As part of the Rhetoric, Theory, and Culture (RTC) Research Forum in the Michigan Tech Department of Humanities, Dr. Laura Fiss presented “Performing George Grossmith: Three Generations of Humor from the Lecture Hall to the Cabaret” on Oct. 16 at the Petersen Library in Walker. The RTC Research Forum hosts one talk each month on research within the Humanities Department, specifically by RTC faculty and graduate students.
The lecture by Dr. Fiss covered a portion of her monograph on research regarding the three generations of the Grossmith family who all contributed to the development of performance humor. Performance humor was defined differently by the three George Grossmiths. The development of humor in the Grossmith family began in the lecture hall, then moved to drawing rooms and sheet music, with George Grossmith III impacting the development of musical theater and comedies. Dr. Fiss concluded her presentation with the overall impact of the Grossmiths and how their history highlights “the importance of being together and experiencing art in community.”
When asked about her inspiration for this research, Fiss said it is a continuation of her undergraduate work and has been a long-term study. She has traveled to the British Library, visited the Victoria Albert Collections, utilized the Harvard Library, and conducted additional online archival research on the Grossmiths and their contributions to the development of humor in media. She thanked the MTU Research Excellence Fund for the grant that funded many of her travels for this research.
After the presentation concluded, the audience asked questions. During this session, Dr. Sue Collins, who has interests in media and cultural history, said “Through a stage script you can learn about the industry.” Similar comments and questions after the presentation led to broader application and further appreciation of the research conducted by Dr. Fiss. In reflection on the question and answer session, Dr. Fiss said there was “good interdisciplinary discussion.”
To learn more about past and upcoming presentations in the RTC Research Forum series, visit blogs.mtu.edu/humanities/category/colloquium-series. Most presentations listed on the website have abstracts posted, and all are welcome to attend RTC Research Forum events.
