BY ALEX ISRAEL

In print | Published February 26, 2009

Why do we find things funny? How does humor help us cope with oppression? Why do female comedians have such a hard time making it in the business? These are just a few of the questions sparked by the upcoming Cooper event, “Comedy: A Defining Force in Group Identification,” a symposium and comedy fest happening March 2-3.

The symposium starts at 4:15 p.m. on March 2 with a lecture by Victor Raskin, editor of the “International Journal of Humor Research.” Professor Raskin’s lecture will explore the bonding nature of humor in oppressed communities. The kinds of communities that will be discussed, according to Professor Donna Jo Napoli, are those in which “language is part of the identity of and membership in the community.” If anyone wants to get a jumpstart on the festivities there will be a lunch with the four performing comediennes on Monday. Those who wish to attend are encouraged to contact Napoli.

The kind of comedy addressed in Raskin’s talk will be experienced firsthand on Monday night, when the comediennes take the stage at 8 p.m. in LPAC. “We chose women because there are fewer women in standup,” Napoli said. “They claim that it’s a lot harder to make it in stand-up as a woman.” The four chosen comediennes — Lisa Alvarado, a Latina; Robin Cee, an African American; Dawn Dumont, a member of the Plains Cree tribe; and E. Lynn Jacobowitz, a professor of ASL and deaf studies at Gaullaudet University — are all members of communities wiht a history of oppression. In addition, these communities are all defined, at least in part, by a minority language that has both provided a sense of identity and contributed to oppression.

The symposium will continue on Tuesday with a discussion of the previous night’s comedy led by Raskin and workshops led by the comediennes. These workshops, which will happen between 5 and 6 p.m. on Mar. 3, will focus on whatever areas the comediennes choose.

The event is one that Napoli believes will be of interest to students. “Comedy has become an interest on this campus,” Napoli said, citing a first-year seminar in the English department and a seminar in the theater department as evidence. “We think of comedy as not serious, but there is a way to look at humor seriously.”

To reserve a spot in one of the workshops or to find out more about the event, visit the event’s website, which can be found on the Swarthmore Linguistics department homepage.

Schedule of Events:

Monday, March 2 at 4:15 p.m.: “Comedy: A Defining Force in Group Identification.” Symposium lecture by Victor Raskin, professor of English and Linguistics at Purdue University and editor of the “International Journal pf Humor Research.” Held in LPAC.

Monday, March 2 at 8 p.m.: Performances by Lisa Alvarado, Robin Ceem Dawn Dumont and E. Lynn Jacobowitz, followed by a reception. Held in LPAC.

Tuesday, March 3 at 4:15 p.m.: Discussion of the previous night’s comedy, led by Raskin. Held in Science Center 101.

Tuesday, March 3, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Workshops led by the four comediennes. Preregistration required. Location TBA.

A lunch with the comediennes will be held on Monday. Preregistration is required. For additional information, contact Donna Jo Napoli at dnapoli1@swarthmore.edu, or visit the event’s website, which can be accessed by clicking on News and Events on the Linguistics Department homepage.

« RETURN TO LIVING & ARTS

« PREV ARTICLE | NEXT ARTICLE »