Commedia dell'Arte: Character Shape

Summary

The transcript explores the art of Commedia dell'arte, an improvisational theater form rooted in physicality and character types. It emphasizes the importance of embodying characters through masks, energy, and distinct movements. The script delves into character archetypes like the doctor, Pantalone, and others, highlighting their unique traits and how actors can bring them to life through body language and voice. It also touches on the significance of breathing and shaping the body to convey character essence, ultimately setting the stage for storytelling without relying on language.

Takeaways

• 🎭 Commedia dell'arte is an improvisational form of theater that originates from physical experiences rather than text.
• 🎭 It involves three main types of characters: the masters, servants, and lovers, with the masters and servants typically wearing masks.
• 🎭 The masks in Commedia dell'arte are fixed and half-covered, requiring actors to use their voice, body, and emotions to bring them to life.
• 🎨 Each character type has distinct characteristics, including specific walking patterns and shapes, which serve as a template for actors to embody.
• 🤔 The doctor character is an example of a mask character who is large and verbose, while Pantalone is mean and vinegary, showing the contrast in character types.
• 🤹‍♂️ Actors are encouraged to 'metamorphose' into their characters, starting with a physical impulse and developing a rhythm and feeling for the role.
• 👣 The physicality of the character is crucial, with the script emphasizing the importance of breathing and body shape in creating a believable character.
• 🎭 The script highlights the importance of 'in-between moments' in theater, where actors can sculpt their performance without needing to add extra elements.
• 📚 Commedia dell'arte serves as a fantastic template for actors to learn and create their own interpretations of classic character types.
• 🎭 The script discusses the importance of clear character actions for storytelling, suggesting that actions should be clear and have a comic book-like frame-by-frame effect.
• 💡 Understanding the action of the character is key to enabling the story to unfold, emphasizing the pre-linguistic aspect of storytelling in Commedia dell'arte.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Comedia dell'arte?

Comedia dell'arte is an improvised form of theater that starts with the body and physical experience rather than language and text.

How does an actor begin to embody a character in Comedia dell'arte?

An actor commits 100% to the shape and energy of the character, which helps them to capture the essence of the role they are playing.

What are the three types of characters in Comedia dell'arte?

The three types of characters are the masters, the servants who are masked, and the lovers who are unmasked.

Why is the mask important in Comedia dell'arte?

The mask is important because it provides a lot of information about the character. It is the actor's job to bring the mask to life through voice, body, and emotion.

Can you describe the character of the doctor in Comedia dell'arte?

The doctor is characterized as large and verbose, often described as oozing words and thoughts, similar to oil.

What is the relationship between the doctor and Pantalone in Comedia dell'arte?

Pantalone is the doctor's neighbor and is characterized as mean and vinegary, providing a contrast to the doctor's expansive personality.

How do the physical characteristics of Comedia dell'arte characters contribute to their portrayal?

Each character has distinct walking patterns, shapes, and energies that help define their roles and make them unique for the actors to embody.

What is the significance of the breathing moment in Comedia dell'arte acting?

The breathing moment is important as it not only opens up the lungs but also gives the actor a thinking moment, allowing for a more nuanced performance.

How does the actor use their body to create a character's distinct walking pattern?

The actor uses specific body movements and postures, such as bending the knees or shifting the frame with another part of the body, to create a unique walking pattern for the character.

What is the role of metamorphosis in character development in Comedia dell'arte?

Metamorphosis is used to transition between different character shapes and energies, allowing the actor to explore and express various aspects of the character.

How does the script emphasize the importance of physicality in storytelling before language?

The script suggests that understanding the action and character's physicality is the beginning of storytelling, which sets the stage for language to further develop the narrative.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 The Essence of Commedia dell'Arte

This paragraph delves into the improvisational nature of Commedia dell'Arte, an oral tradition that originates from physical experiences rather than textual scripts. It emphasizes the importance of fully committing to the character's shape and energy to capture their essence. The paragraph introduces three types of characters: the masters, the servants with masks, and the unmasked lovers. It explains the significance of matching the body's energy and sound to the mask, highlighting the fixed nature of half-masks and the necessity of using voice, body, and emotions to bring them to life. The paragraph also describes the distinct characteristics and energies of the main characters, such as the verbose doctor and the mean-spirited Pantalone, and how these traits are manifested through specific walking patterns and body shapes. It provides a step-by-step guide for actors to embody these characters, from the initial posture to the breathing techniques that underpin the performance.

Keywords

💡Commedia dell'arte

Commedia dell'arte is an improvisational form of theater that originated in Italy in the 16th century. It is characterized by the use of masks, exaggerated physical gestures, and a set of stock characters. In the video, this term is central as it sets the stage for the discussion of character types, masks, and the physicality of performance that is integral to this theatrical tradition.

💡Oral tradition

Oral tradition refers to the passing down of information, stories, or cultural practices from one generation to the next primarily through spoken communication rather than written records. In the context of the video, commedia dell'arte is described as an oral tradition, emphasizing its roots in live performance and the importance of body language and physical expression over written text.

💡Character types

Character types in commedia dell'arte are standardized roles that each have their own distinct personality traits, behaviors, and physical characteristics. The video mentions several types such as the 'Doctor,' 'Pantalone,' and 'Magnifico,' each with unique attributes that define their role in the performance and contribute to the comedic effect.

💡Masks

Masks in commedia dell'arte are an essential element, used to define and amplify the characteristics of the stock characters. The video explains that masks are fixed expressions that require the actor to use their voice, body, and emotions to bring the character to life, with each mask representing a type of character.

💡Metamorphose

Metamorphose, in the context of the video, refers to the transformation of an actor's physical presence into that of their character. It involves not just the mask but also the entire body, energy, and essence of the character. An example from the script is the instruction to 'metamorphose' by changing the body shape and posture to embody the character fully.

💡Physicality

Physicality is the aspect of performance that involves the use of the body to express emotions, character traits, and actions. The video emphasizes the importance of physicality in commedia dell'arte, as it is through the actor's body that the character's essence is conveyed, especially when wearing a mask.

💡Breathing

Breathing is highlighted in the video as the basis of everything in performance. It is not just about respiration but also about controlling the body's energy and rhythm. The script mentions 'absolutely hear the breath' to illustrate how breath is integral to shaping the character's physical presence and emotional expression.

💡Gestures

Gestures are purposeful movements of the body that convey meaning or express emotions. In commedia dell'arte, as described in the video, gestures are exaggerated and specific to each character type, helping to define their personalities and contribute to the comedic interaction.

💡Storytelling

Storytelling in the video is presented as a process that begins with clear character actions and interactions, which then lead to the development of a narrative. The script mentions that understanding the action is crucial for the story to happen, emphasizing the role of physical comedy and character interaction in creating a story.

💡Energy

Energy in the context of the video refers to the vigor and intensity with which an actor performs. It is mentioned that committing 100% to the shape and energy of a character helps to capture the essence of the role. The energy is also linked to the character's distinct walking pattern and overall demeanor.

💡Essence

Essence, as used in the video, refers to the core or fundamental nature of a character that an actor must capture through their performance. It is about embodying the character so completely that the audience can sense the character's true identity beyond the mask or physical appearance.

Highlights

Commedia dell'arte is an improvised form of theater rooted in oral tradition, starting with physical experience rather than language or text.

Performers commit to the shape and energy of their character to capture its essence.

There are three main types of characters in Commedia dell'arte: masters, servants (masked), and lovers (unmasked).

The mask is a crucial element in Commedia dell'arte, requiring performers to match their energy, sound, and emotions to bring it to life.

Each character type has distinct characteristics, including specific walking patterns and shapes.

The doctor character is large and effusive, while Pantalone is mean and vinegary, showcasing the contrast in character types.

Commedia dell'arte provides a fantastic template for actors to embody and personalize characters through physicality.

Performers use specific gestures, such as leading with the nose, to define the character's shape and presence.

Metamorphosis in performance involves transitioning from one physical state to another, like moving from nothingness to a prominent chest posture.

Breathing is fundamental to the performance, influencing character expression and emotional depth.

Physical shifts, such as changing the frame or posture, help evoke different character feelings and attitudes.

The Artful Dodger and Arlecchino are examples of character types defined by their playful and open physicality.

Magnifico, the first actor, and the first actress are characterized by their head and shoulders, respectively.

Character actions in Commedia dell'arte are clear and have a comic book-like effect, with a frame-by-frame storytelling approach.

Understanding the action is crucial for the story to unfold, even before language is involved.

Performers are encouraged to sculpt their performance in the moments between actions, rather than adding to them.

Transcripts

Comedia deat was an improvised form of

theater it's an oral tradition so it

doesn't start in the brain with language

and text it starts in the body by

experiencing something and when you

commit 100% to the shape and the energy

you begin to get the essence of the

character that you're

playing there are three types of

character Masters and the servants who

are masked and the lovers who are

unmasked in The Mask there's a lot of

information so what we want to do is put

in the body the thing that matches the

mask in your energy and your sound and

the way that you think because they wore

half masks and the mask is fixed it's

the work that you do with your voice and

your body and your emotions that brings

the mask to life and the masks are types

the characters are types for example the

doctor is really large and he oozes

words and thoughts he's like oil whereas

his neighbor pantalone is really mean

and vinegary these are the positions of

the main characters in

Comedia each of these has their own

characteristics and their own energies

they have a distinct walking pattern and

a particular shape it's a fantastic

template for an actor to put into their

body and make their own you're going to

put your finger on your na going to it

hard bend your KN a bit let the arms go

like that and now put them as if the

nose absolutely and this is what's going

to happen you're going to

go nose is leading that whole shape goes

all the way to the tips of the

fingers so you hear the breath

absolutely hear the breath because

that's the basis of everything shape

head so stay in that shape stay in that

shape that nose and what you're going to

do is you're going to

metamorphose and you're going to go up

into sort of

nothingness and then you're just going

to stick your chest out that is the

thing that's going to go through the

room

first put the chest back but let the

belly come

out when you shift your frame when you

with another part of the body you start

to get a feeling of that

character light on the feet

not and that is a breathing moment cuz

oh it opens up the lungs and as this is

the doctor it also gives him a thinking

moment the belly goes first e

however you want to turn make a moment

of it this is the one bit of theater

where you do as much as you can in

between moments so that you can sculpt

it away rather than have to add to

things keep that belly put your finger

there and

just and The Chins out and the knees out

pantalone Scrooge fing Mr burn then

chin what happens when you start with an

Impulse in the body and the body Ms you

get a sense you get a feeling you get a

rhythm loose HP playful open an Artful

Dodger or

arino so that's just the beginning of

the idea of those different shapes

magnifico with his head the first actor

and the first actress shoulders the

doctor his belly his neighbor pantalone

bent

back closed hips Briel open hips

alako the captain knees and Zan nose and

feet we play a shap the character is

clear when the action is really clear it

has a sort of flip b or comic book

effect like frame by frame and the two

the character and the action is

absolutely the beginning of Storytelling

before

language understanding what the action

is in order for the story to happen

oh schol