What is a Commedia Workshop like?

    Commedia dell’ Arte is one of the founding pillars of Western Theater delivered to us from Italy in the 1500’s. It plays in a presentational style.  Music is live and dialogue is delivered directly to the audience, your movements are dramatically and comedically accentuated by a beat of a drum or a guitar riff, and you play in full costume and whiteface, specifically tailored to the character you choose so you can easily leave your street persona behind and venture into new and uncharted waters. Yet with all this larger than life presentation, or perhaps because of it, you can let go and allow the truth and sincerity of the moment to unfold with a confidence you have never felt. This is the genius of the Commedia Style. It releases the last threads of self-consciousness leaving only the free actor, the untold story and the unlimited possibilities of the present moment.

What should I Bring?

   In the two-day Commedia Workshop you will be learning how to create a character that will express the look, attitude, and the emotional impact that you wish to convey. Which means all our Commedia workshops are held in full make up and costume - each and every time.  Bring as much stuff, from wigs to shoes and everything in between for everyone to share. The actors will transform themselves into their own creation each time the class is held.  Costumes can be brought in from parents and friends closets, thrift stores, borrowed from siblings and old people, anywhere and everywhere. Makeup is provided.