Comedy Techniques for Variety Artists: Creativity for Entertainers

praises for

Creativity For Entertainers

Bruce Johnson is a Comedypedia! Comedy Techniques for Variety Artists is a comprehensive resource for performers creating their own comedic material, an invaluable storehouse of over 75 practical, audience tested comedy techniques. Backed up by exercises to help build the performer’s comedy chops, this workbook is full of examples, beautifully described classic comedy routines, and anecdotes of first-hand experiences and audience reactions with the insight that can only come from a seasoned performer and master comedy historian like Bruce Johnson, known to audiences throughout the world as his beloved clown character Charlie. What’s funny? Why is it funny? How can you use it in your own performances? Dive in . . . the comedy water is fine! – Mike Dr. Fun E. Bone Bednarek, Medical Clown, Salem Health Hospital (Salem, Oregon)

Bruce Charlie Johnson understands the business of comedy entertainment. Better yet, he knows how to share his knowledge in a wonderfully effective manner. – Duane Laflin, Past President International Fellowship of Christian Magicians

When Bruce Charlie Johnson takes on a subject you know it will be well researched, clearly written, and filled with fascinating anecdotes to keep it interesting. – Norm Barnhart, Clowning Around Magazine

Bruce Charlie Johnson, with his vast knowledge of the history of clowning, knows hundreds of routines and dozens of fun and zany ways to perform those routines. This book is an indispensable guide to all things pertaining to variety entertainment. – Debbie O’Carroll, Territorial Vice-President for Massachusetts International Brotherhood of Magicians

2022 by Bruce A. Johnson

Published by Bruce Johnson

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Printed in the United States of America

Illustrated by Bruce Johnson

ISBN: 979-8-9862772-2-6

First Edition

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Table of Contents

Praises for Creativity for Entertainers

Title Page

Introduction

Naughty Ball & Clay Ball

The Exercises

Exercise: Favorite Comic Strips

Definition of a Joke

Exercise: Favorite Comic Strips Part 2

All Laughter is Not Equal

Exercise: Identifying Your Sense of Humor

Set Up & Surprise

Exercise: Analyzing Cartoon Set Ups

Timing

Exercise: Series of Four

Slow Thinker

Exercise: Fifty Uses

Repetition

Exercise: Multiple Definitions

Delayed Anticipated Action

Exercise: Similar Sounds

Running Gag

Exercise: Favorite Jokes

Call Back

Exercise: More Multiple Meanings

Synchronization

Exercise: Synchronized Movement

Formula Joke

Exercise: Knock Knock

Spoonerism

Exercise: Spoonerism

Malaprop

Exercise: Malaprop

Pun

Exercise: Phrase Variation

Double Entendre

Exercise: Incomplete Comic Strips

Word Distortion

Exercise: Word Swapping

Alliteration

Exercise: Alliteration

K Sound

Exercise: K Sound

Invented Words

Exercise: Invented Words

Ad Lib

Exercise: Memorized Material

Quotations

Exercise: Invented Quotations

Topping

Exercise: Topping

Put Down & Retort

Exercise: Fractured Proverb

Non-sequitur

Exercise: Alphabet Conundrums

Reversal

Exercise: Cozy Titles

Deflation of Authority/Pomposity

Exercise: Character Mirror

Character

Exercise: Favorite Comedy Characters Part One

Action/Reaction

Exercise: Favorite Comedy Characters Part Two

Twisted Logic

Exercise: Photo Captions

Getting It All Wrong

Exercise: Answer Man

Literal Meaning

Exercise: Metaphor

Disciplines/Rules

Exercise: Limerick

Reciprocal Destruction

Exercise: Simile

Slosh Act

Exercise: Tom Swiftly

Impersonation

Exercise: Crazy Words

Celebrity Impersonation

Exercise: Writing Crazy Words

Animal Impersonation

Basket Animal/Carry

Exercise: Profession

Female/Male Impersonation

Exercise: Oh, You Can’t…

Comedy Impersonation

Exercise: Answer Machine

Imitation

Exercise: Crossing

Anthropomorphism

Exercise: Daffynition

Mistaken Identity

Exercise: What Is It?

Comic Inventiveness

Rube Goldberg

Exercise: Covering the Situation

Imagined Predicament

Exercise: Repeat

Juxtaposition

Exercise: Juxtaposition

Incongruity

Exercise: Gene Perret Chart

Ancient/Modern

Exercise: Whatsits

Sight Gag

Exercise: Original Comic Panels

Visual Puns

Exercise: Visual Puns

Transformation

Exercise: Visual Pun Patter

Hidden Element

I-Had-It-Right-Here

Exercise: Entertainment Guide

Revelation

Exercise: Cartoon Inspiration

Self-deprecation

Exercise: Self-deprecation

Gag File

Exercise: Doctor Routine Setting

Performer-In-Trouble Syndrome

Exercise: Doctor Routine Body

Practical Joke

Exercise: Doctor Routine Transitions

Plausible Impossible

Exercise: Doctor Routine Ending

Irony

Satire

Exercise: Crossing

Sarcasm

Exercise: You Might Be

Breaking the Fourth Wall

Exercise: Counting Sheep

Parody

Exercise: My Hometown was…

Shop Talk

Exercise: Shop Talk

Popular Phrase

Exercise: More Fractured Proverbs

Switching

Exercise: Switching the Little Mexican

Topical

Exercise: Testimonial Time

Slice of Life

Exercise: Slice of Life

Exaggeration

Exercise: Exaggerated Description

Understatement

Exercise: Post Cards

Contrast

Exercise: Advice Column

Slapstick/Physical Comedy

Exercise: Phone Call

Thrill

Exercise: Super Hero or Villain

History

Exercise: Bloopers

Enjoyment

Exercise: Yes, And…

Personalize & Localize

Exercise: Books Not Written

Storytelling

Exercise: Story

Premise

Exercise: Another Captions

Skill

Exercise: Patter Puns

Music

Exercise: Word Puns

Sound Effects

Exercise: Forced Relationship

Happy Accident

Exercise: Definition Review

Conclusion

Appendix A

Appendix B: Doctor Gag File

Selected Bibliography

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Ohana is a Hawaiian word for family. It means more than just the family that we are born into. It also means the family of friends that we choose.

I dedicate this book to two fathers of my ohana.

Bruce L. Johnson is the father of the family that I was fortunate to be born into.

Dr. Richard Snowberg is the father of the Clown Camp family, a group of peers and friends that I have been honored to be a part of since 1986.

Foreword

Bruce Johnson is passionate, kind, honest, and meticulous in life; these values also apply to his research and writing. As an author, Bruce has an intrinsic ability to present the pedagogy and history of the clown, variety arts, and circus in the most extraordinary, understandable detail. This ability is directly related to the fact Bruce has been a part of the very history he has researched for over forty years. As a result, he views historical content as both a dedicated historian and a talented performing artist; the reader benefits immensely from Bruce walking the walk, albeit humbly, in his mismatched clown shoes.

Keeping in touch with his creative spirit, Bruce is one of the longest-running staff members with Clown Camp, the clown and variety arts training program founded by Dr. Richard Snowberg in 1981. Over 5,000 people have attended the program. Clown Camp participants have celebrated Bruce’s exemplary work in the classroom and on stage for many years.

I have grown as a performing artist through Bruce’s books and thoughtful guidance. Reading any of his books is, without a doubt, time well spent for your performance and audience. So, find a comfy space and allow this book to help you embrace the past, the present, and the future of your craft.

Introduction

Some people feel that being accused of not having a sense of humor is an insult. Everyone wants to be thought of as a funny person.

There are many reasons why comedy is an asset to a variety artist.

Randy Pryor kept telling his juggling students, Flash is Cash. Yucks are Bucks. I have discovered that being able to provide comedy opens more opportunities for me. I was hired to provide a comedy magic act during a concert by a group of barber shop quartets and choruses. I have also been scheduled many times to perform a comedy juggling act during a show performed by magicians who performed very little comedy. I have represented the United States in international clown performances. Often those shows would include one serious magic or juggling act. We judge things by contrast. The presence of a comedy act during a serious show enhances the dramatic effect of the other acts. A serious act during a comedy show enhances the humor of the other acts. If you perform a solo show, I think it is more effective if you include contrasting serious and comedy routines.

Comedy helps form connections. A psychological study showed that if a couple laughed together during their first date, they were more likely to go on a second date. I know that my wife’s favorite friends are all ones that are able to make her laugh, and who she can make laugh. Including humor in your act helps you connect with your audience, and helps unite your audience.

Many variety artists use their skills as a teaching tool. This is particularly true in library and school shows that may require an educational component. Some entertainers use their skills to teach safety, character development, or spiritual lessons. Humor can be a very effective teaching tool, especially if the humor is closely related to the lesson.

I was a first-grade teacher one year in the Bible Study Fellowship Children’s Program. The topic that year was the life and work of Moses. Early in the year, we studied the ten plagues in Egypt that led to the Exodus. We needed to review that information periodically. My teaching partner prepared a True/False quiz. One of the questions was The plague of ladybugs. All of the kids laughed at that because they knew that ladybugs are harmless. We told them that it was the plague of locusts, another bug whose name began with the letter L. When we reviewed the material again a few weeks later, none of the students could remember all ten of the plagues, but every one remembered the locusts. It was the only one that every one remembered because they all remembered the lady bug joke which reminded them of the other insect starting with the letter L.

International Clown Hall of Fame Inductee Bert Williams said, I do not believe there is any such thing as innate humor. It has to be developed by hard work and study, just as every other human quality…

No matter how much experience you have creating comedy, you can increase your ability to add humor to your life and art by studying how it has been created and performed, and by practice yourself. That is the purpose of this book.

It is a course in adding more comedy to a variety arts act for entertaining a family audience. It is not a book on performing standup comedy. I have limited experience with that performance style. Also, standup comedy is the subject of many books.

According to Steve Allen, There is no one right way to make people laugh.

My intention is not to force you to do it the way that I do it. I hope to give you options that help you explore and discover the way that is right for you. I also hope that I help you avoid taking the wrong paths.

I have seen many performers whose humor falls flat or actually alienates their audience. I was fortunate that my first instructors steered me away from some common mistakes.

I have included some of my own routines in this book. That is to demonstrate that this is practical material that you can use. It is not just theory that I have copied from somewhere else.

Evaluate everything that I have written, and then decide if it is relevant to your own performances. No instructor or author is perfect. This book is a greatly expanded version of Comedy Techniques for Entertainers, a book that I wrote in 1986. I have learned a lot about creating and performing comedy since then. I have learned that there were some errors in that original version, and have corrected them here.

I have tried to verify everything. If I read something, I tested it with my own experiences. If I thought I had learned something from my experiences and observations, I did research to see if others had observed the same thing.

I have tried to explain where I have learned something, and provide samples of it being used. I have learned a lot by reading comic strips, listening to classic radio comedy, and watching movies and television programs. Media, in particular internet platforms, have made them currently accessible. That means you can study these examples yourself. Unfortunately, I have not always been able to identify the original broadcast dates of radio and television programs.

By studying entertainment history, we can learn what those who went before us learned by trial and error without having to make the same mistakes ourselves. Understanding comedy will strengthen your efforts and reveal new options.

This book is the result of a lifetime of study and practice. My mother said that comedy shows were always my favorite television programs. I loved variety arts growing up.

I didn’t just want to observe it. I wanted to know how it was created. My family would frequently visit Knott’s Berry Farm when I was growing up. Tony Kemeny performed a puppet show in a gypsy wagon at the park. On hot days, he would leave the back door ajar to provide a little ventilation. While the rest of my family sat in benches in front of the stage watching the show, I snuck around back to peek through the opening and watched how Tony performed the show. I was particularly fascinated by how he switched puppets.

I loved watching The Magic Land of Allakkazam on television. It was sponsored by Kellogg’s. I learned my first magic tricks in second grade when directions for some tricks were printed on the back of Kellogg’s cereal boxes to promote the TV show. A year later, I got my first magic kit. I have studied magic ever since then.

I also loved animation, especially that produced by the Walt Disney Studios. About the same time that I started studying magic, my parents gave me Walt Disney The Art of Animation by Bob Thomas. That sparked my interest in studying animation history. I have read everything that I could find on that subject. I wanted to know more than just how the image of movement was created. I wanted to know how the characters were developed and the humor was written.

I became a Cub Scout when I was eight-years-old. That year I appeared as a clown for the first time when my Den performed a circus style barber skit. I continued to perform skits at Cub Scout events, and later at Boy Scout meetings and campfires. I didn’t realize it at the time, but many of the skits that I was learning were based on traditional clown acts. When I was in Junior High, I began writing my own original skits for scout events. Looking back, they weren’t great, but they were the beginning.

I have heard many people talk about the importance of lifelong learning. However, my father taught it to me by his example. At the age of 80, he decided to pursue magic as a hobby. He told me that he wanted something to do in the evening besides watch TV. So, he practiced magic every evening. He eventually did two public performances of magic.

A few years after he began studying magic, my father attended a class that I taught on origami at California Clown Campin’. He became interested in origami. During the last week of his life, he was my roommate when I was on the Clown Camp staff. Every evening, while I prepared my visual aids for my next day of classes, he folded paper. The next day he presented those models to Clown Camp participants and to employees of the university that hosts Clown Camp. He thanked the employees for the work they were doing in support of the clowns. When he passed away two days after Clown Camp ended, I received a sympathy card signed by many of the university employees.

Following my father’s example, I am continuing my education. In the past year I have been learning to play a musical instrument called a kalimba and to spin poi balls. I have started playing with how to use those new skills in my performances. I have continued to write new comedy material, either for my own use or for others.

I have continued to study comedy and showmanship. In the past month, I have read two books that are relevant. One is Clown: The Physical Comedian, by Joe Dieffenbacher. Joe’s descriptions of lessons learned crystalized for me some concepts that I had observed in my own performances but never expressed. His book is a great companion to this one. I focus a lot on verbal humor while Joe avoids verbal humor. He concentrates on communicating using your body. His students create sounds but don’t utilize actual words. Combing both approaches will give you a great variety of tools to use in connecting with and entertaining your audience.

The other book I read in the past month is The Haunted Mansion: Imagineering a Disney Classic by Jason Surrell. The book details the tension between people who thought Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion should be scary and people who thought it should be humorous. It was combining both approaches that made it one of the most popular amusement park attractions around the world. It has been included in every location where a Disney Magic Kingdom has been built. Surrell describes how in each new location they had to get to know their audience and personalize the attraction instead of merely duplicating what they had already created. This book also emphasized the importance of telling a story in entertainment. I have not included information from that book in this text, but it amplifies some of the things that I have written.

Just writing comedy is not enough. I know that I am not the best judge of my own material. It is important to perform some of your material to see how the audience responds. Fanny Brice said, Your audience gives you everything you need. There is no director who can direct you like an audience.

Be sure that you pay attention to your audience. One of the other performers in a variety show was portraying a mafia type character. He spoke in a husky whisper. Audience members kept yelling for him to speak up because they couldn’t understand anything that he said. When he came off stage, he whispered to me, They don’t understand. This is how my character speaks.

No, he didn’t understand. The audience was telling him that he made the wrong choice and that voice was not working. Nobody responded to his jokes because they didn’t know what they were. His act was a waste of the audience’s time.

It is important to remember that as an entertainer, you are there to meet the needs of the audience, not the other way around.

Joe E. Brown said, The best comedy is that which the audience itself helps to build. The experienced comedian is always on the lookout for the hints and suggestions that come to him through audience reaction.

I have gotten many ideas from a comment made by an audience member during a performance. In one of my juggling bits, after I have juggled three balls, I hold up a sign asking if the audience would like to see my juggle with four. Then I juggle with two balls and a large number four cut out of plywood. After the laughter, I do a short four-ball juggling routine. One day a man yelled, Can you juggle with five? I couldn’t do it then. However, the next day I cut a number five out of plywood. I kept it in my prop trunk for years. I didn’t get to use it often. However, when somebody challenged me to juggle with five, I got tremendous laughter by being able to pull that number out.

I have also learned a lot of comedy lines from audience members. When somebody yells out a funny line, I lead the audience in applauding them. I always have a pad of paper and a pen in a pocket of my costume. I get a laugh when I pull it out to write down that person’s comment. What the audience doesn’t realize is that I am writing it down so I don’t forget it. Then I use it myself when I have the next opportunity.

When you insert a new comedy routine or line into a normal performance, put it between two existing routines that you know are sure fire. The first routine warms up the audience so they are ready to respond positively. If the response to your new routine is not as good as you wish, the next routine will win back the audience. Most of the people will forget the routine that fell flat.

Of course, if you get great response the first time you perform an idea you know that it is a good idea. If the response is not what you wish, don’t give up too soon. When I introduce a new routine, I am nervous so I don’t perform it as smoothly as possible. If it falls flat, I don’t know if it was because my presentation was flawed or if the idea itself was flawed. It can take several performances to decide. Sometimes when I believe in an idea, I will occasionally try different presentations over the years. Eventually, I figure out a way that works. Then what was a flawed idea becomes part of my permanent repertoire.

When most authors talk about writing comedy, they are referring to verbal routines. However, many of the same techniques can be applied to nonverbal variety acts.

Here is a description of one of my nonverbal juggling routines. I will refer back to it in describing applications of the comedy techniques.

Naughty Ball & Clay Ball

I begin juggling with a yellow ball and two red balls. I toss the yellow ball wide to my left so that I miss it. It bounces away from me. I retrieve it and begin juggling again. After a few throws, I toss it wide to my left again so I miss it a second time. Depending upon the circumstances, I sometimes step on the bouncing ball. That makes it bounce back high enough that I can catch it. Otherwise, I simply chase the ball and grab it. Then I shake my finger at the ball admonishing it for not behaving.

I begin juggling again. I toss the yellow ball wide to my left a third time. However, now at the last second, I extend my left arm straight out so I catch the ball. I continue juggling. When the yellow ball is in my right hand again, I throw it wide to my left. I extend my left arm to catch it at the last moment, and continue juggling.

When the yellow ball is in my right hand, I throw it a little higher than normal. I let it fall and hit the floor in front of me. When it bounces high enough, I resume juggling. I throw the yellow ball a little bit higher again, let it bounce, and resume juggling. I throw one of the red balls a lot higher, and let it fall to the floor. It bounces higher than before, and when it comes back down, I continue juggling. I throw the next red ball extremely high, and let it fall to the floor. It hits with a splat and does not bounce. I follow its expected path up into the air with my eyes.

I remain looking upward until somebody calls my attention to the ball on the ground. Then I pick it up. I decide to test it out. I throw it down hard. Once again, it just splats against the ground. I pick it up, put it in my prop case, and get another red ball. When I test it out by throwing it down, it bounces high into the air. I catch it.

I begin juggling again. After a few throws, I toss all three balls higher than normal. I let them all fall to the floor and bounce. When the first ball peaks and comes back down, I catch it and make the next throw. I catch each ball in sequence and throw it again so that I am back into a normal cascade juggling pattern.

I let all three balls bounce a second time, and return to a normal cascade pattern.

Suddenly the yellow ball flies wide to my left. Again, I catch it at the last possible moment and continue juggling. I do a second wide throw with the yellow ball, catch it, and continue juggling. The yellow ball flies wide to the right a third time. I catch it again. However, instead of tossing it so that I continue with a normal three ball pattern, I move my left hand behind me hiding the yellow ball. I am now juggling the two red balls with just my right hand. Each ball moves up and down in a straight line while by right hand moves back and forth alternately catching and tossing the balls. I can’t figure out what has happened to the yellow ball. I start scratching my head with my left hand. I notice that the yellow ball is in that hand.

I try to return the yellow ball to the juggling pattern. However, I don’t let go of it. I raise my left hand up and down in unison with the rise and fall of the red ball that is in the center. I continue this a few times. Jugglers call this a 2-1 Fake.

Then I pause briefly with the left hand. I move the ball over so it is above the red ball that is closest to the center of the body. I lift and lower my hand so the yellow ball stays a few inches above the red ball. It creates the illusion that a short piece of string is connecting the two balls. Jugglers call this a Yo-Yo.

I finally toss the yellow ball into the air and begin a three-ball cascade pattern. Suddenly I toss the yellow ball so it goes higher than normal arching over the other two balls. I toss it back in a high arch. The yellow ball is following a rainbow shaped path while the other two balls follow an infinity sign path. I repeat that long enough for the audience to understand what is happening. Frequently, the audience will react in some way to this trick.

Then I begin performing a trick called a Triangle. In this trick, the red balls follow the normal infinity sign path, while the yellow ball follows a path that forms a triangular shape in the air.

Finally, I perform the Triangle continuously with all three balls. This looks very complicated. I act as if I am becoming confused by the actions of the balls. I catch all three balls, and then strike a pose. The audience always breaks into applause at this point.

When I was performing a juggling act in a circus, I would continue with another juggling routine. When I was performing my solo variety show, I would often follow this routine with a magic routine.

The Exercises

The discussion of comedy techniques is not the most important part of this book. The exercises are more important. The only real way to learn to create comedy is to actually work at creating it.

Creativity is like a muscle. The more that you exercise it the stronger it becomes. Attempt each exercise, even if you don’t think you will use the results in your own performances. That attempt will increase your ability to write comedy which improves the material that you might potentially perform.

I encourage you to start a notebook for recording your responses to the exercises. Having that on paper is better than entering it into a digital device. Flipping actual pages of paper provides glimpses of a variety of ideas increasing the chance that serendipity will lead you to new discoveries.

An idea quota is the minimum number of ideas you are going to try to generate. It is useful because it keeps you engaged. Creativity can be thought of as a flow of ideas. In general, you have a sudden burst of inspiration. Then the flow gets clogged. The rate of new ideas slows and they don’t seem to be as good as your first ideas. If you continue working the clog eventually gets cleared and new ideas flow. Often those later ideas are your best ones.

Don’t be discouraged if all of your responses to the exercises are not great ones. I have used ten as the idea quota for many of the exercises. Creativity experts talk about the Ten Percent Rule. That is an estimate that only about ten percent of your ideas will be useable. So, if you write ten jokes, on average one of them will be a good one. To me that is freeing. I know that every joke or idea does not have to be good. If I write enough jokes some of them will be useable.

Actually, if my goal is to create a five-minute routine, I write as much as possible. I often end up with a ten-minute routine. Then I edit it myself. I start performing it before audiences, and edit it further. Finally, I distill it down to a five-minute routine that is only the best material that I can write. I think of it as the Goldilocks principle. Having something to compare it to helps me determine what is just right.

I was graduated by California State University – Long Beach with a BA in Technical Theater. Herb Camburn taught many of my classes. When he gave out an assignment, it was the minimum requirement. Herb did not grade us on how much we knew, but by how much we learned. He expected his students to set their own requirements based on their experience. If you had no experience with a process or project, you could do what he had assigned. If you had more experience, he expected you to do something more difficult to challenge yourself. He said if we depended upon his assignments to challenge us, our development would stop when the class ended. However, if we learned to continue challenging ourselves, our development as theater artists could continue throughout our lifetime.

So, these exercises are the minimum requirement. If you have more experience, go beyond that. For example, if you have written Knock Knock jokes before and discover that you quickly reach the idea quota that I set, then set a new quota to challenge yourself to accomplish more.

Don’t think of these as just exercises. Approach them as potential inspiration for something that you might perform. As it is presented, an exercise may not have an obvious application. However, it might start a train of thought that will lead you to something else that you can apply.

The exercises are varied. In some you will write individual jokes. In others you will write a brief routine. In others you will play an improvisation game as part of a group. If you don’t belong to a variety arts organization, you can still play the games. I have introduced improvisation as a party game at an event where the guests were not entertainers. They have a lot of fun, and I get to exercise my ability to create material.

You can also form an informal group studying this book. The group would meet occasionally to share their responses to the exercises. That way you can encourage each other. The ideas of others may inspire you to create further new ideas. It also provides you with an audience to test the effectiveness of your ideas.

Be generous with your ideas. When you have an idea that doesn’t fit your style, suggest it to somebody who might be able to use it.

People that I have suggested ideas to have reciprocated by suggesting to me ideas that they thought I might be able to use.

Also, other people often see something in my idea that I didn’t realize was there. My idea inspired them to create a different idea. When they told me what they had done, that inspired me to create another different idea. By sharing ideas, we created two or more ideas that neither one of us would have created by working alone.

As my career evolves, the requirements for ideas that I can use changes. In the early 1990’s, I met Dottie Goldfarb. She was a professional violinist who wanted to become a clown. She didn’t know how to make her violin playing funny. So, I helped her develop some musical clown routines. I had the pleasure of seeing her perform them successfully.