Before I start my review on this Broadway revival, let me be very transparent about one thing: I DO NOT LIKE ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S MUSIC. I find it simplistic, repetitive (read boring), and from a whole musical theatre composition one …
Let me start this entry by saying that I have seen this show more times that I ever planned to see it. The first time I saw it was when it first opened at the National Theatre of London back …
We had a costume fitting just a couple of weeks ago. The the fitting also included shoes, of course. It has taken me a while to post about this matter because the fitting, although exciting, was also a little bit …
Normally, rehearsals for a play take between four to six weeks, sometimes longer depending on the complexity of the production and the company’s budget. A one-person show usually rehearses for a minimum of four weeks. However, due to the busy schedules …
Before spending my sabbatical days in Italy learning about Commedia dell’arte, I was already working on a one-person show, also as part of my sabbatical. I spent six months writing a script and having dramaturgical meetings with a theatre director. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Welp, my trip to Italy has ended. I had the best of times; I have the worse of times. And regardless of the experiences, I am in fact, very thankful for the opportunity to spend so much time in a …
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) …
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 …
00031: VALLE BREMBANA; TERRA D’ARLECCHINO, PART II Read more »
As part of the Arts and Culture 2023 Festival going on between the cities of Bergamo and Brescia, one event, involving a commedia dell’arte character, is the “Arlecchino’s Cloak Project,” better known as “Il Mantello di Arlecchino,” which concentrates on …
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 …
00029: VALLE BREMBANA; TERRA DI ARLECCHINO, PART I Read more »
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Florence is considered the city of love so it makes sense that the two commedia dell’arte characters that belong to Florence are “the innamorati” (the lovers.) And because the lovers are young, infatuated with love, and desperately wanting to be …
Every semester I teach one or two “Introduction to Theatre” classes. Within the class, at some point I get to talk about Italian Theatre during the Renaissance period. One aspect we discuss in class is Italian architecture, literature, and inventions …
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 …
Within the region of Veneto, in the province of Padova (Pauda) in Italy, there is a small town named Abano Terme. Most people know the town for its hot springs and mud baths, which is an important economic resource. I, …
The commedia dell’arte festival during the Carnevale, was an international event that also included two different countries: France and Rumania. Because I arrived during the second week of the festival, I missed the theatre presentation from Rumania, which only participated …
Carlo Goldoni was an Italian playwright born in Venice in 1707. When he was a young man, his father, a doctor, moved to Perugia and then to Remini. It was there that Carlo Goldoni studied philosophy and law, fields that …
During my second day at the Carnevale, I attended two events: the play “Arlecchino e Il Capitano Mangabambini” (Harlequin and the Eating-children Captain) and the lecture “Il Mascheraio” (The Mask Maker.) Both events were excellent choices to witness. “Arlecchino e Il …
00013: ARLECCHINO E IL CAPITANO MANGABAMBINI & IL MASCHERAIO Read more »
One of the main programs at the Carnevale di Venezia 2023 is the VENEZIA OVVERO L’ARTE DELLA COMMEDIA (Venice o el Arte de la Commedia.) In this program, there are ten different Commedia dell’arte plays being presented in rotation in two …
Every time I go to Mexico City, I go to the theatre. There are two main reasons: 1) I’m a theatre artists and 2) my late friend Luis and I loved going to see shows all over the capital. The …
I’m four years behind this post. And if you want to know why, I ask you to read the entry titled, “000 29: Intentions,” where I explained what happened regarding this event. So, what I’m recalling now is from memory …
Throughout the years, I have set up many intentions, plans, goals, yet many of my desires have ended right at the beginning: at the intention, at the plan, at the wish. This has happened for many reasons; some intentions are …
Day 11, eleven items I saw the musical WICKED on Broadway in 2007. I was attending a conference with one of my best colleagues and friends and we decided we needed to see three Broadways shows: We saw The Color …