Part 1: The History Of Comedy and Honoring The Past
Of the many fears actors have about auditioning, the obvious one is that they’re not good enough. However, the twin peaks of fear are, How do I cry on cue? And I’m not funny? We will deal with just the issue of comedy and not be funny and leave our tears for another day.
One of the points I have often made in class is that everything you need to know about comedy can be learned by watching Warner Bros. cartoons. Let me explain why, tracing a lineage that stretches from ancient Greek and Roman comedy to Commedia dell’Arte, through music hall and vaudeville, into radio, television, and ultimately the modern sketch and sitcom world.
1. Roman Comedies → Commedia dell’Arte
If you go back to ancient Rome, you find playwrights like Plautus and Terence (predated by the Greek playwright Aristophanes, whose comedies laid the foundation for European theater). The spirit and structure of their works helped shape Commedia dell’Arte in Italy—a 16th-century theatrical form known for its stock characters (e.g., Arlecchino/Harlequin, Brighella, Pantalone, Il Capitano) and its improvisational, slapstick style.
2. Spreading North: France and England
As Commedia dell’Arte troupes toured Europe, their styles influenced French comedy—notably Molière—and later English comedy, eventually contributing to music hall performances by the 19th century. These shows mixed songs, skits, and broad physical humor and would become key influences on the next wave of performers.
3. Music Hall → Vaudeville → Radio
English music-hall performers such as Charlie Chaplin later brought their comedic skills to the United States, where vaudeville reigned. Vaudeville featured variety acts—jugglers, singers, dancers, and comedians—and it preserved the fast-paced and physical comedy traditions of Commedia. When radio became prominent in the early 20th century, many vaudevillians (e.g., George Burns, Gracie Allen, Jack Benny, and the Marx Brothers) transitioned to radio shows, bringing their comedic timing and archetypal roles to a new medium.
4. Radio → Television → Warner Bros. Cartoons
With the rise of television, many radio comedians and writers migrated to new TV variety shows and early sitcoms. Some also worked behind the scenes for Warner Bros., influencing its now-classic cartoons (Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies). Characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck embodied centuries of comedic archetypes (e.g., the trickster servant or the greedy schemer), and their slapstick chases mirrored the Commedia’s physical humor. Simply put, when you watch Looney Tunes, you’re seeing a compressed, animated form of the entire lineage and history of comedy.
5. Sid Caesar and the Birth of American Sketch Comedy
One early landmark in TV comedy was Your Show of Shows, starring Sid Caesar. Its legendary writers’ room included Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Neil Simon, Danny Simon, Carl Reiner, and Larry Gelbart (creator of MASH*). They shaped what we now think of as American sketch comedy, influencing shows like Saturday Night Live, SCTV, and beyond.
Check out Part 2: Commedia’s Echo In Contemporary Comedy—and Politics
