Prop comedy

Prop comedy is a

prop", an abbreviation of "property", refers to any object an actor handles in the course of a performance. Though some form of prop comedy has likely existed as long as there have been comedians, the genre reached its zenith in the vaudeville era. The vaudeville team Olsen and Johnson used prop comedy extensively in their long running Broadway revue Hellzapoppin

.

A prop comic is a comedian who uses prop comedy. Prop comics are sometimes looked down upon by other comedians, and the term is sometimes used derisively. However, some, such as Tommy Cooper, rose to critical acclaim as their props revolved around a gimmick (such as Cooper's magic) and the comedian's character around that gimmick.

Types of props

Props are any items that the comedian or comic uses in an absurd way. These can be hand props, such as a book or slapstick, costume props (such as tearaway pants), and set props (such as a breakaway chair).^[1] Another example is the rubber chicken.

Other occurrences

The TV comedy game show

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

has a round called Props in which two teams of comedians are each given a prop each and must improvise with them to humorous effect.

References

^ https://www.vox.com/2015/8/22/9189581/prop-comedy-vintage

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[1] ttps://www.vox.com/2015/8/22/9189581/prop-comedy-vintage

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