By Charlie Denison
We all have drama in our lives, although some can avoid it better than others. Often, we just want to laugh. At U of L, there are several theater majors that could help us with what some have called “the best medicine.”
James Cronin, a first-year M.F.A. candidate in Acting and graduate of East Tennessee State, has organized an improvisational group in his first year at U of L.
“I think Louisville is a pretty great town for the arts,” Cronin said. “Between the campus community and the more Bohemian communities around, there is a great demand for the arts, theater and humor.”
The group performed last month at the Thrust Theater but does not have regularly scheduled rehearsals. However, Cronin is optimistic about more shows in the near future.
Cronin’s improv group has rotated in several performers, including Ben Owens, co-creator of “The Deal,” a Louisville-based comedy group that performs 29 plays in a timed hour.
“We didn’t come up with the idea ourselves,” said Owens, a U of L theater major. “Actually, we stole the idea from the Neo-Futurists show ‘Too much light makes the baby go blind.’ The Neo-Futurists perform 30 pieces in an hour, but, for kicks, we do one less. They also do serious skits -— no serious stuff for us.”
“The Deal” relies heavily on audience participation. Audience members are given a numbered menu of the plays as well as nametags to make them feel more involved. Whenever a performer says “Shenanigans” the audience calls out a number. The group first performed at the Thrust Theater in November of 2003 and has since performed at Uncle Pleasant’s and the Kentucky Theater. Currently, the group is in the writing process.
“We really want to throw some lightheartedness into U of L drama,” said Owens. “Last year, the only play I can think of that didn’t have someone die in it was ‘Woman in Mind’ and that wasn’t a particularly funny show. We want to bring some jollity.”
Owens created “The Deal” with Felicia Corbett, also a theater major. Both will be performing this April in professor James Tompkin’s comedic play “All in the Tim ing.”
“‘All in the Timing’ is six one-act plays put together,” said Tompkins. “In ‘Mere Mortals’ there are three workmen —— one of whom thinks he’s Lindbergh’s lost son, another who thinks he’s the lost son of the Czar of Russia and another who maintains he was Marie Antoinette in a former life. Talk about funny. Can you imagine workmen thinking, let alone talking, about this?
“A lot of ‘Timing’ is verbal wit and it will make the audience sit up and take notice.”
What is it about comedy that has attracted these actors and directors?
“Comedy is the exaggeration of the real that allows us as an audience to look at something that we recognize as true to life and still be able to laugh. There is nothing inherently funny about watching somebody get dragged behind a moving car, but it’s sure funny when it happens to Chris Farley’s character in ‘Black Sheep,’” Cronin said.
But comedy is not as easy as getting dragged behind a moving car.
“Comedy is harder to perform than drama. You always have to have the right timing and can’t rely on the emotion that drama allows,” Corbett said.
Corbett also added that her favorite part of her experience with “The Deal” has been writing. Lindsay Carter, part of the original “Deal,” also enjoyed the writing process in particular.
“Getting everyone together and writing the plays were my best creative times. I’d never written comedy before.” Carter also talked about the very first performance: “We had so much artistic tension — which can either bring a cast together or screw up the flow. In our case, it really united us.”
Carter explained how she is committing to school more than art but the actress inside her breaks out no matter what she does. “Theater people are born and not made. It’ll always be a part of me — I simply can’t help it.”
Whether it’s improv, “The Deal,” or “All in the Timing,” the audience never fully knows what to expect.
“During a live performance you never can be totally sure of what will happen. This creates a dynamic with an audience that pulls them in. There is a chance for mistakes. Secondly, there are live actors in your presence. In a film you never have those two features. You always know how every scene will be played and you know they aren’t alive up there on the screen,” Tompkins said.
“All in the Timing” will premiere April 20at the Thrust Theater.
James Cronin can be reached at JPCron01@louisville.edu and encourages anyone interested in performing, helping backstage or watching to feel free to contact him.
