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!
Continue for the rest of the play
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?
This is to test your knowledge of basic plot events, character knowledge and motivations in the first 2 Acts of the play “A Servant of 2 Masters” (So2M)
YOU SHOULD HAVE READ THE WHOLE PLAY A NUMBER OF TIMES BY NOW. I
IF YOU HAVE ANY TIME LEFT IN THIS LESSON YOU MUST READ ACT 3 WHICH WE DIDN’T DO IN CLASS
All the answers are in the play – you may also find the plot summary of the Commentaries useful.
TO BE DONE IN YOUR JOURNAL FOR NEXT LESSON – answers to INCLUDE the KEY WORDS of the question
Comprehension Questions for Acts 1 & 2 of ‘Servant of 2 Masters’. (Questions)
Question
Answer
Mark
1
What are the 3 stock types of Commedia?
3
2
Traditionally which characters would have worn a mask
2
3
Name 2 character types that are not in the play? (You need to watch one of the early videos on the Blog about characters)
2
4
Where is the play set – (city)
1
5
What is a lazzi?
2
6
Who wrote the play?
1
7
When did they write it (to within the nearest decade)
1
8
What are the names of the 2 older men?
2
9
What are the names of their children?
2
10
Beatrice comes from which city?
1
11
Who is her brother?
1
12
What has happened to him before the play begins? Who did this?
2
13
Who was he meant to marry and why?
2
14
Beatrice arrives at Pantaloon’s house disguised as whom?
1
15
Who recognises her and why?
2
16
Who is her servant?
1
17
Who is his love interest throughout the play?
1
18
What 2 things does Beatrice hope to get by arriving in Venice?
2
19
Why does Truffaldino sign up with another master?
1
20
Who is the ‘character’ Truffaldino. makes up?
1
21
Why does he ‘invent’ this person?
1
22
Name 2 objects that are the types of things that confuse Truffaldino now that he serves 2 masters?
2
23
Towards the end of Act 1 what does Beatrice do when in the company of a distressed Clarice?
2
24
Why is Silvio angry with Pantaloon and Beatrice/Federigo?
1
25
When discovering Silvio with a sword what does Beatrice/Ferderigo do?
1
26
What does Clarice threaten to do when confronted by Silvio’s jealousy?
1
27
What city is Truffaldino from?
1
28
How do we (the audience) know that Truffaldino can’t read?
2
29
Why does Truffaldino get a double beating at the end of the Act 2?
2
30) Explain in a paragraph how you would play the role of Pantaloon (focus on personality, voice, posture, body shape, rhythm, facial expression) 6 marks available
Look at the structure of the mark scheme for this part of the exam.
Identify what the General progression is up the Bands
Identify what the SPECIFIC bullet points that you (the candidate have to make)
PAIR TALK what your understanding of this is (the language can be quite hard to decipher at first)
Look at your essay again (1 week later)
What Band would you give it (where does MOST of the essay fit)
Now, give it a NUMERICAL MARK out of 25 based on your analysis and the Notes I have provided.
Look at the Mark Scheme I have given you to see if your analysis of your essay corresponds to mine.
Stick in the BLANK Mark sheet into your So2M Journal.
How to improve (some general points)
POSITIVES: Most of you understood and got in some historic facts about|:
Harlequin being the original / traditional name.
The characters being a servant and lover (with the better answers indicating that the lover role was 1) made larger and 2) was more romantic than just ‘lust’ because Sacchi was the ‘star’ and had paid for the ‘commission’
Most of you mentioned Sacchi but BE CAREFUL that you don’t rob yourself of time for the detailed focus on ‘performance’ that the essay is all about.
YOU ARE NOT WRITING A HISTORY OF THE PLAY type essay – it must be an essay about HOW WOULD YOU PERFORM TRUFFALDINO.
All of you wrote about being the PERFORMER (no one missed the target)
NEGATIVES:
Write more! I gave you a detailed plan – you should have written for 45 mins {but actually you had 30-35 mins}. At 7-10 mins a paragraph that’s 4.5 paragraphs = 2 to 2.5 side of A4
You must talk in specifics: Establish the moment clearly. Who, where, when and why: {Zoom in from a Long shot to a Close Up) “ When I enter Pantaloon’s room to announce my Master is down stairs, I will…”
You MUST imagine you are playing the role. “If I was playing the part…(?) You are playing the part!!! E.g. “As Truff. I will… {Use the PRESENT tense as if you are acting as you write}
You need to state ‘the effects’ you wish to create. I gave you a list of 6
Some of you MUST re-read your words/sentences because what you’re writing is NOT GOOD ENGLISH.
Try and develop a writing style that is simple but specific. Every line you write should specifically refer back to the question or illustrate your answer in some clear way.
Don’t say ‘over the top’ – say exaggerated or heightened …
Get in more than 1 acting skill per example: If you are saying something about vocal delivery then go on to add what your face is doing, add a gesture or move you make, say what your body language is doing, how close or far away you are from other characters or the audience. (Try for 4 acting terms – the Mark scheme say you must use subject specific terminology)
Be more creative – don’t just say what the script says (add value!) E.g. The letter re-sealing lazzo. To say you’ll do it 3 times is just repeating what’s in the script. To say you strangle yourself in your attempt not to swallow or you tie string to the bread as a ‘clever’ precaution is CREATIVE – even if the idea came from someone else. Pass it off confidently as yours!
One actor reads the words and the other comes up with comic business. Try and use the script as a blue print but feel free to improvise lines or physical business. Swap over when done.
Watch this and see what ‘invention’ this actor brought to the lazzo. You will get credit for ‘creative additions’ [value added] As there is virtually no stage directions MOST of the physicality in this play is up for you to decide upon.
Other moments:
What voice? (Explore the monologue Truffaldino has on P16
Explore P26 – How does Truffaldino’s voice and physicality change depending on whether he is talking to a Master or the Audience.
What can we deduce about his relationship with the audience?
As well as your NOTES you MUST find answers to these questions. [Read Commentary – Origins pages xxvi, xxvii, xxviii, xxvix, xxx
What is a lazzi and why does Commedia have them?
Who was Sacchi?
What did Goldoni think of Sacchi?
Why is Truffaldino called Truffaldino and not Harlequin?
Are there any changes that Truff. undergoes at the hands of Goldoni.
What does Niniar Kinnar-Wilson mean when he says that Harlequinio is ‘amoral not immoral’?
Lazzo of the Fly (9 mins in)
What is this showing us about the character?
Read or Stage the Lazzo of the Trunk. On the page it is nothing. How can you stage it to make it into a piece of comic business? Watch the sequence in this student production – (Start at 27:25 mins in) HAVE THEY MISSED A COMIC OPPORTUNITY?
Look at the lazzo of the letter (P28) How can you stage it to make it more comic and inventive (Value added – credit will be given for ‘creative’ ideas that you bring tot he play as long as it fits the plot, characters and style.
PREPARATION FOR TRUFFALDINO (ACTOR) ESSAY
Try this question – make a plan for what you could talk about – (make reference to audience interaction – which is very clear in this production – and physicality/acrobatic qualities and speech – delivery/pace.)
04 As a performer, discuss the effects you would wish to create through your presentation of Truffaldino. How would you perform the role in at least two sections in order to achieve your aims? You must make specific reference to the social, cultural and/or historical context of ‘A Servant to Two Masters (So2M).
[Use your work on the Lazzi we have explored in class]
Analyse the question (command words and key words)
Mind map an Introduction,
key moments you will ‘go to’.
Make sure you have an ‘interpretation’ that is supported by the text, your knowledge of the social/historic/cultural contexts of the character/play and Commedia, and covers a range of specific actor skills
Examiner’s say the Indicative content for a performer focused question could include [remember you wouldn’t be expected to cover it all!!]
physical appearance, age, height, build, colouring, facial features
vocal qualities, pitch, pace, tone, accent
delivery of specific lines: interaction with others, eye contact, spatial relationships, physical contact
use of space
XXXX’s relationship with other KEY characters
movement, gesture, gait, posture, energy, demeanour and facial expressions
style/use of costume/make-up; of props and accessories
specific performance ideas clearly calculated to reveal the specified interpretation in key scenes, for example:
Social, cultural or historical context might include, for example:
reference to stock characters
structure of play
concepts of Commedia – lazzi, audience interaction
Extension: How has the character of Truff. been modified?
