Masks Used In Theatre
Shanta Plansinis
In a few words: a theatrical tradition originating in the 16th century in Italy and strongly present in Venice till the 18th century, especially during Carnival based on improvisation on a roughly sketched plot and featuring stock characters wearing specific leather masks coordinated with a costume. With a risk: to be taken as a folkloristic expression without any in-depth content. A mask behind which there can be very little.
Why is it hard? On one side Venice is a stage, everywhere you go. As we can see in the art works of the Renaissance by Vittore Carpaccio or the paintings of the 18th century by Pietro Longhi, Gabriel Bella and more, Venice would host theatrical performances outdoors and indoors, in its campos and in its theatres, also in the intimacy of the palazzos. Venice was the city where in 1637 for the first time in the history you would pay a ticket to see an opera, thus inaugurating the idea of a public theatre with a paying audience.
First of all, a multi-lingual version! Imagine arranging a performance starting from a great classic written in the 1700s by Venice-born playwright, Carlo Goldoni, and mixing Italian, Venetian dialect and English. And yet, making the plot clear for an international audience. The help of a bilingual actress, Betty Andriolo, has proved to be a key point, as you can imagine!
Masks have a super power, Alberta points out. In their workshops where they invite participants to wear masks, you can see what transformation a mask brings. There is a lot of work behind: a sort of surgical analysis studying body language, creating a grammar of physical movements as masks are no stock characters. Instead, they help new creatures find their way into the world!
UKNow recently caught up with UK Department of Theatre and Dance Professor Nancy Jones to find out more about her UK Core class, Creativity and the Art of Acting, and her pedagogy that speaks to our current pandemic.
Nancy Jones: Masks have been used for over two thousand years in theatre. The Greeks used masks as expressions of character, but it's also thought that they may have helped with actors' voice amplification in the giant amphitheaters.
The Italian Comedy (aka commedia dell'arte) was also a theatrical form that used masks for characters like Harlequin, Pantalone (the old man), Il Dottore, Il Capitano, etc. As these troupes traveled throughout Italy doing improvisational comedy, the masks helped audiences recognize archetypal characters in various troupes. Masks continue to be used as training tools for acting (especially neutral masks and character masks) as they help to employ the body to find the physical expression of characters.
UKNow: Your current TA 120 class had a lesson on masks, which seems timely given the current recommendations for society to wear masks in their everyday interactions. Tell us more about that specific lesson.
Students made their masks in class and then in teams staged and performed a choral ode from "Oedipus Rex" (coincidentally a Greek play about a plague) on the Singletary Center for the Arts Concert Hall stage. It was a tremendously successful assignment.
Jones: My class is totally revamped this semester because of the pandemic. I spent three months creating online content that is fused with the small group work they do in the hybrid setting to ensure students have a robust face-to-face experience.
Similarly, when we studied commedia dell'arte, students focused on finding character through the body and becoming a physical representation of each character. Last week they worked on "lazzi." These are typically silent, physical comedic bits that were popular in the commedia dell'arte but still seen today in sitcoms and other comedy.
Jones: Next we will explore the Delsarte system of acting that was used at the end of the 19th century and employed by silent film actors. Again, another great opportunity to use emotion and gesture rather than voice. Students will learn this historical technique and then bring it to life as they create their own silent films.
For a midterm project, students will divide into groups and create their own five-minute silent film. The students will storyboard their idea, decide who will play which roles, decide how to incorporate the Delsarte system, record scenes, incorporate title cards and music, and edit the film.
Former chair of the UK Department of Theatre and Dance, Jones brings an international resume of theatre experience to the classroom. On campus, she has helped with the development of many interdisciplinary projects and teaches a summer UK Education Abroad Program with Lewis Honors College students in Paris, France. She has received numerous grants and sits on the board of NAST (National Association of Schools of Theatre), and previously served on the boards of the Kentucky Foundation for Women and Kentucky Theatre Association.
The Department of Theatre and Dance, part of UK College of Fine Arts, is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre. Students in the department get hands-on training and one-on-one mentorship from professional theatre and dance faculty and renowned guest artists in acting, directing, playwriting, theatrical design and technology, and dance. From mainstage productions to student-produced shows, students have plenty of opportunities to participate on stage or backstage. Special programs include a musical theatre certificate, education abroad, as well as a thriving dance program that emphasizes technique, composition, performance and production.
Good morning Jessica,
I have taught masks for the last several years and am glad to share with you what I know, plus I'll throw in my Evolution of Theatre (Greeks & Commedia del Arte) PDF free of charge!
I combine mask making as part of understanding the origins of theatre from the Greeks and as a way of introducing the concept of the mask as both a costume piece and an actual character to be 'donned' for a performance. This makes for a wonderful hands-on project which segues into Commedia del'arte.
Originally, I used paper mache and although I still talk about it as a viable medium with which to create masks, I no longer use it for the mask project because of the mess. I have since moved on to plaster bandages. They're inexpensive (Amazon: ACTIVA Rigid Wrap Plaster Cloth, 5 pounds). I have also taught "found item" masks which can be whole lot of fun too! Found items are paper plates, cloth pieces, Solo cups, you name it and you can make it into a mask--excellent for having them construct masks based on specific characters from a play you're reading.
If you're looking for a great online resource about masks, take a look at the work of David Knezz (David Knezz Maskmaker
); very nice fellow, talked to him when we did "Phantom of the Opera" about how to cast a neoprene mask for our Phantom.
I'm attaching the PDF of my Greek & Commedia PowerPoint for you (or anyone else who's interested) to look over and use as you wish. If you'd like more details on the how and what I teach, feel free to shoot me an email directly at theatrea...@gmail.com
Best of luck in your mask making!
Aaron
Noh masks are often used to represent the supernatural or animals in theatre. Noh theatre is a drama formulated around song and dance. This type of Japanese drama is well known for the elaborate costume, makeup, wings, and masks which add to the elements of the performance and the attributes of the characters. Noh Theatre is known for its extravagant music, dance and drama and themes of dreams, supernatural, and spirits. The masks are made of wood and hand painted using a style that date back thousands of years. These masks are often hundreds of years old and passed down to others. There are many different types of Noh masks that are used for specific plays and performances. The masks are used to amplify the drama of Noh theatre, and often represent spiritual beings and animals. The masks are hand painted and known for being gorgeous and detailed. Noh theatre and masks influenced future Japanese traditions in the arts.
In Japan masks were very popular and common both in the arts and society. From surgical masks to fashion to art, masks have been incorporated in many aspects of Japanese life. Deriving from historic religious rituals, masks have been a major part of Japanese culture since the beginning. In Japanese theatre there are multiple types of Noh masks. In the past, there used to be up to 60 different types of Noh masks used in theatre. Currently now, there are over 200 types of Japanese Noh masks used in theatre, all stemming from the traditional Noh masks of the early 1300s. The masks represent animals, specific characters, non-human characters, and the supernatural.
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