The Physical Comedy Handbook

The Physical Comedy Handbook

<P>Although there are numerous books that examine physical comedy from a historic or aesthetic perspective, few provide guidance in how to do it. So where can actors and teachers go for instruction? To <I>The Physical Comedy Handbook.</I><P> <I>The Physical Comedy Handbook</I> is a one-of-a-kind resource for actors, teachers, and directors interested in physical comedy - from slapstick pratfalls to the theater of the absurd. Davis Robinson believes that the basic physical skills of comedy can be taught to anyone. His twenty years of practical experience - including workshops with Jacques LeCoq, Tony Montanaro, Bill Irwin, Avner Eisenberg, Mark Morris, and Ronlin Foreman--have taught him so. Robinson shares what he has learned in this book, providing a thorough explanation of a range of techniques for developing comic timing, writing original material, and working with scripts. The book includes numerous hands-on exercises designed to help anyone, regardless of experience, develop their sense of play.<P> Acting students will learn how to sharpen their physical skills. Teachers will learn how to structure and guide their students' work. Actors will explore a range of comic styles. Directors will discover a number of tools for bringing comedy to life.</P>