Giovanni Fusetti

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THE JOURNEY OF MASKS

2 July, 2012  → 7 July, 2012 - Florence, TUSCANY

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             In Collaboration with                   

PRESENT

The Journey of the Actor

in the world of Masks

 

An International Training on Theatre Masks
led by

MATTEO DESTRO

 
(Photo: Larven Teatro, Mask by Matteo Destro)

This training proposes a journey in the essence of Theatre Masks.

Masks belong to the world of archetypes and have been present in the history of humanity since the beginning. Essential elements of Ancient Theatre, glorious protagonists in the Golden Age of Commedia dell’Arte in 16th and 17th century, they have been brought back to theatre during the renaissance of physical theatre throughout the whole 1900, and today they represent a key step in the training of the physical actor-creator.

Through covering the facial expressions of the actor, the Mask allows her to go back to the roots of his own presence in space. Gestures have to be amplified, and everything is brought back to the body, thus giving the actor a complete new sense of space, presence and dramatic expression.

Analysis of Movements and Improvisation are the two tracks on which the teaching evolves, giving the students the physical awareness and the skills to explore the world of masks on stage. Mask playing (le jeu masqué) combines strong emotional awareness and a powerful body alertness, with a rigorous technique of articulation of the body into dramatic attitudes.

It becomes an amazing training for any theatre artist, because it prepares the work on characters, which is the basis for all theatre genres.

        

PROGRAM

 

NEUTRAL MASK

 
Neutral Mask by Sartori

 

The journey starts with the Neutral Mask, a key moment of the whole Movement Theatre experience. It’s a mask that doesn’t have any dramatic expression, and allows the actor to explore a state of pure presence, in the here and now of space. With this mask the actor explores the state of neutrality that exists before the action. The Neutral Mask has no memory and no projects, it lives in the present, and allows the actor to discover the difference between movement and drama. To explore the fluidity of the body and the essence of human gestures.
The Neutral Mask gives the actor the awareness of the natural "drama" that is present in her/his body and that tends to become a form of character or style. By unfolding these physical "background noises" the body reaches a state of silence and presence, available to the theatrical space. Once the actor has discovered this space, s/he becomes like “a white page, ready to be written on in the future dramas“ (Jacques Lecoq).

 

LARVAL MASKS

 

 
 Larval Masks by Herr Zingg (Basel-CH)

 

Once s/he has touched the referential state of the neutrality, the actor is ready to start exploring the forms of human characters, and s/he meets the Larval Masks. These very simple and essential masks come from a very ancient Carnival Tradition of the city of Basel, in Switzerland.
They have been brought to theatre by Jacques Lecoq, who discovered their pedagogical value in the physical training of the actor. They are big masks, with very simple shapes, that suggest an expression (pointed, tall, narrow, pear-shaped ) while never fully defining the features of a human face. They announce the lines that will lead to a specific character, but they don’t define it yet. They are open and available to the space, and need big gestures to make them come to life.

In the world of larval masks everything is at the edge of beginning and the actor can search in different directions:

- to simplify and amplify gestures,

- to explore the mask as a moving structure in the space, with forms, trajectories, dynamic oppositions and to find the body who can reveal it,

- to explore the animalistic and fantastic dimension of the mask.

 

 

EXPRESSIVE MASKS

(Photo: Larven Teatro, Mask by Matteo Destro)

Expressive full masks

Expressive Primary Half Masks

Expressive Human Comedy Half Masks

The Expressive Masks introduce the actor to a precise physical definition of a character. They are very defined forms, where the larval movements have developed into a more complex structure. The main dynamic of the characters appears, as well as his opposite aspects, the so called counter-mask. In this style the actor is faced not only with the mask as a character, but also with a high level of playing, brought by the depth of human archetypes. These masks play in a world of survival, where passions, urgencies and human behaviour are pushed to a permanent extreme. Half masks have a specific tragic depth and can bring the actor to a very high level of poetic transposition, where laughter and crying are intertwined.

Improvisation skills and a play based of the constant unfolding of a comic theme, train the actor both to enjoy a very physical and rhythmical playing while developing the sense of playwriting and dramatic crescendo.

This incredibly vital style teaches the actor to truly experience what improvisation means, and how theatre can represent the wonderful madness of human beings, in a jubilation of rigorous fun.

 

During this training participants will use:

Neutral Masks by Donato Sartori, Abano Terme, Italy

Traditional White Larval Mask, by Herr Zing, Basel, Switzerland

Primary Masks by Matteo Destro, Italy

Expressive Full Masks by Matteo Destro, Italy

Expressive Human Comedy Half Masks by Matteo Destro, Italy

 
(Photo: Larven Teatro, Masks by Matteo Destro)

 

CLASSES

The workshop will start on Monday, July 2nd 2012 and will end on Saturday, July 7th 2012.

Each day includes 6 hours of Master Classes.
Classes take place each day from 9am to 4 pm, with one hour of lunch break.

Classes wil be in italian and english

 

ADMISSION

Please send a resume and a letter of motivation to:
giorgia.gambone@helikos.com

 

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