Tag Archives: history of theatre

The life among Commedia dell’Arte companies

Commedia dell’Arte was a very pragmatic art form. The purpose for the actors to act was simply to amuse their audiences, make money, and reach a better social status. But that didn’t make it dull or futile.  It was just … Read the rest of this entry

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Sound and sound effects

Commedia dell’Arte can very well be played without words, but never without sound, not even for a short moment. That is because it is street theatre. Sound has the ability to draw attention to it. I usually do an experiment … Read the rest of this entry

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Tempo or rhythm

Commedia dell’Arte is always fast, it is always moving forward and there are no dead moments in it. Except from the fact that it is comedy and it requires a comedy tempo, it is a consequence of that it is … Read the rest of this entry

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Size and visual narrating

It’s important to be seen when playing on the street. Therefore we must be big and distinct in movement. We must always make sure that we communicate on such a large distance that we, not only attract audiences to come … Read the rest of this entry

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Grotesque as an acting style in Commedia dell’Arte

The acting style in Commedia dell’Arte is very crude and rough, especially in early Commedia dell’Arte. The masks can be tremendously grotesque; the plots plain vulgar; situations – burlesque. Over time Commedia dell’Arte got more refined, soon it had become … Read the rest of this entry

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Nonliterary storytelling in Vulgar Comedy

Theatre started from the need and the lust of telling stories (See HERE). Maybe even before our language was fully developed (See more HERE). We can anyway be sure that theatre was played long before we started to write and … Read the rest of this entry

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Vulgar Comedy and its origins in Scandinavia (Part 2)

When society started to specialize and build hierarchies, this also refers to theatre. It is here we first see how court theatre mark off. The rites are no longer collective. The shaman, the priest or the king, who has gotten … Read the rest of this entry

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