The comedy and tragedy masks, often referred to as the theater faces or the faces of drama, are a pair of masks that represent the two main genres of theater.

In tragedy, for instance, a relatively bland mask can make it easier to associate oneself with the performance. In comedy, though, the effect is more immediately alienating, more confrontationally ...

When we remember that comedy, like tragedy, is rooted in conflict, we may begin to grant it the same depth and dignity—as a medium not just for laughter, but for revelation and transformation.