Silvio Essay

As a performer, discuss how you would want your audience to respond to the role of Silvio in the course of the play. How would you perform the role in at least two sections of the play in order to achieve your aims? You must make specific reference to the social, cultural and/or historical context of So2M in your answer.

For this question – develop an essay plan.

  • Work out what you would say in the Introduction
  • Know what 3-4 aims /points you wish to get across
  • Work out which your 2 ‘sections’ will be.

Introductions – TIPS

  • A good place to drop in historic and social ‘pearls of wisdom. (E.g. what stock type is your character, their origins, how has Goldoni changed the character,
  • Mention your ‘interpretation’ and your actor’s ‘intention/aims’. [how old are they, how would they be dressed, what traits are you going to focus on revealing.
  • No need to list the scenes you will use [you can do that at the start of each paragraph] or state general plot. Plot detail needs to be relevant to your character.

[GENERIC OPENING] ‘A Servant to 2 masters’ (1745) is a fast moving comedy written by Carlo Goldoni towards the end of the 200 year period when Commedia dell’Arte was the most popular theatre form in Europe. It features instantly recognisable stock characters who are “an exaggerated mirror of Italian society” [Didi Hopkins]