i Gelosi performance at the January Event
Jess Rudolph
I wanted to send this out earlier but I had a few days of net
problems with my email.
As most of you are hopefully aware, i Verdi Confusi is hoping to
perform a play at the Cleftlands Regular Event on January 24. We
have decided to utilize one of the many scenarios written down by
Flaminio Scala that was performed by i Gelosi, the most famous
commedia troupe at the dawn of the art form.
However, sixteenth century commedia plays often had high cast numbers
and ran for three acts and upwards of two or more hours. We are, of
course, doing an abridged and modified adaption. We have selected
two plays and re-worked the scenario for minimal cast and time and
tweaked where was needed. Included in the below links are the two
page adaptation in our scenario format, a page explaining reasons
behind the modifications, and finally the original Scala scenario
(translated) for reference.
The two adaptations each have been reduced to seven characters and so
we are including the CWRU branch of the troupe in this. The CWRU
branch has one more show this semester and then can focus on
rehearsing for the i Gelosi play. Concurrently, the SCA members of
the troupe can also rehearse until the January event. Because the
CWRU members are helping out, we should do this show a second time on
the CWRU campus - so two performances for two venues / two audiences
for the price of one rehearsal schedule. The second show at CWRU
also gives any Cleftlanders who heard about our show at the Event but
missed it another opportunity. The CWRU should happen soon after the
Cleftlands. Friday, January 30 seems like a good date to aim for but
we can discuss it.
We still need a few more actors to be safe. I do believe all the
parts are fairly easy and some very easy to manage and we can
tweak. These plays should be as short or shorter than "Vikings in
Venice!" and we had most of that down within one or two rehearsals -
and that was while creating the scenario from scratch. Obtaining
more actors also allows us to have understudies and flesh out crowd
scenes or include a character previously cut. If you know anyone who
feels he or she does not have time to commit to joining the troupe
fully but can rehearse a few scenes before January 24 please invite them.
We do, however, need to know immediately if we can do this or not.
Zsof was personally asked to do a play of some kind for the event and
if i Verdi Confusi cannot do a commedia play, she will need time to
arrange a scripted play. Please let us know if you can commit or if
you have any questions.
Without further ado, here are the scenarios!
http://filer.case.edu/org/commedia/scenarios/2009-01-24_i-Verdi-Confusi_The-Betrothed_draft01.pdf
This final scenario is just the original one from i Gelosi. We
haven't tried to adapt it yet but it was considered.
http://filer.case.edu/org/commedia/scenarios/Scala_09_The-Husband.pdf
--Jess
Jess Rudolph, Capocomico of:
The Confused Greenies - the Greatest, Loudest, and Most Pompous
Commedia dell'Arte troupe at Case Western Reserve University
i Verdi Confusi - the Greatest of the Newest Commedia dell'Arte
troupe in Northern Oaken of the Midrealm
http://filer.case.edu/org/commedia/
-a hungry, hapless, and hopeful harlequin