Finding Your Funny Bone! by Nancy Gold

• Physical theatre training is perhaps the most difficult training to capture within the pages of a book.
• The comedian or clown has to find his or her stupid and stay in it for the audience to be reminded of their humanity. And it takes a great deal of courage, intelligence, and grace to stay stupid.
• All of ART--no matter what kind it is--is an exchange of ENERGY between the audience and the artwork or performer, between the performers on the stage and between you as the performer and the character.
• Now just like a painter uses oil or watercolour or pastel or a sculptor uses clay or steel or metal, you will use the Air Around You. It is your medium.
• If you do not receive what is given, then the communication is blocked. The full emotional experience is not being felt or the person receiving is not fully receiving your communication. He is either not open to receiving the energy, or he is not seeing the amount of energy coming, or he is scared to receive it, or he wants to control the energy flow and transform the powerpoint of the energy to his definition of how much energy to give and receive.
• The ultimate comedy brings tears to your eyes. Laughing is the other side of crying. So if you can laugh, you can cry.
• The essence of Neutral is to be just there in space. It is not happy or sad, it is just there.
• Body shape is really important in creating a character. It is essential in creating a comedy character. The body shape creates the Walk and emotional Talk of your character.
• You need the audience to see what you are doing. And you need to include them in everything you do. So, being conscious of staging is an important element of mime, which is also helpful in comed.
• WHen you are making an object for people to see, it is most powerful in a direct line to the audience.
• Real feelings and reactions are funny. Trying to be funny and/or “showing” feelings are formulas for a flop.
• A clown nose is one of the smallest masks you can wear.
• A key to comedy is having a problem and a deep need to fix it.
• It is important to push the envelope in the exploration and discovery. The most interesting work and discover usually begin when the group has decided they have had enough and it is time to stop. This is when they lose themselves in the concept of gorilla and become the essence of the animal.