Finding the Funny

As a kid, my parents dubbed me, Dramatic. I must've watched "Gone With the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz" too many times, so my response to things was either as Dorothy or Scarlet O'Hara. :)

Luckily my Dad had a penchant for Mel Brooks' movies, so I was exposed to Blazing Saddles, History of the World, Space Balls, and my favorite, Young Frankenstein.

At school, I threw myself into drama, but my funny bone must've been showing, because I landed some comic roles. Even my first professional acting gig - in the Shakespeare troupe for the PA Renaissance Faire - focused on comedy. Juliet, I wasn't.

So here in NY, I continue to "find the funny." It's actually a game my husband came up with. How can you take something ordinary and find it funny?

I'm also nurturing my funny factor in my film and TV classes. Luckily my coaches are helping me to hone my craft. In my current commercial class with Brette Goldstein, she showed me how "the comedy is in the switch (of intention)." All I have to do is commit to it.

Preparing for my audition for Silence! The Musical, I let my imagination run wild! I took a standard musical theatre song and tailored it to the show and the character I wanted to play. It was a risk, but I'm realizing comedy is all about taking risks. And luckily, the risk paid off. I got great feedback from the casting director about how to go even further with my piece for a callback.

So for my next trick, I'm working on a script for a YouTube sketch with my JAWS friend and fellow writer, Wayne Henry. It's fun letting the ideas fly in, putting them to paper, and seeing what comes up. I was going to say, The sky's the limit, but there is no limit! We are only limited by thinking we are.

So here I go!