Tag Archives: theatre masks

Arlecchino and Zanni gets a job

From”The Miracle Doctor” opened in 2101 in Stockholm, then toured northern Norway and Sweden. Arl:                        In Oh, I am so hungry I could eat a horse. Zan:                       In Oh, I am so hungry I could eat a donkey. Arl:                         … Read the rest of this entry

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Pantalone demands to sit down

Here is an example from ”Sex/six failures and a chair” played by my students in 2014. Pant:                  In But look… Hi once again! Are you still sitting here staring? Don’t you have any homes? And isn’t this that lazy bastard … Read the rest of this entry

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Commedia dell’Arte masks design, materials and costume

The masks in Commedia dell’Arte are, unlike Greek, Balinese or Japanese masks for instance, always half masks. They are not bigger than that they cover just the upper part of the face. They are not big enough to manifest themselves … Read the rest of this entry

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To compose a Commedia dell’Arte group in the sixteenth century

To compose a Commedia dell’Arte group was a highly delicate task. Some masks were needed in order to fill out the usual scenarios. But one couldn’t just chose the best actors. One had to think about that the actors should … Read the rest of this entry

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A Dottore monologue

This monologue is not really a Scrolquio since it is tied to the plot in this particular play, Käbbel, that I wrote in 2019.It was originally played in Swedish. ”Dott:     In Oh see such a fetching audience! Just see, all this … Read the rest of this entry

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The wealthy and lucky Commedia dell’Arte groups

Those lucky Commedia dell’Arte troupes that could play in the salons of castles and palaces had their benefactors, usually a duke or a nobleman over a province. For those actors who were educated it was also relatively easy to find … Read the rest of this entry

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The Mask from animal to human

When we use the word mask here we talk about two things – the mask tools itself and the characters and roles of Commedia dell’Arte. The later goes also for the characters that don’t wear a mask since they move … Read the rest of this entry

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The Street as Venue (Part 2)

When it comes to Commedia dell’Arte and other masked theatre that are using entrées and sorties we need a backdrop. We don’t want the actors to vanish away in a distance. Since it is easy for the wind to make … Read the rest of this entry

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A list of actors from the heydays of Commedia dell’Arte

What we will be looking at are the actors from the most famous Commedia dell’Arte groups of its time. It is also those actors we have most and most interesting information about. Let us not believe that they are representative … Read the rest of this entry

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To play mask

The mask demands in itself vast energy. If the actor doesn’t “fill” the mask it doesn’t come to life. Everyone who has seen an actor act in a mask without the energy it demands, with movements just like ordinary life, … Read the rest of this entry

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