Customer Reviews

Playing Commedia: A Training Guide to Commedia Techniques

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I found this book while searching for a rehearsal method to use in doing physical farce. It proved to be invaluable and inspirational to my cast. We used almost all of the exercises and out of them came some wonderfully clean comic structures and ensemble playing. I have recommended it over and over to friends and students and am now using many of the exercises in my scene study classes in an effort to expand my students physical vocabularies. Buy this book!

This book is wonderfully clear description of the history of commedia dell'arte, as well as the ways it can be adapted by the modern theatre artist. Includes stock character histories, mask exercises and a large assortment of comic and commedia exercises. I teach acting and am using this book in two classes. One quibble: the more precise exercises are hard to follow - but many others are not.

I found this book an excellent resource for teaching high school drama. Commedia is rich in its traditions and has influenced modern comedy greatly. This book offers insight into the various stock characters and gives extensive exercises to build Commedia skills. Commedia also scores big with risk-taking high school students, who are especially drawn to its bawdier aspects. I use this book with its companion volume of short Commedia plays, which includes a section on the various lazzi of Commedia.