive, to suffer, to be human. Yes, comedy is a serious business. Defining comedy Comedy is an ancient and noble art. From the time of the ancient Greeks, right up to the present time, two types of drama/performance have been recognised - tragedy and comedy - both of which have always been regarded as being equally important. Tragedy and comedy are sometimes said to be two sides of the same coin. The difference between them is not what they deal with, but how they deal with it. Both deal with ideas such as love and hate, ambition and failure, trust, betrayal, lust, greed, delusion, hate, conspiracy, weakness, betrayal and death, but, while tragedy invites us to look upon these aspects of human behaviour with grief, comedy invites us to laugh at them. Contemporary definitions of comedy are perhaps less nuanced or detailed than this. Online dictionaries…where would we be without them…state that COMEDY is: Anything that makes you laugh The best medicine What keeps everyone happy QUESTION: Do you agree with this definition? What’s missing? Comedy – all things to all people? The opening number of the smash hit Broadway musical A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is entitled Comedy Tonight. In this song Stephen Sondheim’s lyrics describe comedy as something that is: Familiar, peculiar, appealing, appalling, convulsive, repulsive, aesthetic and frenetic - Discuss these words. Can comedy be all these things? - At the same time? At different times? - What would be an example of each of these types of comedy? Watch the clip of Comedy Tonight here Defining humour According to similar dictionary sites HUMOUR is what makes you laugh or be happy. QUESTION: Discuss what you think the difference is between the term “comedy” and the term “humour”? Is there a difference? A day without laughter is a day wasted Charlie Chaplin, comedian and silent film star 4 What’s a comedian? A comedian is someone who tells jokes…for a living. Becoming one requires great practice and skills. Being a funny person does not mean you will automatically be a good comedian. Many people who are hilarious in everyday life wouldn’t make good comedians and many good comedians aren’t funny at all in real life. A natural sense of humour is a good start but perhaps the most important requirements to be a good comedian are intelligence, style, timing, commitment and a healthy dose of courage! What is “good” comedy? What is “bad” comedy? Making people laugh is not that difficult. You can get a laugh by throwing a pie in someone’s face. That doesn’t necessarily mean it is good comedy. Good comedy is original. It makes us laugh at something we may not have laughed at before. Good comedy makes us realise something is funny for the first time. There is skill in making good comedy. Bad comedy is comedy that makes fun of things we already know. Bad comedy tells old jokes or it makes fun of easy targets. A way to consider the difference between good and bad comedy is: Good comedy is irreverent Bad comedy is offensive Good comedy is clever Bad comedy is someone just trying to be smart Good comedy makes you laugh Bad comedy makes you groan Good comedy takes a lot of work Bad comedy takes the easy way out Good comedy tries to be fresh/new Bad comedy uses old formulas Good comedy is unique/original Bad comedy is lame Let’s explore the idea of good and bad comedy further…How far is ‘too far’? (Critical Thinking) Split up into pairs. Read one or both of the following two articles Article 1: What is good comedy? The answer probably depends on your social background Read this article from online publication, The Conversation, about what we laugh at and why. Article 2: The dark psychology of being a good comedian From The Atlantic, an article that discusses what makes “good humour” Psychologist Peter McGraw has a long-held theory that comedy is equal parts darkness and light. The best jokes, he believes, take something awful and make it silly.