Compelling vs. Funny

A real shocker here: not all scenes have to be funny, so stop trying so hard.

In fact, scenes that draw people in and make them feel something can often be better than just a funny scene. I’ll use a recent example. Humor me, please.

I was doing a two-man show a while ago. We were a married couple on the ropes. I was the disgruntled husband and he was the doting wife looking for admiration from her husband. My character was putting his character down with off-handed comments, but one really hit. I said the following in the most serious tone possible:

“[Mary], you…are fucking worthless.”

The audience gasped in shock to that comment. I could really sense that they hated me after that. It was the most memorable and thrilling response I’ve ever gotten out of an audience, and it wasn’t because of some gaudy gut-busting physical comedy bit. It was a subtle response to an offer, and I was just acting naturally. I honestly didn’t think it would amount to anything, but the reaction was so honest I loved it.

Compelling, interesting scenes are a rarity these days. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s the surge of stylized shows taking a strong footing, or maybe it’s the trend in comedy to just say/do funny things and hope for the best.

Or…maybe it’s just that performers are scared of not getting laughs. I like to think this is the root of the problem.

An interesting show or scene can certainly have its funny moments. What’s missing is the genuine heart-to-heart moments characters could have but miss because the performers feel they need to ham it up so as not to be a downer. Then again, who ever said that being realistic and honest was ever boring? Sure dramas aren’t funny, but that doesn’t mean that The Godfather wasn’t a good movie.

Ironically, we’re told in our improv classes that the audience is smart and will follow you wherever you go. Too often performers are afraid to lead them down the road of the realistic and honest.

So what do you think? Have you seen horrible improv trying to be serious? Which makes for a better scene, all things being equal: compelling or funny?

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