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Servant - Commedia

TRUFFALDINO – WHO IS HE?

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Read and take notes from the Commentary on Truffaldino (your copy of the set text) – make specific note on the skills needed to play him, his origins, his characteristics (traits) and how he was developed by Goldoni.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is Truffaldino2-731x1024.jpg
Piccolo Theatre Servant of Two Masters, Omen Sade (Performer) as Arlecchino/Truffaldino in traditional commedia dell’arte costume with white-with-multi-colored-triangles, hat, battoccio (stick/club) and leather mask created by Antonio Fava.

Truffaldino – case study.

Recap – Traditional v Goldoni adaptation

Acrobatic clown – A Servant

Anarchistic (rebel)

Quick physically – slow mentally – thinks with his stomach

Discuss: In the absence of a true Brighella stock type you could say that Truffaldino has been given some of these characteristics.

Watch Video: Servant of Two Masters: Commedia Character Shorts-Lesson Two: Truffaldino (Go to 58 secs in and watch to 2 min 25 secs)

Discuss:

Watch this demonstration for physicality.

Watch Video (Go to 46 secs in and watch to 2 min 45 secs)

Discuss:

  • Why does Truff. stand straight out to the audience?
  • Light or Heavy

Read or Stage the 1st Entrance {always a good idea to talk about the 1st entrance if given a question about interpretation or aims/effects}

  • What do you notice about his energy? / Energy: Direct or Indirect?
  • What do you notice about focus (on whom?)

Goldoni says in his own introduction “to the Readers” that Truffaldino can be ‘doltish’

Meaning: adjective:

(of a person) stupid; idiotic: a doltish character.

When he operates in a thoughtless fashion

(eg: tearing up the bill of exchange – act 2 sc 9 – P51-55)

And then ‘mischievous’

adjective

1 causing or showing a fondness for causing trouble in a playful way: mischievous children | a mischievous grin.

(eg: serving 2 masters – act 2 sc 12)

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.

aldino been modified?

Show Clips: “One Man, Two Guvnors” starring James Corden
Servant - Commedia

1ST EXAM STYLE QUESTION (DIRECTOR FOCUS)

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Re-read the first 3 scenes of Act 1 and be completely familiar with WHO, WHERE & WHAT.

Think about what relationships are present on stage. Who knows who and for how long? Who is High/Low Status?

As you read it try to imagine a Voice and a Body Shape for EACH character.

Try and identify facts / backstory/ Social and Historic references to character {Why does Pantaloon want the engagement party to be ‘low-key?’}

For Homework you need to complete the diagram on the back of the Handout “Section 2-Analysis” showing HOW all the characters interlink. Bring to the next lesson.

Exam style question to keep in mind during these lessons on Act 1 / Scene 1-2

As a Director, how would you direct the actors in Act 1 Scenes 1 & 2 (So2M) to reveal their essential characteristics, relationships at the start of the play and any sub-textual issues. Make reference to the audience and to your aims as director [what do you need the audience to understand]?

Useful sentence starters:

Eg: “My intention as a director at this point in the play would be to show/reveal/ focus on…”

“It is important for the audience to understand X at this point in the play so, as a director, I would ……”

You don’t have to reference all the characters 

Servant - Commedia

COMMEDIA PERFORMANCE

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  1. Watch the performance below and see how many characters you can identify.
  2. How did you know they were these characters?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ak5yjC07Rs

Not all of these characters are in the play (S of 2 M) and some that are have been ‘modified’ by Goldoni (Brighella for example).

As the performances are in French/Italian FOCUS on the physicality of the characters, their playfulness, energy levels, tone of their voice.

Look out for LAZZI = comic business.

Servant - Commedia

Half term UNDERSTANDING ‘SO2M’ (Act 1 & 2)

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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)

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

Comprehension Questions for Acts 1 & 2 of ‘Servant of 2 Masters’. (Questions)

 QuestionAnswerMark
1What are the 3 stock types of Commedia?   3
2Traditionally, which characters would have worn a mask 2
3 2
4Where is the play set – (city)   1
5What is a lazzi?   2
6Who wrote the play?   1
7When did they write it (to within the nearest decade)   1
8What are the names of the 2 older men?   2
9What are the names of their children?   2
10Beatrice comes from which city?   1
11Who is her brother?   1
12What has happened to him before the play begins? Who did this?   2
13Who was he meant to marry and why?         2
14Beatrice arrives at Pantaloon’s house disguised as whom?         1
15Who recognises her and why?       2
16Who is her servant?   1
17Who is his love interest throughout the play? 1
18What 2 things does Beatrice hope to get by arriving in Venice?       2
19Why does Truffaldino sign up with another master?     1
20Who is the ‘character’ Truffaldino. makes up? 1
21Why does he ‘invent’ this person?   1
22Name 2 objects that are the types of things that confuse Truffaldino now that he serves 2 masters?       2
23Towards the end of Act 1 what does Beatrice do when in the company of a distressed Clarice?       2
24Why is Silvio angry with Pantaloon and Beatrice/Federigo?         1
25When discovering Silvio with a sword what does Beatrice/Ferderigo do?         1
26What does Clarice threaten to do when confronted by Silvio’s jealousy?         1
27What city is Truffaldino from?     1
28How do we (the audience) know that Truffaldino can’t read?           2
29Why does Truffaldino get a double beating at the end of the Act 2?           2

/44   

30) Explain in a paragraph how you would play the role of Pantaloon or Dr Lombardi (focus on personality, voice, posture, body shape, rhythm, facial expression)                                                                               6 marks

Servant - Commedia

THE characters OF COMMEDIA

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Watch the video above.

Take notes in your Journal about the OLD MEN (Pantaloon and Doctore (Dr).

MAKE SURE YOUR NOTES INCLUDE

  • character TRAITS [what animal or adjectives describe this character.]
  • physicality,
  • voice,
  • historical, cultural FACTS,
  • social (status) MASTER/SERVANT – what they do for a living.

Ignore Magnifico, the Witch, & Older Lovers. as these characters DO NOT APPEAR in ‘Servant’.

Servant - Commedia

Commedia – Language

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GRUMMALOT

Watch the following video and make some notes in your Journal.

  1. Grummalot (define it in your own words)
  2. Why is it a useful ‘tool’ for improvising and exploring a text?
  3. By watching the student actors, what skills do you think they show to successfully take part in a ‘grummalot’ conversation? [How does the listener know what is being said, how to respond, when to respond?]
  4. Why does it simulate the world of Commedia (think accents and languages)
  5. How could ‘grummalot’ be considered subversive during the time of Commedia?
Servant - Commedia

Images of Commedia performance

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Look at the following images of Commedia companies performing.

You will notice that they are performing OUTDOORS on make-shift stages. This is because they were TOURING companies who moved from city/town to city/town.

The Commedia STYLE of performing develops because of this

.THINK / PAIR / SHARE

  • What are the challenges of performing outdoors (in a busy market place?)
  • Why would Masks have helped the audience?
  • If the audience didn’t understand the language or dialect of the actors (because they were from a different region or even country *Commedia companies toured to other European countries) HOW does the performance STYLE have to compensate for this?

Servant - Commedia

Commedia dell’ Arte – A Historic Overview

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Summer Task #1

Watch the clip from a workshop presented by Didi Hopkins from Commediaworks (A UK company specialising in Commedia dell’ Arte). THEN read the section ‘Commedia dell’arte and Carlo Goldoni’ in the Commentary section of your play ‘ a Servant to 2 Masters’ (Page: XXXIX – XLII – 3.5 pages)

Once you’ve done your reading/viewing answer the following questions. Type them ready to hand in on your 1st class in September. [Include the question as the opening of your answer BUT don’t write out the question in full!]

  1. Where and when did Commedia start? What was it a mixture of?
  2. How can it claim to be ‘popular’ theatre?
  3. Why was it considered an actors theatre?
  4. How were the troupes organised? (*Use video and book)
  5. What was the role of women?
  6. Why was the relationship with the audience key?
  7. Stories/Scenarios – Were the actors working from fully written scripts and if not how did the actors know what to do and say? (*Use video and book)
  8. What are ‘lazzi’? (*Use video and book)
  9. What has Commedia influenced? (try and find some of your own examples)