Are you a theater buff or are you planning to throw a party for someone who is? A comedy and tragedy theme party may be just the theme you’re looking for. The comedy and tragedy masks are considered the symbols of theater, including plays, operas and musicals. Here are some suggestions to pull off the perfect comedy and tragedy party.

The World’s a Stage: Comedy And Tragedy Invitations

Set the stage for your quintessential comedy and tragedy party by printing out the comedy and tragedy masks on your invitations. There are a lot of stylized versions out there, or you can make your own using art materials.

If you want an invitation that will really catch attention, buy actual plastic comedy and tragedy masks from the nearest dollar store. Cover the hollow side of the mask with a study cardboard or illustration board. Glue it to the edges and cut it according to the shape of the mask. Once the glue has dried, write down the details of the party on the exposed part of the cardboard. You can opt to add art paper or make other designs before writing anything down.

If you don’t feel like doing so much work, you can always have your invitations look like tickets to premiere seats of the best show in town. Fill the theater “tickets” with the details of the party.

Your comedy and tragedy party can be a costume party or not. If it’s going to be a costume party, make sure you indicate it on your invitations. Hand them out weeks beforehand so your guests will have time to prepare.

Dramatic Decorations

For a real theater experience, draw inspiration from real modern and classic theaters. At the entrance of the party, put up a sign board that says, “Opening Night: A Comedy And Theater Party!” lined with Christmas lights to make it look like the real thing you see in theaters. You can lay out a red carpet leading to the entrance to make it feel like a bona fide theater.

Inside, go for an dramatic look. Use the colors red, silver and black in your banners, streamers and balloons. Cover your tables with silver damask and vases of red roses and candles as centerpieces.

Put up dark velvet or velveteen curtains and tie them back with gold ribbons. String up Christmas lights for a starry, magical feel. You can also set up a “stage” using a platform, more velveteen curtains, and spotlights. The stage can be just a prop, or you can use it while hosting your party.

If your furniture is too modern for a theater atmosphere, you can cover it up with dark red linen, velveteen or damask. You can rent 18th century theater props and furniture to make your space look genuinely dramatic. Don’t forget to put up large posters of the comedy & tragedy masks, or smaller masks on the walls.

Since acting is all about putting on the masks of different personalities, have plastic masks ready. You can have a craft table with art materials, sequins, fur and glitter so that guests can personalize their own masks. You should also have an accessory table with props like boas, hats and sunglasses that your guests can use to enhance their theatrical looks.

Set up a bar or a concession stand so your “audience” will be able to snack during the intermission of the “show”. Supply it with real drinks, nuts and popcorn.

A Flair for Fun: Comedy And Tragedy Games and Activities

The decorations may look dramatic, but the party should be all about fun and games. Have a wonderful time playing around in your very own theater with these activities.

• Dress Up. Who says that dressing up is just for kids? Take pictures of your friends in their outrageous costumes and masks for posterity. Put up these pictures so your guests can later vote on their favorite costume, zaniest mask, and other categories you can come up with.
• 

  Best mask
  Best Mask. If you’ve set up a crafts table for your guests to personalize their own masks, you can also have a vote on the best mask made during the party. (Learn how to make a mask)
• Theater Trivia. Theater geeks will have a ball with a trivia game filled with theater fun and factoids. Look up interesting theater information on the most popular past and present theater plays on the Internet or encyclopedias.
• Theatric Charades. Flex your acting muscles for some serious body drama. Divide your guests into two or three groups and watch them battle it out without words, just actions. To keep in line with the party theme, the words and phrases they must guess must pertain to the theater and its characters.
• Favorite Scenes. If the party guests are comprised of a theater troupe, why not throw together an impromptu reading and performance of your favorite plays and dramas? The stage is set, the actors assembled, all that’s needed is enthusiasm and the word “Go!”.
• Impressions. You don’t have to look far for inspiration on who your next winning role will be. Divide your guests into two groups. Do impressions of each other using voice or bodily mannerisms. The group who first guesses correctly and gets the most points, wins.
• 

  Singing
  Karaoke. Imitate classic, campy and popular music videos of yesterday and today. Reward participants with the best Madonna impression, Michael Jackson singing or boyband belting.
• Movie Viewing. Set up a comfortable space where you and your friends can watch all those movies translated from stage plays.

Theater Treats

When preparing for your comedy and tragedy party food, think about the snacks that you’ll most likely see in a theater. You can also have a little inter-cultural menu from the countries that started the drama theater first like Greece, China and Japan. Here are some suggestions.

• Theater Food. No matter how high-brow a theater is, you can always expect the concession to have these staples, and your buffet table should, too: Prepare popcorn, hotdogs , nachos, tacos, cotton candy and nuts. Serve soda and beer to wash them all down. (Tips on how to make theater popcorn)
• Souvlaki Sandwiches. The first Greek dramas were performed outdoors, and who knows, maybe the audiences enjoyed munching on souvlaki while watching the show. A souvlaki is the Greeks’ own version a sandwich, made from roasted ground beef with onions, tomatoes and yogurt dressing, all rolled up in pita bread.
• Comedy And Tragedy Cake. Order cakes in the shape of the comedy and tragedy masks. For a more theatric take, specifically look for the red velvet flavor, so that the cake has that dramatic red coloring inside.
• Comedy And Tragedy Candies. There are lots of comedy and tragedy-themed candies out in the market, like chocolates and mints that come in mask-shaped tins.

Of course, you’re free to try other things you can add to your menu, like mask-shaped cookies, cupcakes and sandwiches. You may be going for a dramatic look, but preparing for your comedy and tragedy party doesn’t have to involve a lot of drama. Have fun!

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