Campbell Vertesi

After that last post about how hard comedy is for me, I can honestly say that I've grown.  That post came out of working on a scene from Abduction from the Seraglio for Opera Characterization (acting) class... I found it so hard to be funny while coming from an honest place for the angry, blustering character of Osmin... well, I had a bit of a breakthrough today in class.

Today I actually managed to commit myself totally to the character, as a real human being who is almost apoplectic with rage... and somehow, magically, it was funny.  I didn't even notice it the first time, but apparently the audience laughed!  Shocking.  Anyways, I'm excited now.  I think I touched a whole new kind of honesty in my acting today, and I'm thrilled to get to explore and flex those new muscles.

<rant>

Comedy is way harder than drama.  I've always found a very natural timing and comfort with comic roles, but the problem comes when I try to actually act in them.  Shocking, but apparently it's possible to have an over-the-top, comic character come from an authentic place inside you.  I would never have known, but for our Opera Characterization class, where I have to do exactly that.  I've been watching my colleagues try it for a month now, and though I can see the positive result, I'm having a helluva time getting it myself.

It's one thing to play a straight man in comedy.  That can be authentic.  But the silly man?  How can you make a caricature like Osmin into an authentic character?

</rant>

Sorry, had to get that off my chest.  Anyone with suggestions on realism in comic characters, please post a comment!