Commedia workshop agenda
For our "Stylized Sillyness" workshop we will provide some basic overview of the Three Keys to commedia dell'arte: Awareness, Movement and Lazzi.
Group awareness exercises:
On stage awareness is the key to improvisation that doesn't look improvised. Participants will be introduced to some exercises designed to get the more in tune with their fellow performers to encourage fluid give and take.
Alphabetical animals - A high speed mental and vocal exercise to increasing dialogue improv speed.
Clown around - To releae physical inhibitions preventing ultimate sillyness.
Cue game - An awareness exercise that helps increase listening skills.
Character Movement/Walks
Class names and relations
Vital to an effective commedia troupe, an understanding of the commedia "class structure" is the skeleton on which all performances are built. We will discuss this classic structure and why audiences still react to it today.
Distinguishing “class” and “character”
Stylized movement for commedia has two essential elements. A language of movement allows the performer to control the audience's perception of the character. Participants will get a crash course in the different classes and their specific character movements.
Vecchi (the Old Men)
Dottore
Pantalone
Il Capitano
Innamorati
Leandro
Isabella
Zanni
Brighella
Arlecchino
Columbina
Character Poses
The classic poses for each character are taught to participants for a photo memory opportunity.
“What’s a Lazzi?”
A skill as old as the commedia itself, "lazzi" are the ribbons that hold a commedia show together. These set comedia pieces are the building blocks of any great performance. Participants will learn a variety of modernized "lazzi" they can practice with friends and fellow performers.
Exercises:
Greeting Lazzi:
Lover – Lover
Vecchi – Vecchi
Zanni – Zanni
Vecchi – Lover
Vecchi – Zanni
Lover – Zanni
Exit Lazzi:
Sent off
Elects to go off
Called off