day 1:

On the first day of Commedia, we learnt a few characters. Graham showed us masks of different characters (usually for males)

 

 

This helped give us a more clear image. He explained that some masks have long noses which could be seen as they are more 'dumb' in a way, and the shorter the nose meant you was more acrobatic. Graham explained that female characters do not tend to wear masks such as lovers, colombia, and senorita. Male lovers also do not wear masks.

 

    

We learnt the 3 step, the big step (which is shown in two images above), the skip step into the stance, we learnt about the masks and got to wear some, learnt the scared/running away run as well we have to face the audience and do the big step but leaning back and running. We learnt that Zanni's love food, sex, and sleep. But they do not eat humans! And we learnt the sleep stance.

 

We also learnt the character of the captain. His stance, the muscle walk, mountain walk, and there run that they do the trip and recover.

 

 

Also on the first day we learnt some rules about Commedia. These included:

 

- no pointing

- put on masks facing the back or on stage

- don't be to close to the audience

- no religious points

- no swearing

- no familiar hand gestures

- don't touch masks/could break easily

- can be vulgar but not obscene

- commedia is big, fast, and precise

- it has to be funny

- Zanni's are gross

- silence is ugly 'don't be ugly'

- masks are half faced/big nose

- the bigger the nose the more stupid the Zanni

- no decoration on masks

- masks are usually black, brown, red, occasionally green depending on character

- leather masks

- half masks to play instrument and speak

- female cougars are called le senorita

 

There was a 17 hundred painting of a commedia performance, and the captain had a mask (at this time period they usually did not wear masks) which made the painting incorrect. But from then onwards, captains now wear masks.

 

On this day we got to do some devising. I was in a group of three with Saskia and KJ, we had to sneak into a house and take some papers but not knowing there was other people in the house as Zanni's. We had to wear masks, I was not used to it and it kept falling off my face, but I found it funny and interesting. I did keep forgetting about the stance and the walks, but I knew that would improve in time.