Commedia dell’Arte Workshop

Since the XVIth century, Commedia dell’Arte has certainly been the Italian Theatre form best known and most admired outside Italy. Its natural theatre timing, its specific relationship to the audience, the universal value of its characterizations, make it comprehensible and lovable by all cultures.
The study of its techniques and of its simple but elegant rules is an essential training for anyone engaged in theatre. Commedia dell’Arte can offer today a rigorous doctrine, the learning of which is useful to actors, directors, theatre students, but also to teachers and therapists.

Subject of the course

• Study of the main characters (Pantalone, the Doctor, Zanni, Arlecchino, etc.)
• Physical behaviour of these characters
• Exercise to acquire the masks’language of gesture
• Use of character masks
• "Lazzi" (gags)
• Working out scenes on written texts and on "canovacci"
• At the end of the course all the scenes will be shown to an audience

Correlative teachings

All the Arts shown in our workshop have italian acknowledge origin or have been developed and codified by Italian Masters of XVI and XVII centuries. In the diffusion project of italian theatrical culture these workshops form the more complete demonstration of importance and complexity of the Italian Traditions. The success is assured by teachers staff experience matured in more than ten years coordinated work in the world.

Folk-song and Dance correlate Workshop

It is an ideal subsidiary subject to the Commedia dell’ Arte one. his workshop has, in the Dance and Song, the life of Italian Tradition. The Songs and dances studied are used as intermezzo in the final show.

Mask-making Technique Correlate Workshop

The mask constrution starts with a wood-copy of a clay mould and it finishes with the creation of the leather mask. This workshop permits the students to have the mask on their own and to use it on the final show.

Stage Combat and Theatrical Swordplay

Fight choreographies for the stage; a very good training for the actor to complete the Commedia dell’Arte education.

Our Commedia dell’Arte show on stage is
La Piazza Universale

International Workshops

• 1982: New York: Center for Urban Resources
• 1983: New York: MTM production
• 1984: Bogotà: Academia Nac. de Arte Dramatica
• 1985: Ossiach (A): Carinthischer Sommer
• 1986: Toronto: 45.3 Company
• 1986: New York: Theatre for the New City
• 1987: Wolfsburg (D): Istituto Italiano di Cultura
• 1990: Wien: WUK-AKI production
• 1991: Helsinki: Union of Dancers
• 1992: Lisbon: Conservatório Nacional
• 1993: Madrid: Estudio Artistico Gutierrez
• 1994: Bucharest: National Academy of Theatre
• 1995: London: Pine Apple Studios
• 1995: El Cairo: National Conservatory
• 1996: Turku (FI): School of Art

Teachers