Commedia Dell' Arte and Influences on Modern Theatre
Commedia dell Arte is an interesting form of acting in the history of theatre. During the 16th, 17th and 18th century, in the midst of the renaissance, there was a very delightful source of entertainment that people where privy too. This archaic form of acting was based around improvising and the use of masks. I am comparing this to modern day comedy since I have seen direct examples on television, which use this method of acting, in modern day shows. The fact that some of these performers were verging on genius is without dispute. Contemporary performers have looked into the past finding resourceful techniques to further illustrate comedy to their peers.
The first question is why use Commedia Dell' Arte as a training tool for modern actors at all, since drama and the business of acting has hopefully moved on since the Italian comedians left Paris. The leading form of acting today both exists as the aspiring young actor's performance role model and as a category of performance in itself. We are lucky in that something both inspirational and technical theater has survived from those exciting times. When contemporary acting techniques do not provide all the answers that actors may be looking for, it is not surprising actors look towards the past for inspiration.
The wide variety of theories concerning the acting techniques, styles and training of these late entertainers, can give us a better understanding of Italian comedy and its influences on acting today. There may be a case for re-creating Commedia Dell' Arte as it was done. Even in the more old-fashioned drama school period, movement is meant to help an actor interpret a historical role. As an actor one has a duty to choose what will work for an audience and to ignore the rest. This holds a lot of the same principles of Commedia Dell' Arte.
The contemporary young actor's most familiar performance role model is that of television. In identifying the differences between television and Commedia Dell' Arte can
The first question is why use Commedia Dell' Arte as a training tool for modern actors at all, since drama and the business of acting has hopefully moved on since the Italian comedians left Paris. The leading form of acting today both exists as the aspiring young actor's performance role model and as a category of performance in itself. We are lucky in that something both inspirational and technical theater has survived from those exciting times. When contemporary acting techniques do not provide all the answers that actors may be looking for, it is not surprising actors look towards the past for inspiration.
The wide variety of theories concerning the acting techniques, styles and training of these late entertainers, can give us a better understanding of Italian comedy and its influences on acting today. There may be a case for re-creating Commedia Dell' Arte as it was done. Even in the more old-fashioned drama school period, movement is meant to help an actor interpret a historical role. As an actor one has a duty to choose what will work for an audience and to ignore the rest. This holds a lot of the same principles of Commedia Dell' Arte.
The contemporary young actor's most familiar performance role model is that of television. In identifying the differences between television and Commedia Dell' Arte can
Cited: · Claudon, David. A Thumbnail History of Commedia Dell ' Arte. 15 Oct. 2003. · Crick, Oliver. "The Uses of Commedia Dell" Arte in Training the Modern Actor." Austin Commedia Society. 27 Nov. 2003. · Rudlin, John. "Commedia Dell ' Arte: an Actor 's Handbook." London; New York: Routledge, 1994.