Avantika Akerkar,
Theatre Artist
Q. world How of were comedy? you introduced to the A. I grew up in New York, with the best of the best to watch. I was glued to the TV and loved Saturday Night Live and sitcoms like Seinfeld. Watching stand-up acts at various places rounded my comedic experience. Q. What’s the most important part of the job? A. Timing, delivery and content. You have to be able to hold the audience for the right amount of time before you deliver a punchline, and this holds true for stand-up, as well as comedic theatre. Q. What do you think when you hear that women aren’t funny? A. It’s like saying men can’t really cook! Absurdity. I think it has to do with social biases and gender stereotyping. Q. Tell us about the role of comedy in theatre, for example, your role in The Vagina Monologues...
A. It’s important, especially in performance pieces like The Vagina Monologues. Our play uses humour as a foil to ensure the message is clearly understood by the audience. I always remind myself that, although the lines are funny, the intent is far from it.