It's very interesting to me that you say that.
Aw, I was just looking for a segue so I could talk about BALLS. But if you're a natural, sure! I wish! I myself tend to blank out and become possessed during any live stage performances, be it musical, comedic or theatrical. I think a lot of actors do. It's like a coping mechanism. You sever the connection to reality and become a character, impervious to the opinions of the audience which your crazy non-actor part of the brain is filling in.
LONG POINTLESS ANECDOTE:
During my grade 11 election campaign, I was taken aside by the vice principal and principal into the office, and told that even if I won the democratic election for grade 11 rep, they would take away my victory because they didn't like me. The nerve! The vice principle gave me a shady alternative- bow out, and if I didn't get suspended next year, I could run again. Well, what could I do? I took the deal and shook hands with the devil, my friend.
Fast forward to the election speeches, a few days later. Blood was pumping in my head as the last speech went out. I had prepared a beauty of a script. Sufficed to say, the rules of the game had been changed, and it was my move. I jumped up on a cafeteria table, forgetting for the moment I was wearing a trench coat which scared the living hell out of several onlookers, and made my speech from that table. Watching the teachers swarm and weave their way toward me with every precious word. Spoil Your Ballots!, I said. I promised to run as President next year and end the corruption in the school office. I don't rightly remember all I said though, to be honest, the next thing was Mrs. Foster or Hinton, and the phrase "Denis... get down, now!". I got suspended for that. It gave the VP his loophole so that I wasn't able to run again next year. And the 2nd place for Grade 11 Rep, Celeste, won with only 33 ballots. Over 600 were spoiled with my name.
But the point was, that was a pretty memorable thing. People often referred to me as "that guy from on top of the table" for a while. But that wasn't really me, you see! That was the dramatic "shield of acting" on full alert, that I combine with my BALLS in order to garner up enough nerve to take that first step and get up there. Once I was there, words flowed unhindered- normally a problem with me, but very useful on the stage. And I think the problem is, in comedy, that people have to act of whims and go with whatever immediate inspiration comes... and even though that's a very natural thing to do, society discourages it by promoting normalcy and conformity so people get this double-mind on the matter. It's very natural for a lot of people doing comedy to experience an unnatural reluctance, but once you get out there and do it, and you get that first chuckle from the audience, you just have to let the shield of your character possess you and take you for a ride, and just completely shut down your other functions. If it doesn't feel as if a foreign entity is using your body like a cheap rag, then you could trip over a stray non-actor thought!
And that's the best advice I can give on acting/comedy/coping-with-insanity.
Oh, and Reecer- sorry to derail everything there. The Christian market is probably a great place for indies. Wish I could make a film that would offend and annoy half the people who see it. Or rather, wish half the people who see my films had lower standards!
