The new phonebook's here!

We're talking about comedy and that's one of my favourite lines from a really funny movie called "The Jerk" with Steve Martin.  Since we were talking about comedy and how it can tackle difficult subjects, I looked up a list of people's choices for the 100 greatest comedies of all time.  It is surprising how many are about subjects that you might not think were good sources for laughs.   Here are some that stood out for me:

Bananas (about a revolution in a South American country)
Shaun of the Dead (zombies)
Dr. Strangelove (the atomic bomb)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (about King Arthur and his knights)
The Life of Brian (about a prophet in the time of Jesus)
Mean Girls (bullying)
The Great Dictator (Adolf Hitler)
Arthur (alcoholism)
Young Frankenstein (based on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, sort of)
Start the Revolution without Me (about the French Revolution)

I haven't seen a few of these movies, but they were chosen by vote, so the list is a bit skewed for more modern films, but a lot of people find the violence in movies with "The Three Stooges" to be hilarious as well.  It just goes to show that creative people can find comedy in all sorts of difficult and challenging places.  I think that is a testament to human nature, that we try to survive in even the most impossible situations and that comedy can help us do just that.

Journals this week:

Senior Drama:  Comment on your "Top of the Form" performance (your own group).  Was it funny?  Why or why not?  What went well about your performance?  What could have been improved?  How could you improve it?

Drama 9/10:  Write about the news story you chose to perform.  What do you know about it?  (If you know nothing, find out some details.)  How can you make it funny?  If your first performance was funny, why did it turn out that way?  (It shouldn't have been.)

Drama 8:  What fairy tale did you choose?  Tell the plot in five sentences.  Who are you playing?  How will you create a character (think of facial expressions, body language, plot points, reactions to others)? What is the climax of the story?

Journals are due on Tuesday.

Don't forget it's "Meet the Teacher" night tonight.  I'd love to meet you and your family.