Continuing on with the topic of relationships, last week we learned that you are an ACTOR and that you must act a role opposite your puppet character.
We started by studying briefly the famous couple of Burns and Allen with the relationship being one of straight man/buffoon. This week we will examine the relationship of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnez.
Unlike the adoring relationship of Burns and Allen, Ball and Arnez was sadly much more one sided. Although they were a commercial success to an extreme, the personal relationship was stinted due to the wandering eyes and feet of Desi Arnez.
However, for the purposes of this article, we will focus on the stage act that made them into household words. In a fashion similar to Burns and Allen, when Desi was present, Lucy was made (humorously) to be the buffoon, there were many skits where Lucy was the wise cracking straight lady to Ethel’s buffoonery.
We would do well to study the type of give and take that took place between Desi and Lucy to see the form of Acting comedy that took place based on the on-screen relationships of the two Actors. Look at the types of things you can gain from studying these two to see what you can gain in the relationship with your puppet.
Also, take special notice not just of your role, but (also you) of the role that needs to be played by your puppet in order to pull off the comedy element of your act based on your relationship with the puppet. If you are to be the dominant role, then your puppet must be the diminutive.
We will keep looking over the next couple of weeks at other relationships.
Thats all for now,
Steve and JET