Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This research has been conducted by focusing on the trajectories of semiotic ensembles from various contexts that stand-up comedians exploited for aesthetic and communicative purposes. I apply the social semiotic theory of multimodality (Kress and van Leeuwen, 2001, 2006), and the notions of semiotic remediation (Bolter and Grusin, 1996, 2000) and resemiotization (Iedema, 2003) to selected audiovisual recordings performances of Trevor Noah and Loyiso Gola from South Africa; and Atunyota Akporobomeriere (Ali Baba) and Bright Okpocha (Basket Mouth) from Nigeria. I explore the trajectories of semiotic resources that the comedians used across modes, contexts and practices. I also trace the translation and interpretation of socio-cultural and political materials by South African and Nigerian stand-up comedians’ performances. The idea is also to examine the extent to which the socio-cultural and political contexts of both countries have differential effects on the choices in the semiotic resources used in the reconstruction of meanings, including cross socio-cultural taboos. The study reveals that combinations of various semiotic materials ranging from political, sociocultural, religious and personal lifestyles are remediated (repurposed) for comic and aesthetic effects. This involves translating and re-interpreting the semiotic resources across contexts and practices. In this regard, the study showed how the artists rework verbal language, images, socio-political discourses and other semiotic material for new meanings. It also reveals that although the choices of materials are similar, there is a tendency of localizing semiotic resources to particular localities and audiences, so that each artist’s performance comes out as unique to the person. The study concludes that language alone is not at the core of communication as other semiotic modes (in addition to languages) are integrated interweaving resources to make meaning. The direction of the modes or resources is multidimensional. All the spoken texts, all the non-linguistic modes: gestures, stance, movements, running on stage, postures, mimicking and others, perform vital roles to recontextualize meanings in stand-up comedy performance. Therefore, the study opens up new perspectives on social semiotic approaches to multimodality, as well as on language social semiotic and to theory and media studies. The contribution also answers the call to expand the understanding and research on the theory of ‘multimodality’ and the various concepts such as semiotic remediation and resemiotization associated with it.

Louis Jouvet a toute sa vie écrit et pensé l’art dramatique, s’essayant à tous les métiers du théâtre, depuis ses débuts en tant que régisseur jusqu’à ses expériences de metteur en scène et bien évidemment d’acteur. Dans ses leçons au Conservatoire, données de 1934 à 1940 puis de 1947 à 1951, il tente de mettre en mots, pour ses élèves, le « mystère » du théâtre, qui ne vit que dans l’instant du jeu et se dérobe sitôt celui-ci terminé. Il construit pour ce faire un édifice mental dont les personnages sont le cœur. Venus visiter les auteurs dramatiques véritables au moment de l’écriture, ils sont ceux dont l’acteur, s’il veut devenir comédien et parvenir à la désincarnation, doit se mettre en quête. Afin de comprendre comment Jouvet invente une logique qui lui permet à la fois de transmettre le fruit de son expérience et de maintenir l’énigme, nous avons procédé à une analyse systématique des classes. De celle-ci émerge non une « méthode » ou un « système » Jouvet mais une pensée moins contradictoire qu’il n’y paraît, portée par un vocabulaire inlassablement repris et d’où émergent de fortes constantes. La première partie de la thèse analyse la pensée générale du théâtre selon Jouvet et la place décisive qu’il accorde aux personnages, de façon à comprendre comment il situe son rôle d’enseignant du premier XXe siècle. La deuxième reprend et développe les différents modes d’approche des personnages dramatiques, selon leur genre, leur auteur et leur type. La troisième envisage plus spécifiquement le temps de la rencontre, dans le jeu, entre le comédien et le personnage, dans une redéfinition du Paradoxe de Diderot, dont Jouvet repense les termes selon la logique poético-mystique qu’il échaffaude. / Throughout his life, Louis Jouvet reflected on and wrote about the dramatic arts, exercising all of the different trades of the Theatre field, from his beginnings as a stage manager to his experiences as a director and, obviously, as an actor. In his lessons as a teacher at Paris’ drama school, from 1934 to 1940 and from 1947 to 1951, he strived to pass on to his students the “mystery” of the Theatre, alive only in the instant of the play and elusive as soon as it is over. To do so, he erects a mental structure whose pillars are the characters. As the inspirers of the genuine dramatic authors, the characters are the ones every actor must seek if he is to become a comedian and reach disembodiment. To understand how Jouvet invents a structure that would allow him to impart the lessons of his experience and, at the same time, maintain the mystery, we analyzed all of his lessons in a systematic way. From there, what comes to light is not a “Jouvet method” nor a “Jouvet system”, but a vision that’s not as contradictory as it would seem, supported by a very recurring vocabulary, and from which emerge a few strong constants.The Thesis’ first part analyzes Jouvet’s general vision of the Theatre and the key role he assigns to characters, as a means to understand how he defines his role as a teacher during the first half of the XXth century. The second part delves into Jouvet’s different perspectives on characters, according to genre, author and type. The third one explores more specifically the moment in which, through the play, comedian and character meet, in a redefinition of Diderot’s paradox reshaped by Jouvet’s original logic, both logical and mystic.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--UCLA, 2010. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 296-303).

Submitted by Caroline Periotto (carol@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-03T14:04:56Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DissJSSer.pdf: 2473054 bytes, checksum: e4708a9a610c725b396d7b29f5aa79eb (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-10T19:51:44Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissJSSer.pdf: 2473054 bytes, checksum: e4708a9a610c725b396d7b29f5aa79eb (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-10-10T19:51:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DissJSSer.pdf: 2473054 bytes, checksum: e4708a9a610c725b396d7b29f5aa79eb (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-10T19:52:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DissJSSer.pdf: 2473054 bytes, checksum: e4708a9a610c725b396d7b29f5aa79eb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-12-17 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Supported by the Classic Laugh and Humor Theories as background, according the approach of the anthropology of performance and the ethnographic work carried out in a comedy club in São Paulo city, this work aims to understand the construction of the comic in stand-up comedy performance through three areas of analysis, namely: 1) local relations, text and scenario; 2) the oral narrative as bases of stand-up comedy; 3) the public as counterpart. Seeking to bring out the humorous experience, seated in the performer-space-audience triad, this study brings, in ethnographic narrative, elements that influence and build the stand-up comedy into its scenic context, such as the environment, interactions of the audience and extra scenic components, which act as an emergency supports of the comic genre. It also discusses about the comedian training, aesthetic limitation, the textual production, live scenes and other elements, in order to the compression of the laughter and the stand-up performance. In turn, the audience laughter, as a comedian purpose and expectation of the public, emerges from the negotiations between the present, whose narratives outweigh the telling of jokes and laughter comes over as part of the scene than simply as a result of the jokes. / Tendo como pano de fundo a articulação das Teorias Clássicas do Riso e do Humor e à luz da abordagem da Antropologia da Performance, somado ao trabalho etnográfico em um clube de comédia na cidade de São Paulo/SP, esta dissertação busca compreender a construção do cômico na performance stand-up comedy, por meio de três eixos de análise, a saber: 1) relações locais, texto e espaço cênico; 2) a narrativa oral como matriz performática da stand-up; 3) o público como contraparte. Buscando trazer à tona a experiência humorística, assentada na tríade performer-espaço-audiência, trago na narrativa etnográfica elementos que condicionam e constroem a cena stand-up comedy no seu contexto cênico, tal como o ambiente, as interações com e da a audiência, bem como componentes extra cênicos que funcionam como sustentáculos da emergência cômica neste evento. Trato ainda da formação do comediante, das delimitações estéticas, da produção textual, das cenas ao vivo, entre outros elementos, que são abordados para a compressão do riso e do exercício performático da stand-up. Por sua vez, o riso da audiência, como objetivo do comediante e expectativa do público, emerge da negociação entre os presentes, cujas narrativas superam o ato de contar piadas e o riso surge mais como parte integrante da cena do que como simples resultado das piadas.

This Diploma thesis deals with the plays of the Divadlo Járy Cimrmana. I will use description and explanation to examine the influence of mystification, intertextuality and comicality on the success of this Prague theatre. Recordings of the Divadlo Járy Cimrmana performances and the book issues of their plays will be instrumental to this goal. The theory will be largely adopted from B. Brouk, V. Borecký, J. Homoláč, H. Bergeson and L. Dvorský.

Cette recherche exploratoire et empirique porte sur le vécu de la professionnalisation de l’humoriste québécois francophone. Les ressources théoriques et scientifiques sur le sujet étant peu nombreuses, la théorie ancrée (The Grounded Theory) de Glaser et Strauss (1967) nous permettra d’utiliser nos données de terrain afin que nous puissions les confronter et établir un canevas théorique sur le métier de l’humoriste. Nous nous sommes aussi penchés sur l’étude du rire de Bergson. Selon lui, le rire peut avoir une fonction sociale et c’est aussi un langage universel qui permet à tout un chacun de se reconnaître et de faire partie d’un tout. Du point de vue méthodologique, nous avons interrogé huit humoristes québécois, sept hommes et une femme, jeunes et moins jeunes, ayant fait, ou pas, l’École nationale de l’humour, mais avec comme particularité commune de gagner leur vie en faisant de l’humour. À la suite de ces entrevues, nous avons décidé d’interroger la Directrice de l’École nationale de l’humour, Louise Richer, car chaque humoriste avait un lien particulier avec cette institution. Les entrevues, de type semi-dirigé, ont été réalisées sous une forme chronologique, reliées à une grille de questions sous le thème de la professionnalisation. Les données ont été recueillies et retranscrites (verbatim) grâce à un enregistrement sonore. Faire de l’humour est une profession non conventionnelle où chaque humoriste est laissé à lui-même, mais où rapidement il se crée une espèce de microcosme autour de lui afin de pouvoir évoluer et agir indépendamment des autres. L’adolescence, l’École nationale de l’humour ainsi que le contexte culturel Québécois seront des éléments incontournables à leur professionnalisation. / This exploratory and empirical research focuses on the professionalization experience of the francophone comedian in Quebec. The theoretical and scientific resources on the subject being scarce, Glaser and Strauss’ Grounded Theory (1967) will allow us to use and compare our field data so that we can check them against each other and establish a theoretical framework on the job of comedian. We also examined Bergson’s study of laughter. According to him, laughter can have a social function and it is also a universal language that allows everyone to recognize themselves and be part of a whole. From a methodological point of view, we interviewed eight Quebec comedians, seven men and one woman, young and old, whether they have studied at the École nationale de l’humour or not, but with the common feature of humor being their livelihood. Following these interviews, we decided to ask the Director of the École nationale de l’humour, Louise Richer, because every comedian has a special relationship with the institution. Interviews, of a semi-structured type, were carried out in a chronological form, connected to a set of questions on the theme of professionalization. The data were collected and transcribed (verbatim) with a sound recording. Making humor is an unconventional profession in which every comedian is left to himself, but where quickly he creates a kind of microcosm around himself so he can move and act independently. Adolescence, the École nationale de l’humour and the Quebec cultural context will be essential elements to their professionalization.

Cette thèse a pour objectif de montrer le lien de cause à effet, entre l’arrivée de la forme du théâtre dans le théâtre des pièces pré-classiques de 1630 à 1650 et la construction de l’identité du comédien à partir des pièces de Rotrou, le Véritable Saint Genest, Desmarets,Les Visionnaires, Gougenot La Comédie des comédiens, Scudéry La comédie des comédiens,et Corneille, l’Illusion Comique, dont certaines empruntent le personnage-comédien ouvertement, ou le sous-entendent. Afin d’expliquer l’arrivée dans l’Histoire du comédien professionnel, l’étude s’organise selon un panorama historique de l’identité du comédien depuis l’Antiquité jusqu’au Moyen-âge, au moment de la disparition du mystère et de la fermeture de la Confrérie de la Passion et de la Résurrection de Notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ,prouvant ainsi l’avancée du comédien. Puis, la redéfinition des genres dans lesquels s’inscrira la forme du théâtre dans le théâtre permettra de constater le passage de l’identité religieuse à l’identité professionnelle du comédien avec la réhabilitation du genre de la comédie longtemps éclipsé dans l’Histoire. Le relevé des figures de comédiens de milieux sociaux différents, artisans, marchands, nobles, comédiens de foire, comédiens italiens, permettra de déterminer le profil du comédien français, son identité professionnelle et sociale. Le jeu dramatique du comédien par la liberté de création et l’imaginaire des auteurs dramatiques connaît une évolution. Se pose alors la question de l’identité psychologique du comédien,dans son rapport à la mimésis, à l’identification ou non de son personnage dans le jeu, en référence à l’éthique qui se redéfinit. / This thesis has for objective to show the link of cause with effect, between the arrival of theform the play within the play of the pre-classic period from 1630 till 1650 with theconstruction of the identity of comedian from the piece of Rotrou Le Véritable Saint Genest,Desmarets The Visionaries, Gougenot The comedy of the comedians, Scudéy The comedy ofthe comedians, and Corneille The comic illusion, the character-comedian of which someborrow openly, or imply him. To explain the arrival in the History of the professionalcomedian, the study gets organized according to a historic panorama of the identity of thecomedian since Antiquity to the Middle Ages, at the time of the disappearance of the mysteryand the closure of the Brotherhood of the Passion and the Resurrection of our Lord Jésus-Christ, proving the advance of the comedian. Then, the redefining of the genre in which willjoin the form of the play within the play will allow to notice the passage of the religiousidentity in the professional identity of the comedian with the rehabilitation of the genre of thecomedy for a long time ecclipsé in the History. The statement of comedians’figures ofdifferent social backgrounds, craftsmen, traders, noble persons, comedians of fair, Italiancomedians, will allow to determine the profile of the french comedian, its professional andsocial identity. The dramatic play of the comedian by the freedom of creation and theimagination of the playwrights knows an evolution. The question of the psychological identityof the comedian, its relationship in the mimesis, the identification or not of his character in theplay, in reference to the ethics redefines.

Cette recherche exploratoire et empirique porte sur le vécu de la professionnalisation de l’humoriste québécois francophone. Les ressources théoriques et scientifiques sur le sujet étant peu nombreuses, la théorie ancrée (The Grounded Theory) de Glaser et Strauss (1967) nous permettra d’utiliser nos données de terrain afin que nous puissions les confronter et établir un canevas théorique sur le métier de l’humoriste. Nous nous sommes aussi penchés sur l’étude du rire de Bergson. Selon lui, le rire peut avoir une fonction sociale et c’est aussi un langage universel qui permet à tout un chacun de se reconnaître et de faire partie d’un tout. Du point de vue méthodologique, nous avons interrogé huit humoristes québécois, sept hommes et une femme, jeunes et moins jeunes, ayant fait, ou pas, l’École nationale de l’humour, mais avec comme particularité commune de gagner leur vie en faisant de l’humour. À la suite de ces entrevues, nous avons décidé d’interroger la Directrice de l’École nationale de l’humour, Louise Richer, car chaque humoriste avait un lien particulier avec cette institution. Les entrevues, de type semi-dirigé, ont été réalisées sous une forme chronologique, reliées à une grille de questions sous le thème de la professionnalisation. Les données ont été recueillies et retranscrites (verbatim) grâce à un enregistrement sonore. Faire de l’humour est une profession non conventionnelle où chaque humoriste est laissé à lui-même, mais où rapidement il se crée une espèce de microcosme autour de lui afin de pouvoir évoluer et agir indépendamment des autres. L’adolescence, l’École nationale de l’humour ainsi que le contexte culturel Québécois seront des éléments incontournables à leur professionnalisation. / This exploratory and empirical research focuses on the professionalization experience of the francophone comedian in Quebec. The theoretical and scientific resources on the subject being scarce, Glaser and Strauss’ Grounded Theory (1967) will allow us to use and compare our field data so that we can check them against each other and establish a theoretical framework on the job of comedian. We also examined Bergson’s study of laughter. According to him, laughter can have a social function and it is also a universal language that allows everyone to recognize themselves and be part of a whole. From a methodological point of view, we interviewed eight Quebec comedians, seven men and one woman, young and old, whether they have studied at the École nationale de l’humour or not, but with the common feature of humor being their livelihood. Following these interviews, we decided to ask the Director of the École nationale de l’humour, Louise Richer, because every comedian has a special relationship with the institution. Interviews, of a semi-structured type, were carried out in a chronological form, connected to a set of questions on the theme of professionalization. The data were collected and transcribed (verbatim) with a sound recording. Making humor is an unconventional profession in which every comedian is left to himself, but where quickly he creates a kind of microcosm around himself so he can move and act independently. Adolescence, the École nationale de l’humour and the Quebec cultural context will be essential elements to their professionalization.

The subject of this paper is the philosophy of comedy. It is an orientation through history of laughter and its connection to the essence of comedy. This investigation tries to pinpoint some characteristics of the comedian and the task of the comedian today, focusing primarily on comedy in the public sphere. This paper concludes that comedy could be something physical and biological, but also something political. Humor is general and something very common but also culturally unique. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate comedy as something highly spiritual, absolute human and animalistic. It also aims to connect comedy to the philosophical discipline and strengthen its bond to the academic field. This paper includes some theories of humor, from both an evolutionary, scientific perspective to a more philosophical and theological view. It also includes a political discussion of how one can joke about everything and why comedy is important today.

The Best Medicine is an animated documentary that explores the true stories behind the live performances of stand-up comedians. The film juxtaposes live stand-up performances with candid interview footage combined with animation and illustration. Three subjects– Michael Burd, Casey Stoddard, and Jacob Kubon– discuss alcoholism, childhood abuse, and sexual anxiety, respectively. Their candid, intimate interviews reveal personal information, creating a new context with which to understand live stand-up comedy performance. This illustrates themes of finding humor in dark or painful circumstances and the cathartic nature writing and performance.