Enunciate plainly and distinctly so that each member of the audience can grasp every word that is being uttered. Slurred or mumbled words confuse listeners. Good diction boosts the chances of getting big laughs.
Speaking so that everyone can follow from point to point insures that no one will ever be forced to ask, “What did he say? I didn’t get it.” Shakespeare offers sound advice: Hamlet instructs a group of traveling actors who arrive at the castle to perform before the king and queen, “Speak the speech, I pray you, trippingly on the tongue ... Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand but use all gently ... you must acquire and beget a temperance that may give it smoothness.” In other words ...
Don’t over gesticulate.
The use of gestures is essential to getting the point of the joke across but overdoing it can be distracting. When coordinating movements of the hands to correspond with words it is best to remember that less is more.
Don’t laugh at your own jokes.
Chuckling before or after delivering a joke is unnecessary and unwise. Let the listener be the judge if the story is amusing. Laughing at the punch line will not help the audience think it’s funny.
Avoid insult, put-down or off-color material
They never pay. As long as there is a possibility of hurting somebody’s feelings, the performer loses. A cheap laugh sacrifices good will. No matter how funny the joke is or how much the audience chuckles, if someone has been offended, the effort ultimately fails. Stay away from sensitive subjects such as racial slurs, anti-gay remarks, extreme filth and humor that degrade women. The best axiom is if in doubt — leave it out. A firm rule should be—keep it clean. Never tell a story that might offend.
No comments:
Post a Comment