Is Death Funny?
I think about my brother’s death every day. As a result of this reality, I don’t typically seek out the topic of death in the arts. I usually prefer art that elevates, soothes, and is easily consumed. Morbid Comedy is a strange and sometimes very uncomfortable artistic territory for me. It generates questions that I am unable to answer definitively:
Who are we to laugh at death?
What does it mean for us to engage in this kind of humor?
Why is death a part of comedy?
Is death funny?
Is death funny? No. It’s not funny or fun or even something that most of us would want to think about. Much comedy, though, is based on incongruity, so somehow, despite all of our experiences and emotions relating to death, artists like cartoonist Charles Addams cause us to laugh at that which we would normally cry over. This kind of art can help us to cope with upheavals and to be appropriately grateful for each day that we have left. Sometimes this kind of art doesn’t relieve our pain at all, but still serves to keep us putting one foot in front of the other while we live with and through our pain. This is, perhaps, the greatest gift that we receive from Art. As Morticia sings in Act 2: “I can face a new tomorrow if I make it past today.” Agreed.
I’m glad to have, as collaborators for this odd, challenging, and brilliant musical, the smartest cast and crew that I have ever worked with. The very fact that we are able to create theatre together in Riverdale in December of 2015 proves, I think, that we are among the luckiest people who have ever lived. I hope that we will prove ourselves worthy of the opportunity. Today, we are going to try to have some fun with all of these unanswerable questions. Thank you for joining us and sharing in this strange territory. On behalf of the cast and crew, we hope that you will enjoy this show as much as we have.
☺
James Kroener
