Let me confess: I'm utterly fascinated by the enigmatic Renaissance rebel poet Pietro Aretino. His writings, which often led to him evading furious cardinals and creditors, and his correspondences with influential men who could have potentially blackmailed them earned him the moniker 'Scourge of Princes.' Aretino's life was a captivating juxtaposition of […]
Pietro Aretino and The Sixteen Pleasures Read More »
"Let us amuse ourselves today, You will never guess my name, and I won't ask you to try. I am a mad spirit or goblin. I come from the other world, and one of those spirits, Actus or Plautus orders me to tell you that a comedy will be played this evening."
Angelo Beolco, Playwright and Actor 1502-1542 Read More »
One of the most instructive texts on the Commedia dell’ Arte that I read while researching The Innamorati was John Rudlin’s classic Commedia dell’ Arte: An Actor’s Handbook. It is a wonderful combination of history, explanation of the different stock characters and their individual personalities, mask work, and performance technique for Commedia. It has been argued
Research Notes: John Rudlin and Commedia’s Masks III. Read More »
"The mask is a terrible, mysterious instrument. It has always given me and continues to give me a feeling of fear. With the mask we are on the threshold of a theatrical mystery whose demons reappear with static, immutable faces, which are the very roots of theater." — Giorgio Strehler. (Un Theatre Pour la Vie,
The Mask is a Terrible, Mysterious Instrument Read More »
Keith Johnstone’s Impro is a terrific book for actors looking for methods to feel at home and never without words on the stage. Johnstone’s emphasis is to understand and utilize improvisation effectively. The book is full of wonderful exercises and activities that do indeed have the ability to unlock spontaneous, creative speech to instigate, develop, and
Research Notes: Trance States in Mask Work II Read More »
Anna's personal journey into the maze has to do with her belief that her anger at lost love incited her miscarriage. Within her own body she "feels" the curse like the twisting of thorns which keeps her in constant pain and makes it impossible for her to create the masks she loves. She believes, as
Excerpt from The Innamorati: Anna Surrenders Read More »
When creating the characters of the masks in The Innamorati (and they are a lively bunch) I was profoundly influenced by both the traditions of the Commedia Dell 'Arte but also by Keith Johnstone's' brilliant work Impro, on improvisation for actors and the power of the mask to influence the actor through a form of
Research Notes: Masks and Trance I Read More »
Very early in the novel I sought to establish a fantastic relationship between Anna Forsetti and the Commedia masks she creates. The masks speak to her, they are very alive and responsive to her mood. For Anna there is an interconnection between the womb which creates a life within it and a mask like an
Excerpt From The Innamorati: Anna and the Masks Read More »
Rediscovering earlier notes for my article The Swan Maiden's Feathered Robe — I always like to circle back to these notes because they continue to offer insights. These were notes made from BF LEavy, In Search of the Swan Maiden: A Narrative on Folklore and Gender. I have long been fascinated by the "Animal Bride" stories
A Few Thoughts on The Swan Maiden Narratives Read More »
When I was in Italy, I happen to read a murder mystery set in the 16th century — the same time period I was using to set The Innamorati. I read the first 100 pages which took place over a two day period in the story and not once had the characters eaten anything. I
Research Notes II: Culinary Arts Read More »
