I once took an comedy improvisation class with Melanie Chartoff. ( her website)   She played the sexy nasty principle Grace Musso on Parker Lewis Can’t Lose. ( I had a secret little boner for her when she was on that show ) She was on Seinfeld a few times too. Before I went there to take the class in Santa Monica I was afraid that everyone would think I stupid and and laugh at me. But then I thought   “Wait ….. its comedy……they are supposed to laugh at me”  I then realized that I should try to be more stupid not less. Thus to be a straight arrow who no one ever laughs at is just as bad as to be totally worthy of ridicule. Both are extremes of control or lack thereof and thus strangely equivalent in a sense. My take away: I’d rather be a rich clown than a poor fool.
2 Comments
I’m suprised, “Parker Lewis Can’t Loose” doesn’t seem like a show that you’d be drawn to. Do you remember Melanie on that show, “Friday’s”? She got her start there along with Larry David (co-creator of, “Seinfeld”) and Micheal Richards(Kramer).
I liked her non-Friday work alot better. She’s pretty good at playing a villain.