Commedia Del'arte

What where your experiences with these 6 characters?

In Commedia Del’arte there are 5 characters, these are:

Pantalone- a greedy old man who is lecherous and deluded, I played this character as an old man who led with his knees/crotch and showed the greed he had through my facial expression.

Mr Punch

Il Dottore- a bumbling doctor who knows nothing about medicine and is pompous. I played this character as a fat man who placed his hands on his stomach and was also led by his large belly. He walked with his chin slightly rose to show that he had great knowledge, which in fact he didn’t.

Captain Mannering

Capitino- a cowardly fake, who thinks he is in charge and superior to everyone else. I played this character as a man whose help his head high and lead with his nose. He had a strange sort of walk a mix between a march and lunge sort of walk to show his love for strutting around with his chest out showing his authority.

Basil Fawlty

Pedrolino- a lowly servant who dreams of his love who works in the kitchens, I played this character as a boy who stays close to the ground where he knows he is safe and rarely looks up but when he does you see his hope for finding love in his eyes. He comes across as quite a puppy like person.

Buster Keaton

Arlecchino- a servant with devil horns, a mischievous person who is acrobatic and part monkey part dog, I played this character as a person who had a fast pace and a mischievous smile, who liked to play tricks on fellow servants.

Puck (A Midsummers Night)

Columbina- the damsel in distress, I played this character as a girl who led with hips and chest, which looked at people through her eyelashes with big eyes.

Which character did you choose and why?

During an improvised play about a family on holiday I decided to play Il Dottore as he was a good character for the part I was playing in the scene. He worked as he was supposed to be helping the people when in fact he got everything wrong, which fits in the description of the character.

What where the strengths and weaknesses?

The strengths in my play where that it worked and the characters where all represented well as people could tell who each of the actors where playing. Even though people said they could tell which each character was I felt that each of us could also bring a bit more into the character too show who they are. I found it difficult to show that the character was suppose too know everything there is too know when he didn’t. 

 

 

Nine Questions on The Second Guard

Who am I?

I am a Guard to The honourable Judge Alfonso De Tristano.

Where am I?

I am in the Judge's home where I look after him and his house work  Pizzocca, Zoanna and Clarissa.

What time is it?

Its early morning in the warm summer of Italy.

What surrounds me?

The Judge has a massive, fancy house where I spend my entire day. Massive walls and a solid wooden floor surround me, paintings of past Judges and Cardinals scale the walls all down the long hall ways.

What's my relationships?

I look after the Judge who is often very hostile toward me and my best friend the First Guard. The judge thinks we are stupid but really we just haven't had a chance to show our brains. We rarely see much of the maids so our relationship is not amazing but we are friendly toward each other.

Given circumstances?