Watch the documentary a number of time and answer the questions below.
1)How was the theatre designed to make it accessible to the largest cross section of Elizabethan society?
2)What are some of the differences of acting on the globe stage and acting on a modern theatre?
3)How does the design of the theatre (stage and audience) impact on the style of acting?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9uDK3xsLYk
We are going to chart the relationship between Pantaloon and Dr Lombardi and Silvio and Clarice in a number of scenes I call ‘insults and duels’.
For the characters make sure you have a clear idea of the following:
Serving the 2 masters (the most famous scene in the play)
DIRECTOR FOCUS
You must make specific reference to the social, cultural and/or historical context of “A Servant of Two Masters” in your answer.
Sentence starters;
Try this question – identify the command and key words – make a plan for what you could talk about based on the clip above – (make reference to audience interaction – which is very clear in this production – and the physicality/acrobatic qualities and speech – delivery/pace.)
Examiner’s say the Indicative content for a Director focused question could include… [remember you wouldn’t be expected to cover it all!!]
Social, cultural or historical context might include, for example:
General points:
SAMPLE INTRO – generic and then specific:
In Carlo Goldoni’s Commedia inspired 1745 play, ‘A Servant to 2 Masters (So2M), Smeraldina has a more prominent role than in earlier traditional Commedia scenarios. She is still based on the stock-type ‘servetta’ and she still has a commentator’s role bridging the gap between characters and audience, but she has been given her own romantic plot line with the other main servant Truffaldino. She is outspoken and bold in the face of male authority but equally shy and endearing to the audience when seeking a suitable marriage partner. It is these character traits that I would exploit in my performance to create comedy for the audience.
1st Paragraph (showing HOW I would do this)
WHAT: A moment with comic potential is in Act 2 Scene 5 just after Smeraldina has saved her mistress Clarice from trying to commit suicide. She turns on Silvio; the hot-headed son of Dr Lombardi and Clarice’s fiancé, and delivers an amazingly energetic rant about the status of women in society and the inequality of the sexes, “The only reason we get the stick is because we don’t have a dick.” Her parting shot to Silvio is, “They (women) wouldn’t give you a second glance, ‘big boy’.” HOW: As Smeraldina, I’d use a sarcastic tone of voice and emphasise the words ‘big boy’ whilst dropping my pitch to imitate a male voice. I’d change my body language to that of a hulking, stiff alpha-male flexing his muscles in order to poke fun at Silvio and get a laugh from the audience. WHY: This would also be bold and spirited thing to do as Silvio is socially more superior, but as I’m playing Smeraldina as a 30 something woman with worldly experience and Silvio is just out of his teens, the audience will enjoy and hopefully find it funny that I am putting him back in his place through verbal and physical parody.
NEXT PARA:
Discuss something funny from the same moment – perhaps some of the sword business.
Next 2 PARAS:
Go to a new section: The Courtship of Truffaldino and Smeraldina Act 2 Scene 14: It’s a long scene so ask yourself the Question ‘WHAT’S THE FUNNIEST MOMENT’ AND JUMP TO THAT.
WHAT: Later in the play (Act 2 Scene 14) when Smeraldina and Truffaldino are having their awkward courtship, there is physical comedy that can be brought out from the moment that both admit they they can’t read.
As a performer playing Smeraldina, discuss the performance methods you would employ in order to create comedy for your audience in at least 2 sections of the play. Make specific reference to social and/or historic contexts in the play (Servant of 2 Masters) in your answer.
Introduction
What generic (general) information do you need?
What specific information? (a good place to get in some of your social / historic information, BUT don’t let it turn into a History of Commedia essay!)
Use the notes I gave you and the Commentary about Smeraldina.
2 moments that are comic – what would you choose?
Plan it! (10 mins) Be prepared to SHARE
WHAT: Know the point to your paragraphs
HOW: Know what examples / moments / quotes
WHY is it FUNNY
We will explore Smeraldina ahead of acting out some key scenes next lesson.
Read and add to your notes about Smeraldina:
Act 1
Act 2
Act 3
Stock type: female servant (servetta) Sometimes known as Columbine. Did not wear a mask. Costume: apron, dress, low cut blouse
Goldoni ‘interested’ and ‘promoted’ this part! WHY?
Didi Hopkins says she has aspects of the 4 mains Masks: She’s good with money (Pantoloon) She is able to engage in an academic debate about men /women/ injustice and society (Doctore) She is playful (Harlequin) and cunning (Brighella)
Personality: outspoken, sharp, perceptive (sees the world as it is), observant, wants to be married, motherly(?) towards Clarice (female mentor?)
Knows her place but doesn’t like it
Not afraid to speak her mind (even in front of her boss – Pantaloon
Watch clip from 0:40 in
Write down this question into your Live Theatre Journals
[25 marks]
Here is what you are expected to do: Read thoroughly.
In your opening paragraph of any Live Theatre questions you need to establish these things + engage briefly with the question set.
| Name of company and play / playwright / genre |
| The media you saw it on/in |
| The Director and number of actors |
| The type of production and the space |
| The style of performance – Brechtian |
| The theme being focused on |
| The concept of the production (Bouffons) – why |
Sample introduction (Mr Jones)
| Introduction | We watched a digital performance of the Shakespearen tragedy ‘Macbeth’ performed by Splendid Productions, adapted and directed by Kerry Frampton. The production was designed for a schools’ tour with 3 actors, no lighting and minimal use of props and set. It had many Brechtian elements like multi-roling, use of song and placards and a knowing sense of theatricality. Frampton’s overall concept, taken from Macbeth’s line “It’s a tale told by an idiot…” was to tell the story using 3 Bouffons. These bouffons: “People who believe in NOTHING and make fun of EVERYTHING” – Jacques Lecoq engaged with the audience in a very direct way. |
| 5 lines |
You need to engage briefly with the question (consider this an over view of what you will focus on in the Main Body of your essay.)
| Introduction Cont… | As with the other non-naturalistic elements of this touring production, the costume designs were simple, inventive and allowed for swift changes of character. They were non-naturalistic in terms of colour scheme, shape and had symbolic elements to effectively help the audience understand themes like kingship and when actors were playing Shakespeare’s characters and when Bouffons. |
The main body of your essay needs to be built up with a number of paragraphs that follow a Point, Evidence, Explain structure and follow the Question’s command words of Analyse and Evaluate.
| Sample 1st paragraph (always useful to start with 1st impressions) |
| The first impression the audience have of a non-naturalistic approach to costume are of a chorus of grotesque Bouffons standing with placards stating, ‘Leaders wanted’. Bouffons traditionally were misshapen, deformed figures living on the edges of society and the costume’s shape acknowledges this with exaggerated shoulders pads, elbow patches and misshapen headwear. The costumes are as misshapen as they can be given that the actors are not exclusively ‘bouffons’ throughout the play. The headwear is created from various items of baby clothing. One Bouffon has a stuffed baby grow on his head (Insert diagram) This is a reference to the innocent children killed in wars and also a comment on the idea that the Macbeth’s are childless. Coupled with this, is the make-up design which has the actor’s faces in smudged white foundation with dark sunken dark eye sockets. This effectively makes the actors seem ghoulish and other worldly making them convincing as the Unknowns (as the Witches are known in this version). There is also comic and clown connotations with the white face and supports the director’s concept that this is a story ‘told by… idiot(s) ‘ who exist outside the Shakespearean world. Director Kerry Frampton indicates in her production notes that the Unknowns are meant to be ‘otherworldly’. They link heaven and earth. The all-white costumes indicate purity and the mud, blood spatters and rips (usually in the lower part of the costumes) is a result of the Bouffons walking the earth and being sullied and made dirty. |
| [This LINKS back to the Bouffon paragraph which already makes reference to deformity] The convention (rule) created in the first few scenes is that when the Bouffons remove their headwear they ‘take on the role’ of the various Shakespearean characters. As well as creating a silhouette that is misshapen and deformed, the addition of pads and wires under the costumes, especially the shoulder area, makes the Shakespearan characters seem powerful and masculine. Even Lady Macbeth has this feature to her costume. It bulks out her outline rather like an American football shirt. This enhances her power and is effective and appropriate as she is often more masculine than Macbeth – she is the one who suggests the murder of Duncan and strengthens Macbeth’s resolve when he is weakening. The Bouffons say “If she were born a man, would she be king already?’ |
| Task | Due by | How to submit |
| Complete costume pages (A3) for Macbeth, Lady Macbeth and a Bouffon [must be annotated with 3 ‘layers’ of NOTES | Wednesday 4th December | On the A3 sheets |
| Servant – comprehension type questions (50 marks available – ASSESSED | Friday 29th November | In your Journal or on a word doc and printed. |
| Work on Clarice and Emotional Journey – on the Blog | Friday 6th December | In your Journal or on a word doc and printed. |
Discussion:
What is this word – why is it relevant to COMEDY.
1st impressions:
Do this in your Journal for ‘Servant of 2 Masters’
What is a character arc? What is an emotional journey? (Are they the same? THINK /PAIR /SHARE
Consider Clarice in all 3 Acts (how does she develop)
Skim read the plot summary and identify ALL the scenes that Clarice is in. Then create a table
| What happens in the scene | How does Clarice come across to the audience |
| Act 1 Scene 1 Clarice is being engaged to |Silvio – she does not grieve at losing Federigo as her true love has always been Silvio. | She is over the moon in love. Excessive “my heart would always be yours” – She wants to go somewhere private with Silvio – she’s like a giddy teenager. Daddy’s girl! |
Create an ’emotional journey for Clarice –
She starts off displaying XXXX then moves into displaying YYYY (that sort of thing)
Make sure you get into Act 2 and Act 3
Discussion: Create one – two sentences that explain your ‘director’s concept’ for Clarice. You want the audience to see WHAT over the course of the play?