On Friday, Week 1 of Term 2, the Year 10 and 11 Drama classes enjoyed a professionally-facilitated workshop on Commedia Dell’Arte, an improvised style of theatre using masked characters that originated in Italy in the 16th Century. The art form requires the students to don a variety of vibrant masks to adopt the roles of these stock characters to play out and experiment with established scenarios. Alison, from Chopt Logic in Sydney, pushed the students to see beyond the well-worn scenarios of the form to create their own dynamic, contemporary pieces that still paid homage to the established relationships and stylistic elements of this highly entertaining form of theatre.
It was a day filled with laughter and learning which has empowered us as staff and students to begin developing Commedia performances for our own school community. Watch this space!