Comedy and the Four "E's"

I've been thinking more about a "Season of Comedy." as we narrow the field of season choices. Susi and I were in London to see "Entertaining Mr. Sloane" Wow, what a tough comedy. Tough on the human condition, that is.

I have been hearing concerns from subscribers that our season will be "fluffy." Well, I think probably there will be one "fluffy" comedy next season, but even with this one(still a secret), we'll be looking for the dark side everyone else missed.

Trying to think of a slogan for the season brochure, I came up with "The Power of Laughter: To Escape, Expose, Enlighten, Empower.

It helps us escape from the worries of our lives, it exposes all of Pandora's qualities of human folly, it enlightens us about aspects of our lives and our culture of which we weren't aware, , and last, it empowers us to take what we learn and act. To change something about our lives or our society that needs changing.

Comedy holds "the mirror up to nature" and gratefully makes us laugh! Otherwise we might have to cry.

I was at the opening of "Lydia" at Marin Theatre Company, and one of our subscribers cornered me to ask about our Seventh Season dedication to "The Power of Laughter." He wondered if that title didn't give the impression that we were headed in a "silly" direction. I reassured him that we would simply be doing more of the type of comedies we have become known for. Edgy contemporary plays, comedy, but often with a dark side. His comment made me think about the nature of comedy. And how tough comedy can be. And how many social agendas can be pursued with laughter.

Comedy is often painful as it turns the mirror of theatre back on ourselves. We laugh at and with the characters and often we are laughing at our own foibles. It's wonderful that we have this safe place we can gather to look at human weaknesses and yearnings and loves and hates and hopes and failures. And do it all with laughter.

We can use the power of laughter to transform our lives, to escape, to change unjust situations, to satirize our societes' weaknesses. Of course, we also might want to just let go and be silly.

Why should we support theatre? People are losing their jobs, their homes. Our economy is in the toilet. Shouldn't we be giving all our money to the poor? I suppose it's easy for artists to see themselves as necessary. We all want to be necessary. But why? What is the necessity of art? Of theatre?

Simply, art, and theatre, create two indispensible things. Brotherhood. And Hope. Without these we are lost. But how do we manifest brotherhood and hope through art? Through theatre?

Art proves that we can work together. A cast of actors, directors, designers, technicians and witnesses are all necessary to create a theatrical event. An event that we create out of nothing. In theatre, we prove that we can work together to create something out of thin air that cannot exist without all of us. Brotherhood.

Theatre also uses empathy to literally force us to identify with others. We see that we have more in common than we have differences. We see that we are brothers. And sisters. Under the skin, we are all the same. Deeply embedded in the core of theatre is this belief. We all share the same love, hates, fears, joys. Theatre promotes brotherhood.

Theatre also promotes hope. If we humans can band together to create this world on stage out of nothing. If we can imitate life successfully enough that people suspend their disbelief, then we can in our real lives change the way things are. We can transform our world.

The world of the dramatic hero, the protagonist, is a world where something is wrong. Where something doesn't work. And the hero must struggle. To right a wrong. To improve her lot. To change someone else. To escape a hell. And the hero has hope. And shows us the way. With determination. And courage. Even when he loses.

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The San Francisco Playhouse is dedicated to not only providing its audience with the most thought provoking, eye opening shows of our time, but also to creating an environment where actors, directors, writers, designers, and avid theatregoers come together as a family to celebrate that which drives the inner most part of all of us: the human spirit.

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Our next upcoming show is "Landscape of the Body" by John Guare, and is directed by Bill English, Artistic Director for the SF Playhouse, and includes in the cast Susi Damilano, Producing Manager for the SF Playhouse. What a great opportunity to come and become acquainted with not only the intensely thought provoking shows that we do here at the Playhouse, but also with some of the extremely talented and spiritually motivated people who make the magic happen! For more information on the show and how to order tickets, Click Here.

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The SF Playhouse