DRAMA REASEARCH PROJECT

MAYA ELLIS 8D
 THE COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE MASK

Commedia dell’Arte which means “theatre of the professional” began in south

Italy (Campagina) in the early 16th Century, specifically the 1530s and 1540s, and
quickly spread throughout Europe, creating a lasting influence. The legacy of
Commedia includes the first professional theatre company, the first European
actresses, and many of the themes and storylines still enjoyed by audiences
today.

The commedia Dell'Arte mask is also called maschere

Commedia Dell’Arte masks make a statement to the audience from the moment
they are seen on stage. Masks tell the audience who the character is, their social
class and type, what they will or will not do, and what their attitudes are.

In Commedia Dell’Arte, all the characters, for example, Il Dottore (The Doctor)
and Il Capitano (The Captain), wear a mask, except for Pedrolino who is a white
clown and instead has a floured face.
 THE LARVAL MASK

The Larval mask originated as a winter carnival mask from Basel in Switzerland in
the 1960s. It was first used in actor training by Jacques Lecoq and was made from
a material called Buckram. Buckram is a coarse linen or cotton material
(sometimes horsehair) used to stiffen clothing or to make hats.

Another name for the Larval mask would be the Basel Masks. They were called
this because of the city in Switzerland that they originated.

The primary purpose of the Larval mask is for actor training. Larval masks are an
excellent training tool for actors to explore how emotional states, character types
and narrative can be communicated through the actor's body, movement, and
physicality in the empty space.

The Larval masks are not used for performing and are instead only used by actors
during rehearsals. So, in essence none of these masks are used in the final
performance.
 THE NEUTRAL MASK

The Neutral mask was originally developed by mask and clown teacher,
Jacques Lecoq in Italy in the 1950s. It was made from leather and sculpted
by Amleto Sartori and his son Donato Satori.

The Neutral mask was also called the universal mask or the Satori mask.

The purpose of the neutral mask is a learning tool for actors. It is used to
help them develop emotional honesty and economy of movement, which
is the efficient, energy-sparing motion or activity of the body, and to give
them an inner core that is balanced, centered and focused while they
express powerful, authentic emotions on stage.

Much like the Larvel mask, the neutral mask is not necessarily used for
stage performances but is instead used by actors for practice and
developing skills.
 THE MARDI GRAS MASK

The Mardi Gras mask originated in ritual celebrations in New Orleans. The earliest
date these masks can be dated back to is 1827. The most famous and well-
documented makers of the Mardi Gras masks are Allen and Georgie Manuel of
Eunice, whose ancestors have been making masks and running the Courir de
Mardi Gras since the 1930s. The Mardi Gras masks are traditionally made from a
wire or plastic frame; the materials vary greatly from plastic to cardboard to
feathers. More decorative Mardi Gras masks are usually made of ceramic or
porcelain.

Another name for the Mardi Gras masks in Italy is Colombine.

The original purpose of Mardi Gras masks was to protect the identity of revelers,
men who went door to door to sing, dance and beg for offerings to make a
communal gumbo. They beg for ingredients to make a food called gumbo which
would be served later that evening.

Although traditionally, it was only these people who wore masks, today,
everyone wears masks during Mardi Gras. In fact, float riders are required to
wear masks by law. On Fat Tuesday, which is a name for the day people celebrate
Mardi Gras, everyone is free to wear masks, adding to the excitement and magic
of celebrations throughout the city.
THE TRAGEDY AND COMEDY MASKS

The Comedy and Tragedy masks originate in Ancient Athens in Greece.

They were created between 600 and 200 BC. No one in particular created
these masks, instead, the ancient Athenians created a theatre. The two
masks are the symbols for the THEATRE. They are the Comedy and tragedy
masks that were worn in ancient Greece during the golden age, around
500 - 300 BC. The golden age was the first time that plays were written
and performed. Early comedy and tragedy masks were made from
lightweight materials such as wood or pottery. They were intended to
cover the entire face, with the help of a wig which would completely hide
the actors' head.

Another name For the Comedy and Tragedy masks was "Sock and Buskin"
because Melpomene, the muse of tragedy, is often depicted holding the
tragic mask and wearing buskins and Thalia, the muse of comedy, is
associated with the mask of comedy and comic's socks.

The purpose of the comedy and tragedy masks was to symbolize the
theater and represent the traditional generic division between comedy
and tragedy. They were paired together to show the two extremes of the
human psyche.

These masks were worn by the ancient Greek Muses, Thalia, the Muse of
comedy and Melpomene the Muse of tragedy.
 THE NOH MASK

The word Noh means talent, skill, and craft in art performance. Noh is the oldest
theater style played today. Noh is classical Japanese musical drama, based on
tales from traditional literature performed since the 14th century. Noh masks are
carved from single piece of wood painted with natural pigments. The Mask
represents age, gender, and social ranking of human or nonhuman being like
animal, demon or divine.

Exactly when the Noh mask came into being is not entirely clear however it is
believed that the earliest Noh masks were carved in Japan in the Kamakura
period, which is from 1192-1333, by Kan'ami and his son Zeami.

The Noh mask is also known as a Noh-men or Omote in Japanese.

Masks are a fundamental part of the Japanese Noh theater. The purpose of the
Noh mask is to characterize a certain role in a play. Apart from signalizing the
character of the role to the audience, the mask also hides any feature of the
actor that the playwright does not want the audience to see. An actor using the
Noh mask is expected to display the behaviors that the mask depicts or
represents.
Noh plays barely have more than 2-3 actors, and only the actor who represents
the main role ("shite") and his companion ("tsure") wear masks. The narrator
("waki") never wears a mask.