When thinking about the arts, I don't normally think of comedy and yet it has been a part of the arts going way back to Greek and Roman times.
Think of the well-known masks of comedy and tragedy. In an article by Cristina D'Almeida, she states, "When people think of theater, the masks are probably one of the most well-known symbols that come to mind with many interpretations that go beyond just the comedy and tragedy, happy and sad meaning. The comedy, tragedy symbol dates back to Greek Mythology and has been the central representation of creative arts for decades."
When I think of comedy, I think of the way-back days of my youth. I think of Milton Berle, Abbot and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, “I Love Lucy,” Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca, and Red Skelton.
How would I even begin to talk about comedy? There's slapstick, a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy and mishap. And think of “The Three Stooges,” Jerry Lewis and Bob Hope and going even farther back, there’s Buster Keaton and Fatty Arbuckle.
Then there's burlesque, farce and satire which is defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary as a literary work holding up human vices to ridicule and scorn. And there are drag shows which are often comedic.
There's Comedy Central on television and there are jillions of movies that are comedies. And think of all the comedies in classical opera.
My husband and I went to see the very popular movie "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" on our first date. We saw it on Channel Nine public television the other night and it's still funny.
I was talking with Chris Denman, one of the founders of Mid-Coast Media, and asked him about the comedy scene in St. Louis. His organization produces live comedy shows right here in town as well as around the country. He reminded me that Central Stage has live shows at the KDHX building which his company produces.
Denman talked about some of the other top comedy clubs in St. Louis such as The Funny Bone in Westport Plaza, The Helium Comedy Club at the Galleria and mentioned that national stars perform standup comedy in huge spaces such as the Fox and the Enterprise Center.
The Flyover Comedy Festival takes place in St. Louis every year and is a major festival in which to see top of the line comedy. It is independently produced and takes place in the Grove. Denman feels that comedy in our town is really an economic driver and really is a true art form.
And I've left out the whole Catskill scene where very famous comedians such as Buddy Hackett got their start and the Comedy Store in Los Angeles where David Letterman got his start.
And our home town Sam Crouppen who currently lives in Los Angeles performs all over the country as a professional comedian. When I asked Crouppen to tell me how he would define comedy, he said, "Comedians are dreamers. They are much more important than politicians because they tell the truth." He said that he feels as if he is often walking on a tightrope and is not scared because he IS telling the truth.
So where does one draw the line? What about puppetry and ventriloquism and clowns and jokes? I didn't even mention “Saturday Night Live” which never fails to give me wonderful belly laughs.
I was actually voted the funniest senior in my high school class and never realized back then how far a good sense of humor would get me. And I didn't ever really think about the expansive scene and power of comedy in the arts.
Nancy Kranzberg has been involved in the arts community for more than forty years on numerous arts related boards.