News and photos submitted by Mr. Jim Cox, director of Theater and Performing Arts. (Thank you to Claudia Raff for taking these photos.)
“Several students participated in a February 25 Masters Class Workshop with Eric Yetter to learn about the theatrical art form Commedia dell’Arte. Commedia, also known as “Italian comedy,” was a humorous theatrical presentation performed by professional players who traveled in troupes throughout Italy in the 16th century.
Yetter is an OhioDance board member, teaches graduate and undergraduate ballet at Case Western Reserve University and serves on the faculty of the Cleveland School of the Arts. Trained in New York City and Houston, Yetter’s career included dancing with the Irish National Ballet as well as Ballet Memphis. For ten years he was Artistic Director of Peoria Ballet before moving to Ohio.
A highly disciplined art requiring both virtuosity and a strong sense of ensemble playing, the actors of Commedia represented fixed social types, including foolish old men, devious servants, or military officers full of false bravado. Characters such as Pantalone, the miserly Venetian merchant; Dottore Gratiano, the pedant from Bologna; or Arlecchino, the mischievous servant from Bergamo, began as satires on Italian “types” – used by Shakespeare in his writings, and seen today as the basis for many modern day movie and theater characters.
Yetter first worked with students on movement of the feet, hands and distinct areas of the performers body. Next, participants mimed the various characters, which necessitated sticking out one’s nose or stomach for instance. A gibberish form of speech called “grammelot” was also integrated into the action to help with portrayal of action. Finally, students utilized their newly learned skills and performed short skits that challenged the audience to figure out the intent of the scene.
The students were exhilarated with Yetter and the workshop. A next level workshop will be scheduled after the students design and create their own unique facial masks – a key component of Commedia. Performances in the tradition of Commedia dell’Arte will be scheduled during the next academic year.”