Stanley Allan Sherman, well-known maskmaker who contributed an excellent guest post to our Commedia Month series, will be teaching a 3 week commedia intensive from June 12-July 1 in New York. The workshop will feature over 128 hours of instruction. Here’s some of the details: RCCU 2011 RCCU is beginning its 10th anniversary year teaching Classical Commedia dell’Arte. Students will […]
Read moreI spend a good deal of time on this blog speaking about commedia and commedia mask styles, but relatively little on what is the basis of most mask work (and the acting work that mask work often accompanies):Â The Neutral Mask. Learning to be neutral- to display an action separate from character, to divorce yourself from the acting- is incredibly […]
Read more[I’ve asked a few great mask makers to submit a guest post entitled: What Makes A Great Commedia Mask? Their responses will appear here over the next few days. The images sprinkled throughout this page are from the author’s website, copyright by the author (as is the text), and used by permission. For permission to reprint this article or the […]
Read moreWhen you are performing as a puppet, or (for commedia) as a masked character– it’s important to remember that the mask on your face is inanimate. It is made of leather or papier mache or some other fixed material that has a fixed expression, a fixed architecture. Despite that, your character is alive, and changes emotions, sometimes at a quite […]
Read moreGiorgio Strehler was the founder (along with Paolo Grassi) and director of the Piccolo Teatro di Milano. Some would say that he is the father of modern commedia. I don’t think I would go that far, as there were a number of disparate Italian groups working after the war that were trying to figure out how to resurrect Italian pride, […]
Read moreCarlo Mazzone-Clementi was the founder of the Dell’arte school of Physical Theatre in Blue Lake California. He was a childhood friend of Amletto Sartori, Marcel Marceau’s first touring partner, worked with Jacques LeCoq, and performed with Dario Fo, Franca Rama, and Giorgio Strehler at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan. In 1959 he came to the United States to teach commedia, […]
Read moreAfter World War II, the Italian intellectual community was searching for their cultural and historical roots. A number of theatre people started to explore commedia dell’arte, which at that time when it was performed was being done as stodgy museum pieces really devoid of life (think bad Moliere)Â A group of artists, including Giorgio Strehler, Dario Fo, Jacques LeCoq, Marcello […]
Read moreTwo – Commedia dell’Arte 2010 Summer Workshops from RCCU 1) June 13 – June 25, 2010 in New York NY at Pier Studios in Hudson River Park 2) July 26 – August 6, 2010 at Washington and Lee University in Lexington Virginia in conjunction with Southern Virginia University. For the first time in RCCU’s history students will be able to […]
Read moreIn honor of International Commedia Dell’arte day, I took a series of self-portraits with my ibook camera that I am titling “I am My Own Commedia Mask” Masks? I don’t need no stinkin’ masks! :o) I’ve attached the slideshow here. But if you can’t see them because you don’t get flash, visit http://bit.ly/commedia_faces for the FLICKR page.
Read moreWORKSHOPCharacter Mask to Clown With Deborah KaufmannInspired by the teachings of Richard Pochinko, Canadian clown master teacher “If we face the six directions of self, we can’t help but laugh at the beauty and ridiculousness of all that we are.” — Richard Pochinko This investigation is an inspiring way for the artist to make direct connection to aspects of his/her true […]
Read moreFEBRUARY 9 – MARCH 12, 2009Check out the Bali Blog 2007by School Director Joan Schirle Since 1996, Dell’Arte International has invited students, teachers, designers, directors, and artists to immerse themselves in the traditional arts of Bali and encounter the profound spirit of the Balinese people. In this unique and wonderfully successful program participants study traditional Balinese performing arts and crafts […]
Read moreCleaning up old papers, found this photo of masks. We used these in Arne Zaslove’s commedia class at Dell’arte in the summer of 1995. Arne, Carlo Mazzone-Clemente, and Joan Schirle team taught the class. Not sure who made the masks, but they are stunning, easy to use, and oh so much fun. (UPDATE: Â Melody Anderson is the creator of these […]
Read moreThe School of Physical Theatre is a full-time professional school based in London, UK, devoted to the training of physical theatre artists – writers, directors, and actors. The School offers a focused program – a voyage from the complex everyday world to its created reflection in the theatrical space. The School was founded in 1978 in Toronto, Canada under the […]
Read moreBrian Foley (of Circus Bambouk) has started a very nice Commedia Link blog– he’s putting up all sorts of great video regarding commedia, as well as book reviews, photographs, pictures of masks, thoughts, philosophy,etc. I highly recommend checking it out. Visit the blog at http://cdalinks.blogspot.com/ He posted two video links that I was especially interested in– both feature Ferrucio Soleri. […]
Read moreStanley Allan Sherman is a graduate of Ecole Jacque Lecoq in Paris France and has been making leather theatre masks since 1976. He was in the original cast of the Off Broadway Show, Grandma Sylvia’s Funeral that ran for 3+ years. On NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien he has been in over 40 comedy bits. Stanley is co-director and […]
Read more5-DAY INTENSIVE • IN NYCNEUTRAL MASK developed by JACQUES LECOQwith MASTER TEACHER DODY DISANTOA COMPREHENSIVE COURSE – 30 hoursJUNE 24 thru 28 2007Sunday – Thursday 10am – 5pm HELD IN NEW YORK CITYat Trisha Brown Dance Studio625 West 55th StreetTuition – $600 ($550 if paid by May 31st ) Utilizing the innate wisdom of the body, the neutral mask enables […]
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