In class today we worked on practicing the various stock characters of Commedia dell'arte and how we could use these characters in our devised pieces. We acted out several of the characters, namely Pantalone, Harlequino, Columbina, Il Capitano, and the Innamorati. Each had their own individual ways to do everything - walk, stand, speak. Columbina walks and stands with a posture to accentuate her "prominent" features. Il Capitano struts about to look brave and powerful, but runs flailing wildly at the sound of a mouse. Pantalone walks slow and hunched, with a cane, but moves his head fast somewhat akin to a bird. Harlequino walks quickly in a three-step shuffle, waving his cloak around. The lovers, the Innamorati, walk swaying from side to side, waving their arms to keep balanced. My favorite was Il Capitano, it was fun trying to run away from things. I also learned a bit about how we could apply these to our devised pieces.
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So, in class recently we went through an activity to determine how certain parts of the body felt in both nervous and comfortable situations. This was an interesting experience, and not all that bad although it did force me to recall distinctly unpleasant events. The purpose was to get a better understanding of how our body reacts in certain situations. It turned out to also be helpful in teaching us to relax or tighten individual muscles.
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