1.Let's warm up, (Shake Out: energizing, can be used right before performing to bring your energy level up.)
2. Who is up for this? Should we try having a student lead the warm-up next Wednesday???
3. Three things you learned from our class blog.
4. Questions/answers about Commedia Dell'Arte to consolidate understanding of this genre,
5. Write a refection at the end of class. (What did you learn today? How did it affect you? How will you use this information? etc.)
Homework for Wednesday, October 1: Reflect on the following: Who do you laugh at? Why? Explain in detail.
Rodrigo will lead the warm-up on October 1, and Beatriz will lead the warm-up on October 3. Thanks a bunch for your willingness to take an active role in our lessons:)
1. Warm-up: Woosh, Bang, Pow (energy and commitment)
2. Stock Characters: define and discuss
Stock Characters The actors of the commedia represented fixed social types, tipi fissi, for example, foolish old men, devious servants, or military officers full of false bravado. Characters such as Pantalone, the miserly Venetian merchant; Dottore Gratiano, the pedant from Bologna; or Arlecchino, the mischievous servant from Bergamo, began as satires on Italian "types" and became the archetypes of many of the favorite characters of 17th– and 18th–century European theatre.
Arlecchino was the most famous. He was an acrobat and a wit, childlike and amorous. He wore a cat–like mask and motley colored clothes and carried a bat or wooden sword.
Brighella, Arlecchino's crony, was more roguish and sophisticated, a cowardly villain who would do anything for money.
Il Capitano (the captain) was a caricature of the professional soldier—bold, swaggering, and cowardly.
Il Dottore (the doctor) was a caricature of learning—pompous and fraudulent.
Pantalone was a caricature of the Venetian merchant, rich and retired, mean and miserly, with a young wife or an adventurous daughter.
Pedrolino was a white–faced, moon–struck dreamer and the forerunner of today's clown.
Scarramuccia, dressed in black and carrying a pointed sword, was the Robin Hood of his day.
The handsome Inamorato (the lover) went by many names. He wore no mask and had to be eloquent in order to speak the love declamations.
The Inamorata was his female counterpart; Isabella Andreini was the most famous. Her servant, usually called Columbina, was the beloved of Harlequin. Witty, bright, and given to intrigue, she developed into such characters as Harlequine and Pierrette.
La Ruffiana was an old woman, either the mother or a village gossip, who thwarted the lovers.
Cantarina and Ballerina often took part in the comedy, but for the most part their job was to sing, dance, or play music.
There were many other minor characters, some of which were associated with a particular region of Italy such as Peppe Nappa (Sicily), Gianduia (Turin), Stenterello (Tuscany), Rugantino(Rome), and Meneghino (Milan).
Good morning Year 10. Our lesson for the day is as follows:
1.Warm up exercise: I'm cool and so are you if . . . (used with new groups to share with each other and learn about each other)
. 2. Continue Commedia dell'Arte research. What is Commedia dell'Arte? Where did it originate? Why? What are stock characters? etc. We will discuss your findings on Wednesday, September 17. 3. Reflect in Process Journal
A movement exercise for the whole group. Move around the room, filling up the space, changing pace, changing direction, being aware of other people but not touching them. Now become aware of your nose. Let your nose lead you around the room. Follow it wherever it goes!
Develop this by focussing on different parts of the body, so that participants begin to discover new ways of moving. Very useful for dance or physical theatre, or simply for discovering movement ideas for characters. Try being led by your stomach, your little toe, your knee, your back and so on.
Learning Objectives:
To develop physical movement To cooperate in group work
