So, I'm curious how we got to the idea of clown R&J in the first place. Those who were there at conception, tell: how did the idea get hatched?
I had a great time working with Mark last week. Do we know if he is directing yet? Or will that not even be a possibility until David figures out which shows in the season he is directing? Did you all talk about this anymore last week?
My understanding of the commedia world is that it happens in a particular time & place.Did you start talking about what time and place that would be? If we are doing contemporary commedia, are we making any attempt to make this story relevant in a contemporary world?
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True, I talk of dreams, which are the children of an idle brain, begot of nothing but vain fantasy...
Setting the scene...
Buongiorno. In June of 2007, the contemporary commedia dell'arte troupe "Zuppa del Giorno" travelled to Italy in the hopes of cultivating a collaboration with Italian theatre artists. There they met commediano Andrea Brugnera and had the idea to create a production of "Romeo & Juliet" utilizing the styles of commedia dell'arte and clown. This is the record of their ongoing collaboration.
Translation
Archetypes
- commedia (9)
- beginnings (7)
- style (7)
- characters (6)
- clown (6)
- logistics (4)
- text (4)
- cast (3)
- improvisation (3)
- masks (3)
- set/ting (3)
- interpretation (2)
- poetry (2)
- themes (2)
- history (1)
- scoop (1)
Mantua
It Takes a Village . . .
- Andrea Brugnera
- Connor McGuigan
- Dave Berent
- David Zarko
- Debra Otte
- Grey Valenti
- Heather Stuart
- Jeff Wills
- Mark McKenna
- Richard Grunn
7 comments:
How the idea got hatched, I'll do a separate post about.
I don't think we know who's directing yet, and a lot of factors seem to be involved in that decision. People, money and, yes, season. It may be a while before we know.
While I was around, we had no conversations about time and place. Well, actually, we did generally pursue the idea of archaic Italy. But that was more a pursuit of the givens than a decision, per se. When I was brainstorming about it solo, I actually thought about it in the modern world. I even imagined that Friar Lawrence sent a text message to Romeo in Mantua (where he has no cell service).
But we'll find it. Maybe a time mash-up?
There haven't been any further discussions about time and place this week either. I see it very present and unadorned with stuff except to indicate a "street", "garden", "tomb" and the like...
Andrea is adding a very Italian feel to the setting in addition to Shakespeare...
these are the recent musings.
Don't know about Mark yet. David did talk to him and he is interested. David spoke about the piece having more than one director and that the show doesn't seem to fit into a traditional way of approach and so shouldn't be.
David should speak more about this because I am not going to be clear.
I loved working with Mark and hope that he is involved.
Justifying no cell service is pretty easy. Justifying the arranged marriage and the setting the stakes of defying a father high enough in modern Italy (or modern anyplace-that-women-have-rights) is problematic for me. Does this bother anyone else?
I'm in no way of a strong opinion that it ought to be set in contemporary time. The cell phone thing was just something of an amusing gag I thought of, sort of turning that convention of the messenger on its ear. It would be tough to justify Capulet's actions in the contemporary western world. Then again, maybe he's the kind of character who enters wearing an "I heart Paris" T-shirt. In that kind of world, maybe all we need is the sincerity of emotion in order to justify his actions and Juliet's responses to them.
Sincerity and a great show would make it fine for most people. I like what Mark said about rules can be broken as long as you pull it off.
That being said, it's one of my pet peeves when people move Shakespeare to a different place or time for no reason. Also, when I see people do contemporary commedia, I expect social or political satire. I would expect to see a Muslim Juliet-- or something like that-- to feel satisfied. I grant, however, that I'm probably not a typical audience member.
The more we discourse, the more I am coming around to Dave's meta-telling idea. It's so freeing.
I too am irked by arbitrarily conceptual Shakespeare. It doesn't bother me as much when it comes to making something that's a sort of hybrid comedy -- assuming that's at all what we're making -- because I have a feeling that unpredictability is going to be part of our style either way. Then again, I'm not a typical theatre-type in this. I'm usually not bothered by anachronisms in our Zuppa shows; something which David (and most other actors) detests.
Satire in commedia: absolutely. Muslim Juliet ... well, I like the costume!
I have a pet peeve as well with Shakespeare being set in a new and clever place just because it would be neat.
I don't mind the contemporary setting. I agree that if the actions are sincere then the audience will follow.
When I muse about setting I lean toward setting it in Shakespeare's time. Or in a clown/commedia universe that the theatre becomes the time and place. An island in itself.
hmmm, meta-verse.
I think it's possible to have clowns in a commedia world and when R&J are together it is pure clown...am I nuts when I say this? I lean toward not hybrid comedy or if we are mixing styles we do so very deliberately.
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