SABBATICAL ADVENTURES

One of the main objectives of my sabbatical research is the creation of a new theatre course on Commedia dell'arte. Using the many resources I was able to find, the information I was able to collect, and the different theatre productions I was able to read, as well as other available academic sources regarding the subject matter, a class on commedia has been developed and submitted to the proper channels for evaluation and approval.  Once the class is approved, the class will be offered to the students, mainly to Drama majors and those interested in the theatre arts.  This class will have two main objectives: One of the goals will be to offer a history account of the development of Commedia dell'arte, from its origins to the present, while analyzing its influence on modern comedy. The other goal will give students the opportunity to explore physical movement and mask work in order to familiarize themselves with commedia dell'arte characters and physical comedy in general....

The following transcript is based on conversations with a closed friend who is an alumni from Dell'Arte International. Our conversations centered around her training and the benefits of it. The conversation has been edited for clarity and brevity.   --What made you decide to enroll in Dell'Arte International? I was applying to MFA programs and my college theatre director shared information about Dell'Arte with me. She suggested I audition as she believed it would be a good fit for me. One of the co-founders (of the academy) happened to be working as a resident artist near me an auditioned me herself. The process was welcoming and supporting from the beginning. I visited Blue Lake to tour the school and to meet some people there. I felt in love with the area and the program. I deferred traditional graduate school in order to to attend Dell'Arte. --What program were you in?  When I joined the school, they were in the process of obtaining accreditation for the MFA program....

The following conversation with Tony Fuemmeler (interim head of training programs) took place over zoom. The content has been edited for clarity and space. --What can you tell me about Physical Theatre training for the actor? In general, physical theatre offers a lot through the play of mask, a sense of specificity and clarity for the actor. Whether or not they (actors) play directly in the mask, or whether they ever find a mask again, physical theatre offers a window into physical storytelling, and also just an interest of the human condition and the human comedy. How we might understands some modes of the play for the actor as driven by the body and driven by a very visceral idea rather than by emotions or by a psychological idea. In commedia, it isn’t the psychology that drives the play, it is actually elemental forces, the drives and contradictions of human nature, which play at full force and rhythm, then collide and give us an opportunity to laugh at ourselves. --Let’s talk about...

Humboldt County is located in Northern California. Within Humboldt County, a very small town (population 1200 as of 2020 census) named Blue Lake is found. This town is located on the Mad River, 6 miles northeast of Eureka, at an elevation of just 131 feet.  Other than the fact that Blue Lake and its surrounding areas are the perfect get away spot from the hustle and bustle of the San Francisco Bay area, this small town is just another place most people have no idea it exists, and if they happen to stumble upon it, they quickly forget about it.  Hidden within its natural paradise full of red woods, however, a worldwide known commedia school is found. Originally known as "Dell'Arte School of Mime and Comedy, now known as "Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre," this institution was founded in Berkeley, CA back in 1971 by Carlo Mazzonne-Clementi and his wife Jane Hill. It wasn't until four years later, in 1975, that "Dell'Arte International...

  Welp, my trip to Italy has ended! I had the best of times; I have the worse of times. But regardless of the experiences, I am in fact, very thankful for the opportunity to spend so much time in a country where trains are a marvelous way to travel.  Even though the trip is over, the sabbatical work continues. There is a few more things that need to be done. One more interview with an alumni from Dell'Arte International, the creation of a "Commedia dell'arte" class, and the rehearsals and presentation of the one-person show,  INTRODUCING MODERNA SUSPIROS.  There will be a few more blog posts on the rehearsal process (happening at the end of May) and then a couple of more posts on the production of the show, (happening at the beginning of December.) Officially, the sabbatical ends at the end of May. The sabbatical reports are due in October, and the show will be done in December. By the time everything is completely done, it will be December 2023, and an entire year w...

From the museum The last commedia dell'arte character on my list is commonly known as IL DOTTORE, "The Doctor." His real name is "Il Dottore Balanzone" and he's from Bologna. He's part of the older generation of characters, "I Vecchi," (The Old Ones) and he's best friends with Pantalone, another "vecchio." Il Dottore  Balanzone is not a "medicine" man but rather a "Doctor of Letters," a man who has been educated in the first university in Italy and the oldest university in Europe: The University of Bologna. Il Dottore is "physically heavy" because of his knowledge, hence his name Balanzone, which derives from "balanza/bilancia," meaning both "balance" and "scale."  Although Il Dottore has many names, he has been worldly recognized as "Il Dottore Lombardy" thanks to Carlo Goldoni's famous play, "The Servant of Two Masters." However, in Bolonga he...

From the Internet If I ever doubted that Bergamo doesn't recognize Arlecchino, I only need to go to Villa d'Almè. Villa d'Almè is about 30 minutes from Bergamo and is the entry point from the north (coming from Switzerland) to the first major Italian city: Bergamo. The highway from the north converges with two others from the south (one from Bergamo, the other from Ponte San Pietro.) The conversion happens at the only major "rotatoria" (roundabout) in Villa d'Almé.   It is here, in this rotatoria, centrally located where the three main highways meet, that a 10-feet/18 ton statue of Arlecchino is found. The roundabout is knowns as "La Rotonda di Arlecchino." And Arlecchino stands in the middle of the roundabout with a very clear messages by its feet: "Valle Brembana; Terra di Arlecchino," (Brembana Valley, the land of Arlecchino.)  Personal Collection The statue is made of marble and was sculpted by Milanese artists Nicola Gladiardi. The sta...

I'm starting this post with a disclaimer. There is place in the Bergamo region that claims to be "Arlecchino's House" and also "Arlecchino's Museum." This place is known as "Casa Museo di Arlecchino."   The "house/museum" is located in the village of Oneta (San Giovanni Bianco), in the province of Bergamo. Oneta is located 35 miles north of Bergamo and one can either reach the village in a private car or by bus. By bus it takes 1 hr 40 minutes one way, so the total traveling time is 3 hrs 20 minutes. Because the house/museum is so far away, it is only open for a few hours on specific days and by appointment only.  The house/museum is located inside the Palazzo Grataroli. The palace, who is known by the locals as "Casa di Arlecchio" is linked to the Renaissance actor Alberto Naselli, who represented the Zanni and Arlecchino's characters in the main European courts, and whom, according to tradition, stay at the Palazzo. Ho...

While Napoli embraces Pulcinella as part of its arts and culture, the entire region of Campagna also embraces the character as part of its popular pop culture. Bergamo, on the other hand, and the entire region have not made Arlecchino or Brighella part of their popular pop culture. And if you recall an earlier post, the majority of people do not considered Brighella a commedia dell'arte characters from Bergamo, at least not in the way they considered Arlecchino.  As I roamed the streets of both Cittá Bassa and Cittá Alta, I saw a few signs of Arlecchino's presence. And the few things that are there, are significant because, to me at least, they emphasize the importance of Arlecchino as a symbol of art, culture, and pride for the Bergamo region.  There is, for example, the "Dispensa di Arlecchino" restaurant. A famous eatery and a very difficult place to get in without a reservation. This restaurant is in Cittá Alta. The title translates to "Arlecchino's Food ...

By the time I arrived in Bergamo I knew two things: 1) Arlecchino and Brighella are the two commedia dell'arte characters with roots in the city, and 2) somewhere in the city of Bergamo a statue to Arlecchino exist.  What I didn't know was that my arrival to Bergamo coincided with the 2023 Bergamo Brescia Italian Capital of the World Culture Festival. As soon as I knew of it, I quickly set out to figure out what theatre events, especially in relation to commedia dell'arte were happening. My search brought me to "The Puppet Theatre Museum," better known as "Il Museo del Burattino."  Here, I had the opportunity to learn the history of, and admire the many different types of hand puppets that had been created in the Bergamo region, along with learning about the invited Italian guests' collections representing China and Japan. The museum exists mainly thanks to La Fondazione Benedetto Ravasio and the collaboration of five other families from the Bergamo ...

While the City of Bergamo doesn't show the same "enthusiasm" for Arlecchino as Napoli shows for Pulcinella, Bergamo still recognizes Arlecchino as part of their culture and their art. Within half a block from Bergamo Centrale train station, a statute of Arlecchino welcomes everyone arriving to the city. If you are leaving Bergamo, Arlecchino still is there to wish you safe travels.  The statue was created by artist Mario Gotti and commissioned by "Il Ducato di Piazza Pontida," an arts and cultural private organization in the city of Bergamo. In 2002, "Il Ducato" decided to donate the statue to the city of Bergamo with the goal of placing it in an open space for everyone to admire. As a result, the statue was placed in the garden of one of the main government buildings known as "Provincia di Bergamo," a garden that serves as an open-air gallery. The only issue is that people only visit such a place if they have official business to conduct in ...

Bergamo, Italy The city of Bergamo, in the region of Lombardy Italy, is located about 25 miles north of Milano and about 18 miles south of Switzerland. I mention its location because no other city is further north in Italy than Bergamo. There are very small villages, like Oneta, to the north of Bergamo with 700 people--but no city is found further north.  Città Alta Bergamo is divided in two: Città Alta and Città Bassa (Upper Bergamo and Lower Bergamo.) Città Alta is the old part of the city and Città Bassa is the new part of the city. As the older part of the city, Upper Bergamo is characterized by narrow cobblestone streets and Venetian walls. In fact, the look of Città Alta is  a combination of Medieval and Roman architecture. Upper Bergamo is not only at a higher level than Lower Bergamo but it is also encircled by a massive wall, known as the "Venetian Defense System," which today is a UNESCO Heritage Site. There are four entry gates around the Città Alta, and only one o...

One of the most entertaining commedia dell'arte characters who is also less known to most people is Il Capitano (The Captain.) Like Pulcinella, Il Capitano was born in Naples, although Napoletani don't pay homage to him the way they do to Pulcinella. There are several reasons for this.  First, Il Capitano Matamoros was created by Silvio Fiorillo, based on the main character created by Plautus in his play "Miles Glorious."  Il Capitano Matamoros is a caricature of Spanish soldiers, hence his name "Mata-Moros" (Kill Moors) in reference to Spaniards fighting the Muslins during the "Reconquista" (8 c. -1492). Il Capitano is a braggart soldier, just like Miles Glorious, but unlike him, Il Capitano is also a cowardly soldier who spoke with an undefined language, which was a mix of Spanish, Latin, and Neapolitan lingo.  Second, as an actor, Fiorillo left the military and joined different acting troops, traveling to the northern part of Italy such as Flore...

I knew I was going to see a sign of Pulcinella before arriving to Naples. After all, I was aware that somewhere in the city there is a statue dedicated to this commedia dell'arte character.   What I didn't know was how Napoletani (Neapolitans) truly embraced this zanni character. And they do it to the fullest in ways I could not imagine, even more than Venetians embrace Pantalone.   First, there is the famous bust of Pulcinella, located in the infamous "Vico del Fico al Purgatori" (The Alley of the Fig Tree of Purgatory.) And then there is the hundreds and hundreds of Pulcinella images, figurines, paintings, posters, logos, refrigerator magnets, souvenirs, ornaments, t-shirts, commercial signs, and masks. There is also a hiking trail known as "Capello di Pulcinella," (capello = a single hair, symbolic for "a trail") and once you reach the top of the mountain, you are in the "Capuccio di Pulcinella," (Pulcinella's hood.) There is so mu...

Pulcinella has always been associated with Naples. And as I mentioned in my previous post, this commedia dell'arte character is a symbol of the city and it's embedded in the cultural fabric of the Napoletani. It is logical then, that I've always believed Pulcinella was born in Naples. However, I've come to find out that Pulcinella's birth isn't as clear-cut as I thought. About 15 miles northeast from Naples, there is a small town named Acerra. It is a town with about 60,000 residents and two "castles" to its name: Il Castello dei Conti di Acerra and Il Castello Baronale di Acerra, now both museums. It is in the latter that "Il Museo di Pulcinella, del Folklore e della Civiltà Contadina" is found, and i t is here where I learned several things about the Pulcinella.  Pulcinella was born in Acerra in a small house closed to the walls of the town in the district of La Maddalena. The house overlooked the town's square and it was decorated and ...

Compagnia di Teatro Pankatin One of the last plays I saw during the Carnevale was "Il carro dei comici." This production was presented by Compagnia Pantakin da Venezia, which is the same company that presented VENEZIA MILLENARIA. This company is also responsible for the entire Commedia dell'arte Festival, under its director and curator, Michele Modesto Casarin,  one of Italy's most respected and sought out Commedia dell'arte masters.     "Il carro dei comici" is about a traveling acting troupe, named "I senza dimora," (Without a Home) and their main purpose is to revive Commedia dell'arte. They do this through sharing the history and importance of each commedia dell'arte mask, explaining to whom it belongs and acting out classic commedia dell'arte scenarios. This play became a "play within a play," and it was not only a history lesson about commedia dell'arte as an acting style, the importance of the masks, and the ori...