A five page play or screenplay will be approximately 800 words. The only way to prove that you truly, deeply, and on a cellular level understand the concepts of comedy learned in this class and the human sensibility represented by the comedy genre, is to put them into practice. An athlete can read all the books she wants on the principles of serving a tennis ball, but the proof is in the pudding: can she serve a tennis ball? Therefore, your final assignment is an exercise in which you create a “comic sketch.” A sketch is a short, comic scene, such as one might see on Saturday Night Live or Funny or Die. Your sketch should be five (5) pages long, but you may go as long as eight (8) pages (if it’s really funny). It is appreciated if the piece is properly formatted as a play or screenplay, but as long as it’s neat and comprehensible, formatting is a minor issue, and you may fee free to make up your own style of formatting.
In addition to the sketch, you must include a paragraph explaining your comic premise, and a paragraph explaining what is funny about at least one character. Do this first, and it will make the actual writing of the sketch better!
Again, your sketch may be done in screenwriting format or playwriting format.