Idioteex

Posts Tagged ‘Interpretation’

by Marshall Astor – Food Pornographer

The pursuit of the ideal Humorous Interpretation piece is an endeavor you either dread or anticipate.  Dread if you are directionless; anticipate if the adventure has some guidance.  This does not particularly mean that you have names of titles and authors to research–though, in all honesty this does help alleviate anxiety!  Preparation can come from understanding what type of Humorous Interpretation to search for.  This sounds base, but knowing what sort of piece is best suited for you actually eliminates fruitless seeking.  As you head to the library, bookstore, or Internet here are some questions you should ask of yourself and the piece:

What type of humor do you like? Everyone has a comedic preference and acceptable spectrum of what is funny.  Monty Python might be the comedy Holy Grail to some, while be distasteful and idiotic to others.  Performing a Humorous Interpretation that you do not find funny will not only show your disdain for the work, but also lack humor because you will not be going for the jokes!  So why bother even looking at pieces of disinterest?  Know what you like and searching for pieces with similar types of humor (a quick Internet search can give you some ideas) will lead you to a HI quicker than a blind search.

Any authors or titles you enjoy? If you are aware of some authors or titles that you know you enjoy it is in your best interest to research more of those authors’ work and see if anything else (LESS KNOWN) is hilarious and capable of being turned into an HI.  You should also try to find what other authors people who share similar tastes like (go to Amazon, type in an author’s name, go to a product, and look at the “what others bought” section).  This will give you a larger pool of work to sleuth through.  Read more...

Humorous Interpretation is an event with much to learn.  Between voices, physicality, and characterization alone the average HIer will be busy.  One of the first things that every Novice to Humorous Interpretation wants to know is how to quicken their pops.  Polishing pops so that they are smooth, fluid, and lightening fast is a skill that requires devotion.  Polished pops can also be a distinguishing feature that places your Humorous Interpretation above another.  Pops can be improved by:

PRACTICE. Your pops will not get any better unless you take the time to practice.  Even when you know your piece cold and feel that your pops are beautiful, fail to practice and retain their crispness and they will begin to get sloppy.

Keep it tight. A trick to having Humorous Interpretation pops look clean is to make them easy for you.  Instead of having these HUGE positions to pop into, why not keep your stances modest?  This is not to say that characters should have little variation between them!  It just means until you gain the speed to transition from a character who requires much space to one who is drawn into themselves, perhaps do not exaggerate the spacial difference as much as you can.

Plan your pops. Know exactly where you are popping to.  It’s kind of like Apparition in Harry Potter.  You have to know precisely where you want to go in order to pop there successfully.  Go through your Humorous Interpretation script and mark out your pops.  Memorize them.  It might even help to label a character and their stance with a number or letter (like the forward, “normal” stance of the narrator is position 1 or A).  This method could help while in rehearsals if you get stuck on a line/pop–all someone could call is 2 and that might be all you need to pop back into the script.  Also, creating a written road-map of pops is yet another method to help you remember and study the pops before you even begin to polish.  Read more...

Humorous Interpretation is a one-person show.  However, unlike most one-person shows you can catch at the theatre this show has a list of constraints.  There is no moving from a fixed point, as if you have been super-glued into performance.  Limited time is a factor.  Content cannot be original.  And all characters must interact with one another believably.  Humorous Interpretation’s attempt to sabotage your piece eventually pushes you to creatively overcome and surpass those weak hurtles.  Not that it is easy.  Believably acting with others as yourself is a particularly staggering feat.  But here are tips on how to do exactly that:

Height. Give this little touch when interacting as an “ensemble.”  Suppose your Humorous Interpretation is Jack and the Beanstalk.  Jack, the narrator, is represented by your height, but certainly your giant is ginormous?  When your narrator speaks to the giant he would have to look up and the giant must look down.  Use this information as your characters interact and slightly look up as Jack and slightly look down as the giant (NEVER hiding your face from the audience).  This example exemplifies how a slight detail such as a head tilt due to height can create the illusion of an ensemble.

Focal point. To solidify height use a focal point.  A focal point is a fixed spot to deliver lines.  Why is this useful?  Reflect back on any conversation you have had in the past week.  When you were talking did you glance all over the room and avoid the eye contact of the other?  Most likely no.  In Humorous Interpretation you need to establish where people are looking to give the audience, and you, an idea of “where” people are.  A narrator tends to have a lax focal point and simply talks to the audience.  Other characters though should have a designated area to look to add to the realism of people interacting.  More than one character can look forward too.  Some HIers like to have sub-characters turn slightly to the side to further distinguish them and add variety.  The amount of characters in the HI, and the interpretation, will determine what sort of arrangement of people you will use for your ensemble.  Find something that works with your piece and be consistent.  Set focal points by training yourself on where/what angle to look for certain characters.  Read more...

Can I say THAT?!?! Maybe it is less of can but rather should…

Everyone has that moment in daily conversation where they want to say whatever thought has entered their mind but first must ask if it is appropriate.  Even free spirits become entangled in these social constraints.  Luckily for Forensicators, i.e. Humorous Interpretation performers, these boundaries are somewhat muddied and can be tip-toed, or rushed, across.  In the quest for laughs pushing limits is acceptable and encouraged if done smartly.  Yet, as with anything, there is a line within Humorous Interpretation.  Stray too far and you become a shock performer.

DO take risks. Having a Humorous Interpretation that plays it safe might be good enough to get you into finals, but you may not have a memorable piece.  Why?  It’s conservative, a piece they have heard before.  Sure, your interpretation and delivery may be immaculate, but the piece itself lacks the pizazz to really cause you to out shine other performers.  However, using a script with a topic that is rarely handled, or with characters hardly seen, will cause you to be unique.  Even if you choose a pretty standard, funny piece you can be risky with your interpretation of characters.  Challenge your boundaries with characterization (vocals, physicality, facials, etc.) and see them differently as most.  For example, Gene Wilder’s Willy Wonka is strikingly opposite from Johnny Depp’s risky take, but both are valid interpretations of the material.

DON’T be vulgar and crude. What turns risk into SHOCK is when a Humorous Interpretation is nothing more than cheap, “OHHHHHH!  Did THAT just happen?!?!” humor.  A string of flatulence jokes is not funny.  Nor is an endless barrage of dead celebrity jokes.  And does the audience really need to see you grab yourself, curse uncontrollably, or be a massive stereotype?  No.  No they do not.  CHOSE YOUR MATERIAL AND INTERPRETATIONS CAREFULLY!  If actions transpire simply for shock, rather than for some sort of character development, then the piece is trashy.  Read more...

One of the major components to any Humorous Interpretation are vocals.  Vocals are used not only for humor purposes but for characterization as well.  All characters must have a distinct voice which is clear, consistent, and a good representation of who that character is.  Though the definition of vocalization is fairly basic, vocals are anything but.  Defining multiple personas’ voice with the vocal chords of one is ambitious.  It takes practice, dedication, and WORK.  Blindly trudging forward with the development of a vocal range is admirable.  However, here is some guidance on the subject.

Reference your script. As you create your Humorous Interpretation characters it is important to keep them in tune with the intentions and heart of the script.  And finding a voice is easier when you understand the character.  Analyze their lines and interpret what sort of character they are.  Look for personality traits and sculpt an image of who that person is.  Once you have an idea, try to connect that image to your established prior knowledge; “this character reminds me of…”  Further, a character with a prominent style of speaking could suggest a particular vocalization.  For instance, a character with complaints for lines could have vocals that sound whiny/nasally to vocally reflect the annoyance of their speech.

Look to television and film for accents. Reflect on films or television shows you have seen with accents unlike those on your circuit.  An accent is a quick fix to expanding your vocal range, and TV and film can be a great way to learn an accent.  Honestly, watching nothing but BBC America for a week will have you imitating the English with ease.  Just be careful to not overuse accents in your Humorous Interpretation or to do a poorly imitated accent (when not intended for comic effect).  Accents take practice, so find sources of quality accents, watch, and start speaking!  Read more...