Volume 1 Number 27
Hi Folks,
Kim's Drama Blog
Well... where to begin... a fairly frantic week trying to prepare nearly 90
students for their performances at the Youth on Health Festival. A great opportunity
for the kids to see their peers performing and gauge their own standard against
other schools. For some of my students it was a real wake up call, for others
like my little Year 8's it was a chance for them to strut their stuff against
the big kids. My 8s were the youngest performers on the day and were well received
by the older students from other schools. One of the boys capitalised on the
"cute" factor and won the hearts of the entire audience. I love to say all my
classes did brilliantly but for some it was a steep learning curve as they learned
that "winging" it when you haven't properly prepared is a bigger challenge than
they anticipated. I'm sure that next year those students will take a different
approach to organising for the event. It was a long day ( 16 hours for me) and
I have only just surfaced today... with about an hour and a half before I have
to be at uni...
Well, at least the major event on the Drama calendar is put to bed and the otehr
events seem less daunting in its wake... on Tuesday my Year 12 TEE students will
complete their Mock performance examination. The real thing is only a few weeks
down the line - and this is the last chance they'll get for me to give them much
feedback on final preparations. They are required to complete the following tasks
which duplicate the real exam:
- Present an original solo performance (devised, written, directed and performed
by the student) between 5 and 7minutes duration
- Perform a 2 minute spontaneous improvisation based on their original
- Perform a prepared monologue from a published script
- Respond to an interview about the process and performance they presented.
I'll also be giving feedback to 10 students from another school on the same day
- we are in a small moderation group. Looking forward to the experience as the
students nearly always surprise us.
Discussion List Issues
Not a lot happening on the list this week. Although I have had several pre-service
teachers from across the globe contacting me for guidance with their learning
in Drama Education. While I appreciate the confidence their lecturers and tutors
place in my ability to hep them, I do find that when I'm very busy its a bit difficult
to adequately respond to their needs. I'd like to ask anyone referring students
to me for help that they remember I am only one very overworked Drama teacher.
The Drama Ed list has around 300 very experienced and knowledgeable practitioners
who'd love to help out... and with luck the list will grow as the students in
turn stay on to assist newcomers. I just want to take this opportunity to thank
those subscribers who do take the time assist others - the list becomes a far
more valuable resource when it is conceived of as a community.
LESSON/ACTIVITY IDEA
STARTING TO STRUGGLE FOR IDEAS - PLEASE SUBMIT SOME LESSONS AND ACTIVITIES I
CAN SHARE WITH THE READERSHIP!!!
Commedia dell'Arte is a great way to explore a wide range of drama issues. In
many ways the original form was a topical and issue-based. Last year my Year
11 students created their YOH Fest performance on the theme of "Mental Health"
as a a commedia scenario complete with lazzi. They drew on the stock characters,
slapstick and irreverent lazzi to present the internal turmoil of a young girl
coping with the suicide of a friend. While judge in the festival deemed it "inappropriate",
a quick survey students and teachers in the audience recognised it for what it
was and saw it as an extremely valuable tool. It raised all the appropriate issues
and looked at positive solutions but managed to do so with its tongue firmly planted
in its cheek.
I don't have a lot of original ideas when it comes to Commedia. I have my own
experience as a professional clown and draw heavily on the books and resources
I've listed below. I do recommend however that a few sets of commedia masks
are a priceless investment. These are the masks I use.. high quality latex and
easy to fit and wear:
If you are in a position where you cannot afford to buy masks I have developed
a very cheap and quite quick method to create masks from felt.
It was my hope at the outset that I would be able to isolate some simple and
effective construction techniques that could be followed by students to create
the masks they will use in class. I firmly believe that a sense of ownership is very important when it comes to the use of mask.
I thoroughly recommend that you visit Dave Riley's Mask Making resource - he has taken the basic ideas I experimented with here and has developed them
into a commercial artform. Additionally he also has one of the best Mask sites
in Australia and moderates an international discussion forum on Masks and Puppets.
The photograph (left) was taken in the very first class that I took in the the use of mask. I really
did not know what to expect and found that the process of making simple plaster
bandage "life masks" took considerably longer than I had anticipated.
I expected that students would create their masks in two periods - it took eight!
This was partly due to poor planning, rambunctious students and limited facilities.
To begin with, let me suggest an excellent text for teachers - unfortunately
I have not been able to find it in Australia but have located it via Amazon.com
and have a link to it at Drama Books. The book is called Mask Improvisation for Actor Training and Performance by Sears A. Eldridge. (ISBN 0-8101-1365-1).
The rest of this material is available as indicated below - essentially it is
a set of instructions on how to make masks like the ones pictured on the left.
I spent several weeks and several hundred dollars on materials to develop a quick
and inexpensive technique to make masks in school.
The results are shown and these masks cost about $1.00 each to make. Download a zipped version here.
There is a great selection of mask resources available on the web - check the
Mask Links Page.
I use Marx Brothers, Three Stooges, Jim Carrey and a range of other filmic sources
to awaken students to the form... there is a brilliant sequence in the video "Rosencrantz
and Guildernstern are Dead" that really highlights how Commedia may have looked
originally. With really keen students I expose them to bits of the terminally
boring 3 hour video of Antonio Fava running a masterclass.
The skills inherent in developing commedia characters and situations are totally
transferable to other performance styles and really draw the students into a a
sense of discipline in order to get timing and action happening appropriately.
The must have books are the two by John Rudlin and the essential teaching tool
is Barry Grantham's "Playing Commedia" - I can't add anything to what they offer.
A recent find is the i Sebastiani website. Check it out!
RECOMMENDED WEBSITES
i Sebastiani is an acclaimed troupe of Commedia dell'Arte performers, with a
sincere interest in both popular performance, and the late Italian Renaissance.
Now, in addition to bringing Commedia dell'Arte performances in classic style,
these brilliant people are making Commedia accessible to audiences and students
alike. This is an amazing site.
| Bibliography |
This includes links to Commedia Bibliographies, and reviews of books on the topic |
| Characters & Masks |
This includes descriptions of masks, and the historic characters |
| Fun Stuff |
On-line amusement with a Commedia dell'Arte slant |
| Glossary |
A short glossary of terms used describing and performing commedia |
| Links, Academic |
Links to some of the many good sites that describe Commedia dell'Arte |
| Links, Commercial |
Links to some of the commercial sites that sell Commedia dell'Arte related goods
and/or services |
| Movement & Lazzi |
This includes some description of Commedia dell'Arte movement and Lazzi. |
| Music |
This includes links and discussion about music that was performed with Commedia
dell'Arte |
| Other Troupes |
This is descriptions and links to other troupes known to us |
| Scenarios On-Line |
This is a small list of scenarios for educators and new troupes to play with |
| Sixteenth Century Images |
These are images of early Commedia dell'Arte as drawn at the time |
| Timelines |
Chronological information about Sixteenth Century Commedia dell'Arte (and slightly
later) |
PROFESSIONAL NEWS
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Harlequin on the Moon: Commedia dell'Arte and Visual Arts
by Lynne Lawner
The rich history of the Commedia dell'Arte as portrayed through a range of visual
art forms. Covers an in-depth background of the performances, antics and lifestyles
of the commedia. The figures of the Commedia dell'arte have surfaced in artworks
over the last 400 years - many of the characters have become icons and been translated
across cultures - this work looks at how artists have played a role in this process.
An essential addition to the serious student or aficionado of Commedia.
The Italian Comedy : The Improvisation, Scenarios, Lives, Atrod.
by Fred Eggan. by William A. Glaser and David L. Sills. J. G. Crowther.
by Pierre Louis Duchartre
Its curiosity value alone makes it a worthwhile purchase.
Many facets of this traditional comic form are considered in this text. This
is truly a classic text it has remained in print for over thirty years - that
alone is testament to the fact that it is regarded as a very valuable resource.
Commedia dell'Arte : An Actor's Handbook
- by John Rudlin
-
An excellent text on the Commedia dell'Arte. Covers all the major characters,
the history and performance styles. It also contains detailed instructions on
making a traditional leather mask.
Playing Commedia
by Barry Grantham
"Grantham offers a thorough and very practical approach and while the focus is
on commedia the principles and techniques he addresses serve as an ideal introduction
to mask work generally. I'd say that this book more than many others is essential
reading. It has manual status. Check it out."
The Theatre of Yesterday and Tomorrow :
Commedia dell'Arte on the Modern Stage
by James Fisher
A book for the true aficionado or serious scholar - An exceptional book on the
subject
The Relationship of Oral and Literate Performance Processes in the Commedia dell'Arte
:
Beyond the Improvisation/Memorisation Divide
by Tim Fitzpatrick
An impressive and scholarly text that should be owned by any aficionado of the
form.
Covering the processes involved in the form and including several excerpts and
variations of original routines. (Pricey!)
Scenarios of the Commedia Dell'Arte :
Flaminio Scala's Il Teatro Delle Favole Rappresentative
by Flaminio Scala, Henry F. Salerno (Editor), Kenneth McKee
This is a reprint of the first folio of scenarios ever published.
ALSO AVAILABLE
eBOOKS - Can be downloaded immediately - A full listing of available eBooks.
Kim Flintoff
Copyright © September, 2004
