Commedia dell’ Arte Essay -- essays research papers fc

     The first question is why use "commedia dell arte" as a study tool for youthful actors at all, since drama and the business of playing has hopefully moved on since the Italian Comedians finally left Paris. The fact remains, however, that the dominant form of performing today that both exists as the aspire young actors act role model and as a household of performance in itself is T.V. naturalism. We are lucky in that something both sacred and technical has survived from those heady times. When contemporary acting technique does not offer up all the answers that actors may be realiseing for, it is not surprising that they look towards the past for inspiration. It is in this grey area between researching historic certainties and reconstructing guessed at acting technique that we must look. These Martinellis and Andreinis were the superstars of their day and the question that most very much gets asked is "how did they do it?"(Oliver Cri ck).     The fact that some of these performers were verging on genius is without dispute. This fact altogether does not help us at all in training a contemporary performer. What flush toilet help us, though, is the wide variety of theories concerning the acting techniques, styles and training of these late entertainers. In a sense it is irrelevant where these theories receive from and even how historically correct they are. As an actor (and a trainer of actors) one has a duty to choose what will work for an earshot and to ignore the rest. The current historical theory as to how Isabella Andreini performed a concomitant"lazzi" might come from an impeccable source, merely if a contemporary sense of hearing is unappreciative, then dump it quick, and on with something will work. There may be a case for re-creating "commedia dellarte" as it was done, but does this really help the modern actor? Even in the more old-fashioned drama shallow peri od movement is meant to help an actor interpret a historical role, and is not meant as an end in itself (David Claudon).     One solution is to go up an actor at the beginning of their training, and see where knowledge of "commedia dellarte" and its performance can expand a performers range. The contemporary young actors most familiar performance role model is that of televisi... ...terisation (Claudon). It may not be the whole answer, but it certainly plugs a few gaps that naturalism leaves open. "Commedia dellarte" is also beneficial in any study of acting because it utilises a theatrical grammar, as intimately as a very intimate relationship with the audience (Crick). nowadays we can only wait until The Globe reopens to experiment with these theories in a purpose-built theatre. Works CitedClaudon, David. A Thumbnail History of Commedia DellArte. 15 Oct. 2003     . Crick, Oliver. The Uses of Commedia DellArte in Training the Modern     Actor. Austin Commedia Society. 27 Nov. 2003     .Gordon, Mel. Lazzi the Comic Routines of the Commedia DellArte. late      York Performing Arts Journal Publications, c1983 (1992 printing).Lea, Kathleen M. Italian Popular Comedy a Study in the Commedia DellArte, 1560- 1620, with special reference to the English stage. upstart York Russell & Russell, 1962.Rudlin, John. Commedia DellArte an Actors Handbook. London New York     Routledge, 1994.