The average adult does it eighteen times per day. Laughter is frequent occurrence for everyone, everywhere. But what makes something funny? Humor, of course, is subjective; what one person may find hilarious, another may be appalled by, or not even understand. Although there is no concrete answer to what makes something humorous, more often than not it’s because the comedy is either relatable and expected, or unfamiliar and unexpected. The production of The Matchmaker exploits these categories keeping the audience cackling for the entirety of the performance. The broad array of characters in the play is very effective and relatable. Each one brought their own unique personality to the show. Horace Vandergelder is a wealthy 60 year old store owner who …show more content…
My grandma always told me, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” The meaning of words stuck with me after the conclusion. From the beginning, all of the characters had a plan on what they sought to do. How everything played out was completely different than initially expected. Vandergelder immediately shut down Ermengarde’s request of marrying Ambrose, despite Ermengarde’s cringeworthy crying. In the end, all is well and the two end up granted the right to marry. Horace Vandergelder initially had the intentions of marrying Mrs. Malloy and she said that she would have married him if he proposed. However, Vandergelder ends up proposing to Mrs. Levi, whose incessant sarcasm distracted the audience from seeing her true desire of wanting to marry him all along. In addition to manipulating Vandergelder into believing the proposal was his idea. Malloy ends up with Hackl, who never had intentions of falling in love in the first place. The underlying structure of these unexpected stories and connections develop all of the slapstick, sarcastic comedy, making the audience think about what they're laughing at and connect with the characters on another
The characters address the audience; the fast movement from scene to scene juxtaposing past and present and prevents us from identifying with particular characters, forcing us to assess their points of view; there are few characters who fail to repel us, as they display truly human complexity and fallibility. That fallibility is usually associated with greed and a ruthless disregard for the needs of others. Emotional needs are rarely acknowledged by those most concerned with taking what they maintain is theirs, and this confusion of feeling and finance contributes to the play's ultimate bleak mood.
...od out because he used charm and just the book to advance in the company. I think young adults and adults who are into economics, how companies work or even realistic plays would like the production that was put. It was simple and gave across a clear point. I think that people who grew up in the sixties and worked during the time period would enjoy the play. I feel that they would have a different understanding of it because they grew up in the time period and lived through what was going. Over all the play head a straight forward point that in my opinion put J. Pierrepont Finch as the protagonist because everything revolved around him, he had a simple objective and every set or choice he made effect something or someone. Whereas the antagonist was reaching high positions in the company because that was the main thing that was in Finch is way at achieving his goal.
Steve Almond’s “Funny is the New Deep” talks of the role that comedy has in our current society, and most certainly, it plays a huge role here. Namely, through what Almond [Aristotle?] calls the “comic impulse”, we as a people can speak of topics that would otherwise make many of uncomfortable. Almond deems the comic impulse as the most surefire way to keep heavy situations from becoming too foreboding. The comic impulse itself stems from our ability and unconscious need to defend and thus contend with the feeling of tragedy. As such, instead of rather forcing out humor, he implies that humor is something that is not consciously forced out from an author, but instead is more of a subconscious entity, coming out on its own. Almond emphasizes
The play consisted of five characters: Marty, James, Schultz, Theresa, and Lauren. Marty and James are a couple; they knew each other through a wedding, Theresa is a former actress who ran away from the competitive New York, Schultz is an awkward carpenter who just got divorced, and Lauren is a sixteen year old girl who dreamed of becoming an actress. Marty who is the teacher started the class, but the students participated in the class’s activities
The target audience for this film I would say is the general public, age 15 and older. I do not think that a child would understand much of what goes on in the film, especially seeing is how I saw this actual play when I was 10 years old and I did not like it then because I could not understand the point. The historical time lag does make a bit of a difference in how the audience perceives the film but not in whether or not they understand it. You see, nowadays it is getting to be more and more unlikely that a woman would put up with some of the things Stella puts up with from Stanley for very long. I also do not think that women expect some of the things from men that Blanche expected or pretended to expect, such as them standing just because she was walking by. Overall, I would say that the actors and the film as a whole is a success.
For example, his mouth is twisted in a permanent grin. The bigger the smile gets, the more noticeable the dimples on either side of his lips appear. When he laughs, his whole mouth opens, exposing his slightly crooked teeth and pink tongue. Another exciting feature of the comedy lover is his shoes. They are bright high-tops with vivacious patterns dancing along the sides. His shoelaces are different colors that lay united atop the tongue of the shoe. Furthermore, his eyes are mirthful and full of life. They have a kind twinkle to them that gives his whole face a welcoming glow. Also, his hair is a messy mop of curls. The small locks stick up in different directions as if he’s run his hand through them multiple times. Finally, the comedy type’s shirt is entertaining. Although its color is old and faded, it still catches the eye. The t-shirt has rubbed off lettering displayed across the chest that says some kind of joke or comical phrase. The comedy moviegoer resembles the hilarious actor, Will
Laughter is an interesting topic. Mainly because of the lack of thought that goes with it as to why we laugh. In an article titled Laughter: An Essay on the Meaning of the Comic by Henri Bergson, the theory behind why things are funny is explored. He mentions many different things in his article pertaining to the comic, however, there are a few that stand out more than others. He talks directly about the fact that things are only funny if they relate to humans. Then he touches on the idea that accidents are funnier than planned events. Finally, he speaks on laughter being directly related to social setting. The 1992 film Noises Off is a perfect demonstration of everything that Bergson writes about. Henri Bergson’s essay on laughter is perfectly supported by the film Noises Off.
I enjoyed reading the play and I thought that Sam Shepard did a really great job writing it. I thought that the play was easy to follow and understand, but there were times though that I had to reread certain parts because I got confused between the two characters when they switched roles. Overall, I liked how Sam Shepard portrayed both of these characters and I liked how he had them switch roles during
I found the concept of the play to be quite interesting. I learned new things about Martin Luther King such as his smoking habit and that he was a womanizer, both of
Comedy often allows for a subversion of the status quo that is not tolerated in more serious genres. Beginning in the 1930s, the subgenre of screwball comedy presented female characters who were active and desiring, without evoking negative characterizations as "unfeminine" or "trampish." Screwball comedies represent a specific form of romantic comedy that features a complicated situation--or more often a series of complications--centered around a strong-willed, unpredictable female. The comedy is generally physical as well as verbal. Screwball and other forms of romantic comedy do not just reverse the masculine/active, feminine/passive paradigm--which as E. Ann Kaplan notes accomplishes little in terms of change--but instead strengthens the female and weakens the male just enough to put them on more equal footing.
Language or the way in which words are used is one of the most important components of a comedy. Through an intelligent use of word play and the ability to add
To give a little background on the play; the pursuit of marriage is the driving force behind the play. “I now pronounce you, man and wife.” This traditional saying, commonly used to announce a newlywed couple during a wedding ceremony, marks the happily ever after that many dream of today. In today’s society, marriage is an expression of love between two individuals. Marriage has not, however, always been an act of love. In the Victorian era, marriage was almost a chore. Most people married out of need rather than want. In the Play this is evident when Lady Bracknell objects to Gwendolen and Ernest’s engagement on the basis of his lack of legitimate background. On the other hand, Jack objects to the marriage of Cecily and Algernon’s
Humor has been the source of entertainment throughout history. Today humor is practiced in movies, plays, songs, television shows and radio. Humor has brought fame and fortune to those who have mastered its power.
If there is one way to bring a smile to someone’s face, it is laughter. Funny jokes, comical stunts, sarcasm- Every person is different when it comes to what makes them laugh. Some find dry humor comical. Others think sarcasm or joke-filled ranting are the best. ‘Comedy’ is such a broad term, broad enough to allow everyone to find something they find comical. In fact, ‘comedy’ includes a specific type of drama, one where the protagonist is joyful and happy endings are expected. Comedy is like a drug; it allows you to escape reality. When we say the word ‘comedy’ in the present, we are generally referring to a type of performance which provides humor. However, in its broadest sense, comedy has only one purpose: comedy makes people smile and
Television comedies have been on the air for decades, and throughout this time many different shows have come and gone. Due to the dominance of these shows, comedies are one of the biggest draws on television. There are many different types of comedies, each with their own unique characteristics and features that differentiate them from others and lead to their popularity. Whether the show is a sketch comedy, sitcom, mockumentary or dramatic comedy, each utilizes different types of humour, locations, themes, and situations to appeal to the audience; which is likely why they are so popular today.