Austin Improv

Does not exist in 2007 America.



remember, I ain't talking generic "drama"
Tragedy + Comedy = Drama
tragedy.
that dude on the left. all alone.


forcibly separate that shit out and show me pure Tragic Improv in the context of secular popular entertainment. Hell, even secular unpopular entertainment. Hell, even nonsecular unpopular entertainment You can't, can you?
Prove me wrong.

i was joking around with a few people a while back about doing sketch tragedy, and how to make it really actually work as a compelling and heart wrenching story and cathartic experience for the audience.

we came up with nothing. but we were pretty drunk at the time.

i'd LOVE to see someone do this and do it well.

arthursimone wrote:Does not exist in 2007 America.



remember, I ain't talking generic "drama"
Tragedy + Comedy = Drama
tragedy.
that dude on the left. all alone.


forcibly separate that shit out and show me pure Tragic Improv in the context of secular popular entertainment. Hell, even secular unpopular entertainment. Hell, even nonsecular unpopular entertainment You can't, can you?
Prove me wrong.

i guess you didn't see early well hung jury. OH!
but seriously, i think it would be possible. it won't work without good storytelling or crummy actors. rehearse it and see what happens.

When I was @ USC, I hung out with some film-makers who used to discuss the difference between writing a comedy and a tragedy. They were in agreement that most student films opted to be dramas because it was easier to try to make someone cry than to make someone laugh. I think good "comedy" -- camp, farce, humor, slapstick, witticism, etc --- is difficult to pull off bc the audience's sense of humor is so varied.

But that is film-making. And filmed improv loses some of its funny-power.


Music helps a lot. It can add mood and weight to scenes that would otherwise be flippant.

On the flip side, you CAN have pure comedy.

Gallagher!

"Barrel O' Laughs" - Austin's First And Only Sketch Tragedy Troupe.

------------

Customer: "That - that was horrible."
Troupe member: "Oh good, glad you liked it."
Customer: "No, I didn't like it! It was depressing! It's not a barrel of laughs."
Troupe member: "Oh... yeah, the name doesn't translate well in print. It's 'Barrel O' Laughs' - like: 'Bet that root canal hurt. Yeah, it was a real Barrel O' Laughs. Sarcasm.'"
Customer: "What?"
Troupe member: "Like 'Everyone Loves Raymond.'"
Customer: "But everyone does love Raymond in that show."
Troupe member: "I thought it was high tragedy. That show has never once made me laugh."

that was very funny, brian...thank you

(no sarcasm)