Olly Crick

Carlo Boso is one of the foremost exponents of Commedia dell’Arte in the contemporary performance world, having trained generations of young actors in its history, techniques and performance. Staying true to – and promoting renewed awareness of – the diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds of most commedia troupes, his work has also done a great deal to democratise this central pillar of European theatre, placing the actor and the audience squarely at the centre of his craft.This book combines:• A biographical account of Boso’s route into commedia, his foundational work and the significance of his practice to contemporary performance• An extended interview that allows Boso to set out in his own words the key elements of his work, and his vision of an articulate, politically and socially engaged actor.• A detailed analysis of his production of La Pazzia di Isabella with TAG Teatro – providing an object lesson in how to make a centuries-old scenario suitable for touring 250 performances across 9 countries.• A developmental series of exercises for approaching improvisation material, as well as mask work, composition, music and acrobatics.As a first step towards critical understanding, and as an initial exploration before going on to further, primary research, Routledge Performance Practitioners offer unbeatable value for today’s student.

Carlo Boso is one of the foremost exponents of Commedia dell’Arte in the contemporary performance world, having trained generations of young actors in its history, techniques and performance. Staying true to – and promoting renewed awareness of – the diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds of most commedia troupes, his work has also done a great deal to democratise this central pillar of European theatre, placing the actor and the audience squarely at the centre of his craft.This book combines:• A biographical account of Boso’s route into commedia, his foundational work and the significance of his practice to contemporary performance• An extended interview that allows Boso to set out in his own words the key elements of his work, and his vision of an articulate, politically and socially engaged actor.• A detailed analysis of his production of La Pazzia di Isabella with TAG Teatro – providing an object lesson in how to make a centuries-old scenario suitable for touring 250 performances across 9 countries.• A developmental series of exercises for approaching improvisation material, as well as mask work, composition, music and acrobatics.As a first step towards critical understanding, and as an initial exploration before going on to further, primary research, Routledge Performance Practitioners offer unbeatable value for today’s student.

This book examines Commedia dell'Arte as a performative genre, and one that should be analysed through the framework of dramaturgy and dramaturgical practice.This volume examines the way Commedia has been explored in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and details its reinventors’ dramaturgic approaches, both focusing in on specific examples such as Jacques Lecoq, Dario Fo and Antonio Fava, and also suggesting how modern discoveries may aid the study of historical performance practice. It also discusses how audiences read and receive masks; the relationship between the different masked and unmasked roles; the range of performance activities that come under the umbrella term ‘improvisation’; the performative construction of a role performed ‘live’ from a scenario; the role of language and embodied locality in performance; and the performative relationship between performative commedia and literary tragicomedy.Its focus is dramaturgy, and so it may be read both as a text describing various theatrical practices from 1946 onwards and as a way of creating one’s own contemporary Commedia practice. It is an important read for any student or scholar of Commedia dell'Arte and theatre historians grappling with the status of this unique and influential performance form.

This book examines Commedia dell'Arte as a performative genre, and one that should be analysed through the framework of dramaturgy and dramaturgical practice.This volume examines the way Commedia has been explored in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, and details its reinventors’ dramaturgic approaches, both focusing in on specific examples such as Jacques Lecoq, Dario Fo and Antonio Fava, and also suggesting how modern discoveries may aid the study of historical performance practice. It also discusses how audiences read and receive masks; the relationship between the different masked and unmasked roles; the range of performance activities that come under the umbrella term ‘improvisation’; the performative construction of a role performed ‘live’ from a scenario; the role of language and embodied locality in performance; and the performative relationship between performative commedia and literary tragicomedy.Its focus is dramaturgy, and so it may be read both as a text describing various theatrical practices from 1946 onwards and as a way of creating one’s own contemporary Commedia practice. It is an important read for any student or scholar of Commedia dell'Arte and theatre historians grappling with the status of this unique and influential performance form.