Baggy Pants Comedy - (Palgrave Studies in Theatre and Performance History) by A Davis (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Baggy Pants Comedy takes readers inside the burlesque houses of Depression-era America to explore the role of comedy in a show remembered mostly for strip-tease. It examines how burlesque comics, straightmen, and talking women approached the craft of comedy, working in a genre that relied not on scripts but on a remembered tradition of comedy bits that circulated orally. The book opens a long-neglected area of American folklore, presenting dozens of fondly-remembered routines like "Who's On First" and "Niagara Falls (Slowly I Turned)," as well as long-forgotten classics in print for the first time"--

Book Synopsis

The first full-length study of comedy on the burlesque stage, this book takes the reader inside the burlesque houses of the 1930s, looks at the role comedy played in an entertainment form known mostly for striptease, and explores how these sketch performers approached their craft.

Review Quotes

"Those unfamiliar with burlesque sketch comedy will enjoy reading many of the better-known routines. This study fills a glaring gap in the study of American popular culture. It is a must for those interested in American theater and popular culture. Summing Up: Essential. All readers." - CHOICE

"Andrew Davis has succeeded in writing a definitive history of burlesque comedy in America. Well written and intelligently critiqued, this is a very timely book because there has been a revival of burlesque itself. Davis knows this field better than anyone." - Lawrence E. Mintz, Associate Professor Emeritus, American Studies, University of Maryland, USA

"An impressive document. It is accessible, enjoyable, and highly readable, while fully exploring and explaining the historical, cultural, and mechanical complexities of raucous burlesque comedy. Davis has rescued an art form - the art of Abbott & Costello and countless other comedy greats - from slipping into cultural anonymity." - Andrew L. Erdman, author of Blue Vaudeville

"Davis has gone well beyond peeling back and revealing historical and technical specifics of burlesque comedy and has forged an invaluable work of desired reading for comics, comedians, and clowns." - Hovey Burgess, Master Teacher of Circus, New York University and Dramaturg, Circus Flora, USA

"Both funny and informative. Davis writes about the old-style shticks, bits, and routines as if he were dancing in front of you. Or maybe better yet, alongside of you. He brings this lost world to life in a vivid and memorable way." - Rachel Shteir, Associate Professor of Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism, DePaul University, USA and author of Striptease: The Untold History of the Girlie Show

About the Author

Andrew Davis is Adjunct Assistant Professor at Otis College of Art and Design, USA.