COMEDY TECHNIQUES FOR VARIETY ARTISTS

This fourth volume of a series presents an extensive guide to comedy techniques for performers.

Johnson has been performing as a clown for years. In that time, he has looked at the many nuances of what makes people laugh. He offers his intriguing findings in this book, which features exercises, terms, and real-life conditions that have worked or failed. Topics include everything from wordplay, like puns and ad libs, to the use of sarcasm. The author also discusses drawing on the long history of comedy to develop successful routines. History plays a large role in the work. Johnson is a fan of old radio programs, comic strips, and the acts of performers like Laurel & Hardy. These and many other sources inform the instruction. For example, readers can learn from Jack Benny’s first radio appearance the entertainment value of self-deprecation. The author’s realistic black-and-white drawings appear throughout the volume, depicting items like a giant cigar used by the clown Lou Jacobs. In the end, whether or not a crowd laughs comes down to the crowd. As Johnson explains, with every performance, the audience always “teaches me something new.” The work on the whole is nothing short of meticulous. Folks wanting to, say, throw some humor into their otherwise bland juggling acts need look no further for ideas. They could incorporate visual puns or add some slapstick elements. Of course, many references, such as the movie White Christmas (1954) and Disney’s animated short film Hawaiian Holiday (1937), may not ring any bells for modern readers. Yet while a Benny program played today may not get the same yucks of yesteryear, readers can still examine the elements for inspiration. And the book’s section on developing a character the audience will root for is something that will never grow old. Readers are even asked in an exercise, “How can you update old routines by switching them with current references?” The volume shows that the comic possibilities are nearly endless.

An essential source book for entertainers looking for humorous ideas.