Project #2 Pictures

Project #2

The commedia dell’arte stock character I chose was Comico or the chief comic. Comico is the liaison between the actors and the audience; he explains to the audience the plot or just talks to tem in-between scenes. Not only does he relate to the audience, but he also relates to the other stock characters. If the show seems to be lagging Comico will jump to add some humor, or start a fight with his fancy stick that he is never seen without. Outside and in the show you can see him acting as a mixture between a stage manager and a director making sure that everyone is in line. In a way Comico could also be considered a stand up comedian. If something were to go wrong with the cast or back stage, he would engage the audience in a story or jokes to keep their attention until the problem was fixed. Comico is very flashy in his physical appearance almost like a Vegas showgirl. His stance is full of confidence, arrogance and attempts to show his higher rank in class. This stock character tends to normally not be masked, however if he is his mask is gold with a bird like nose.
While researching my mask for Comico I noticed that there was minimal information for him online. I could find masks with bird like noses, but since his was to resemble a swan or an eagle I looked up images of the birds themselves. When making this piece I started with a full face mask and cut away different parts of he face that I didn’t need. I paper mached the front of the bought mask to add more force and structure for the nose piece. I tried to shape the bird nose by going straight across the mask and filling in the under space with newspaper. I let the mask dry over night and repeated the steps a second time the following night. On the second night of I added eyebrows to the mask. I was inspired o do pointy eyebrows from the pictures of the birds I looked up. The feathers on top of a birds head tend to stand and I imagined that’s what his eyebrows would look like. If they were any other shape, such as big bushy eyebrows it wouldn’t make sense to him being connected to the swan or eagle. When I was ready to paint my mask I covered it with two layers of white spray paint and after that dried I gave it a few coats of gold spray paint. For the finishing touches I added nose slots like ones you would see on a bird’s bill.
This mask is “authentic” by the large bird bill for a nose and the color of the mask. It was clarified that when Comico did wear a mask it was always gold. The mask was not authentic by the materials used to make it such as paper mache (water and flour), duct tape, plastic mask, and spray paint. Though gold leather was not available to create this mask I think the materials used did suffice for the project.

Project #1 Response

Looking at the pictures that I have collected the production dates don’t seem to differ on the shows technical aspects. From costumes to lights and sets a Greek tragedy is still beautifully put on compared to ones that I found that were produced less that a year ago.
One of the sets that caught my eye was the wheel that was made for Seven Against Thebes by Aeschylus put on by La MaMa (2004). Knowing the technical side o theatre a wheel that size is usually not something that can be easily hidden in the wings not built. Not only did the show need a wheel but one that can support multiple men while moving.
Another image that really caught my attention was Melbourne’s 2005 production of Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus. Having the light skinned frail body in a white costume up against a darker background just draws my attention. Not only are there shadows in the background but they throw in an aquamarine color. I think having a color into a black and white scheme gives a scene much meaning; in this case the colors help define the girls emotions.
Out of all the productions photos I found there was only one production I found that appeared to be modernized. This production was American Repertory Theatre’s The Children of Heracles by Euripides (2003). Two of the characters pictured in this photo are in camouflage pants, normally associated with the armed forces. Also, if you look closely the man photographed in the picture is wearing dog tags.
The production photo I found for The Oresteia by Aeschylus put on by Constellation Theatre Company in May of 2008 reminded me of the video “Stomp the Yard” that you played in our class showing us the origin of theatre. By the looks of their poses in the production photo they are somewhere in a dance sequence. A thing I noticed about the body pant on the actors was that it literally goes from head to toe. The girl in the front of the picture is doing some kick and it appears like she has a black or dark green paint on the bottom of her foot.
A picture that I found very interesting was the production of Oedipus the King by Sophocles put on by the University of Utah in 2002. The pictures were taken outside because that’s where they performed. I thought this was very interesting to bring the production outside since that is where Greek Theatre originated-in an outdoor theatre. One reason that also drew me to this picture was because I was able to relate to it with the outdoor productions we have put on here at Sam Houston State. As an audience member I found highly enjoyable being outside in the open doors, it showed me a new side of the campus that I had never seen or had stopped to take in nature’s beauty. Having a show or a theatre outside shows the audience another side to Mother Nature.