By KATIE KLIMACEK
Staff Writer
How is that I am already on episode eight of “Fuller House” despite never liking “Full House” and honestly disliking the revamp as well? I would just like to take a moment to say, please make them stop with the constant, corny references to the original show- especially the Olsen twins. Now to the real article for this week.
Hello readers. It’s good to be back at the drawing board after taking a week off from writing Chit Chat due to an overload of work. I’m sure it is hard to imagine that going to comedy school means “work,” but I think it is safe to say that at points I have more work than I had back at Saint Rose. But enough about my work load, it’s time to get down to business.
For the past two weeks, my Friday workshops have been taught by a local improv figure Susan Messing. It was pretty much decided by everyone in my cohort that both Susan and her workshops were the best thing we had ever experienced. We all walked away with so much, especially inspiration and motivation. So much to the point that after hearing about Susan’s experience with a Boot Camp gym , my friend Spencer felt compelled to join it. Unfortunately, Groupon was not offering any discounts to the gym so Spencer didn’t join, but nonetheless she had been inspired.
During the workshop, one point that Susan focused on was changing the semantics of a situation or scene. This idea might seem pointless when coming to improv or comedy in general, but the truth is that it has almost everything to do with comedy.
It might not always seem like it, but when performing improv you can get a cruddy suggestion or offers during your scene that dampen the mood of the set. When this happens, the improvisers on stage can sometimes blank on an idea for how to keep the scene moving, add to it, or heighten it. And because of that the scene can fall flat on its face.
By changing the semantics, or point of view of the situation, an improviser can completely alter a scene and help to bring it back up on its feet.
Per usual, you are probably asking yourself, “why is she writing about stuff that only applies to improvisers?” Well, my inquisitive readers, I have the perfect reason.
I bring up this idea because throughout life we are put in a series of situations that do not alway keep us in favor. Regardless of the situation, if it is something that we did not want or like, the chances of us enjoying or taking away any aspect of it is slim to none.
But what if we took the cruddy situation we are currently in and change it?
From being a chubby kid for pretty much my whole life to having four family member pass away within three years, my life has been filled with crappy situation after crappy situation.
Despite the amount of hurt and frustration it brought me, it also helped to shape who I am and help me to get to Chicago. I know for a fact that if I was a kid who fit into the norm from a start, that comedy would not be my path. But because I just wanted to be a part of a whole, I used my sarcastic sense of humor to help me control how people laughed at me.
I realized that my wit made people laugh at what I was saying instead of how I looked or who I was.
Nothing like getting deep in your weekly college newspaper, yeah. It is that time again…cue theme music… for Katie’s wrap-up words of wisdom.
So much of comedy is taking aspects of pain, hurt and frustration and changing the perspective of it, thus making it something to laugh at. Just because you encounter a seemingly crappy situation doesn’t mean it has to stay that way.
Take a moment, look at what’s in front of you, and realize that no matter what is going to happen you have the power to change the final outcome of the situation.
Until next time,
Katie.
