the more preposterous the scenario...

... the straighter you should play it.

This is a tough one to grasp but I teach this over and over. Students come in and think, “I’m going to be funny.” And they take a script, which is already absurd and preposterous, and they lay their best, funny voices on top and what you get is goulash of comic intentions.

·      A silly scenario played out with silly voices is funny to seven-year olds.

·      A dramatic scenario played out with silly voices is parody.

·      A silly scenario played with conviction and seriousness can be very, very funny.


For example, this wonderful spot by April Winchell. The script is absurdly macabre and comically direct. And the casting of Steve Morris was inspired. No winking, no coloring, just the script.  It's called Fire Ants. Won so many awards that year the rest of us were put to shame.