Comedia Workshop

Comedia Del'arte

The 5 characters that we looked at were:

Pantalone

Il Dottore

Capitano

Pedrolino

Arlecchino

Columbina

My experience:

My experience with these 6 characters was good because it showed me how these characters' characteristics are often used in modern day theatre/tv shows. For example, Pantalone has a characteristic of being greedy, and in everyday performances, there is often a character who is greedy.
By acting out these characters out, it taught me how I can attempt to be any character in a show, and it also showed me how I can invent a character in my head by just listening to the characteristics of these characters which could be useful to make my roles in a play to be unique without having someone/something to tell me how to act it out.

Pantelone - Showed me how to combine 2 very different characterisics (deluded, greedy) by showing to lead with the stomach but looking deluded by changing the eyeline.

Il Dottore - I found this the toughest character to act out because I found it hard to look slightly clueless although he is someone who believes that he thinks he knows everything.

Capitano - This was my favourite character to try to act because he walks around in a silly way but he doesn't realise it. His walk reminded me of Pizocca's walk.

Pedrolino - In my head, Pedrolino's character was very innocent with big eyes who wither looked at the floor, to show that he's lonely, or up at the sky to show how he dreams to be united with his true love.

Arlecchino -

Columbina - I struggled to play this femenine character because she had many complex characteristics for me to practice.

Which character did you choose and why?

I chose the character of Colombina. I chose this character because I chose to face a challenge because I hardly play a very femenine character.

Strengths and weaknesses of your improvisation:

My improvisation was set in a church where there were 2 people getting married by a corrupt priest while there was a drunk man and a thief/'love-sick' boy watching the wedding. I think that the idea was a good idea and we all worked well together to think of ideas. The majority of our group delivered good performances and tried to stay true to their character's characteristics whereas some of the group struggled to become the character. Unfortunalty, I struggled to become Columbina becuase I was not given many lines to deliver in so I have set myself the target to practice becoming a flirtatious and overly-femenine woman, even when I don't have many lines, who looks at other people under her eyelashes.