October 19-23 2009

This week we started learning about "Commedia Dell'Arte". At first, I thought that this type of drama would be very boring, but after Mr. Smeed showed us a presentation of some of the plays that used Commedia Dell'Arte, I find it both interesting and useful. 

The actors wear masks which are representative of the personality of the characters they are portraying. The advantage of it is that the actors do not have to worry about their facial expression and can therefore concentrate more on their body language and tone of voice. The other advantage is that they do not have to memorize the script word for word, as they can improvise and make things up as they go along. This is beneficial because it will help them explore and widen their acting skills, and will instantaneously the reaction of the audience. However, the greatest fear is that if you are not absolutely focused or quick on your feet, you may find yourself totally lost in responding. 

Like Mr. Smeed said, playing the role of a "little character" is more exciting as it allows the actor to try out various scopes of acting. It will also give them the opportunity to test their techniques based on the response of the audience. This type of drama is not suitable for everybody. True comedians can always link and find the funny part in every situation. Personally, I think it will prove challenging but will certainly prepare me for any circumstances I may face in the future.