Modern Commedia Character Study: The Combat Female

As I've been exploring some new female characters, of course my inner feminist naturally gravitates to level-headed, down-to-earth powerful women, but having only those types of characters is not realistic. If commedia s a form where we must be able to laugh at ourselves, then that includes all of us. And none of us are perfect.

I've also found a strange point in finding new archetypes where I find both women who are in real life, but also the "idealistic" females found in our media. I think it's worth exploring those as well, as they are stereotypes we find all throughout TV, video games, and, truthfully, those who try to mimic these images.

Here is one I find pretty amusing:

Character: The Combat Female
Loves: Fighting
Drives: Sex, Violence
Physical Characteristics: Over accentuated female attributes- ridiculous breasts, large hips and butt
Walk: Chest point- Led by breasts. Classic Countermask
Traits:
-Extremely sexual without trying to be sexual- makes sexual noises when doing anything physical (ie: climging ladders, lifting objects)
-When actually being sexual, is very aggressive and non-sexy about it
-Military Class, not poor or oppressed
-Not very bright, tries to solve everything with violence and force
Professions: Hired muscle, spy, adventurer
Props: Usually a gun
Costume: Ridiculously unpractical, either to start with, or torn to be revealing. Huge boots, probably heels, difficult to walk in
Mask: Lots of round, bulging curves, smaller, almost squinting eyes to indicate less intelligence. Large lips, usually pouty (can be emphasized with makeup). Mask could either cut off above lips so they could be seen, or could include a large upper lip.

Character Examples:
Tomb Raider (old tomb raider), Xena, characters played by Angelina Jolie, Beth- Dog the Bounty Hunter's sidekick as done by South Park

Women in Commedia Today- Character Study: Wilhelmina Slater

In my quest to create new commedia characters based on modern-day archetypes, I look a lot into the media, and recurring character types. A big difference I find with characters now is that there are a lot more women. Strong women, with a presence and personality worthy of creating an entire mask for.

With Tut'Zanni, we have actually explored strong female characters a fair amount actually, coming out sort of not-on-purpose, occurring as female versions of the already existing male masks. A female Pantalone (Pantalona) or female Dottore. But although this has been and exciting exploration, and of course there are plenty of archetypes that could have a male and female version, is it 100% accurate? Because these masks were born as male characters, it seems like we're holding ourselves back.

So who are these characters? One that comes quite readily to mind is that of Wilhelmina Slater, from the popular series, Ugly Betty.

Mask Name: TBD
Loves: Money
Needs: Power
Walk: Sexy. Strong. Leads with flexible hip points.
Countermask: hip points tighten, lead with shoulders.
Traits:
-Uses sexuality to attain more power
-Incredibly clever (more clever than intelligent)
-Cutthroat
-Upper Class
Professions: High Fashion, Literary Career, Business Executive. Positions of power.
Location/Background: New York/East Coast
Costume: Think the Capital in Hunger Games. Hair probably tight away from face, but big otherwise. Strong, sleek lines, nothing frilly. Angular.
Mask: Cat-like. Powerful. Intense, upward angles, high cheekbones. Almond-shaped eyes, with large eyeholes, probably heavy eye makeup underneath. Dark lipstick to enhance teeth.

Although this character shares similar drives to say a Pantalone or Brighella, this is a completely different character, and intensely feminine.

Other examples: Claire Underwood, Jessica Rabbit, Cruella DeVille, Cleopatra

Violence on Stage

I was watching "The Imitation Game" the other day, which I highly recommend, and there was an interesting quote about violence. It was, "Do you know why people like violence? It is because it feels good." ...and of course it goes on, but this is the part that intrigued me, and that I want to talk about.

I've had a lot of thoughts about violence on stage and in media, but particularly (and for this post) commedia. And I like it. I know there is a lot of controversy about violence in media, and entertainment, etc. and I think there are good arguments on all sides, and I also think that different instances are different (der). For the purpose of this post, I am going to make clear that I am speaking of unrealistic violence, such as in Looney Tunes (for a classic example) and, of course, commedia.

Sorry if this is a little ADD, but that is my brain, so... you're welcome.

For those of you who don't know, I am a super-nerd. One of my nerd loves is anime and manga. So I've been watching my favourite series, and I've noticed that these cartoons have a lot of violence. I mean, a lot of violence. Not just the big battles, where obviously people are fighting, but the everyday interactions are just riddles with punches and kicks and quite the variety of bodily harms. And I love every second of it.

As I watch this, I just keep thinking: this is what we need in our shows.

Granted, I think in general in commedia we should be acting more like they do in anime. The thing about anime and other cartoons is that everything is enhanced, more extreme. Their actions and reactions are bigger than real life, and this also extends to physical reactions (usually violence). And something about it is so satisfying. It feels good. For a while I worried if I was a violent person, and because of that, if I was a little bit of a bad person. But, long-introspective-story-short: no. I'm not a violent person, I'm a physical person. I am human. I have a physical body, full of chemicals and emotions and all those other things that come along with being born into this world. It doesn't mean I go about punching everyone in the face for yelling my name and running at me down a hallway. But it does mean I can relate to violence, even crave it at times, and definitely enjoy watching it in cartoons and on stage, and that's ok.

I had an amazing voice teacher once tell me that people can go to the opera, and by the end of the show, their own vocal chords would be a little bit tired. This is because the body instinctively connects with the singer on stage, and the observer's own body and vocal chords are relating to what they are experiencing. They are connected to the performer. This blew my mind. It also changed my whole thinking about why commedia can be so powerful. Because commedia is not about words or plot or subtext. It's all physical. Everything is physicalized. And this gives us the opportunity to connect not with just our audience's minds, but their whole physical being.

Something happens when you are watching something that has been made heightened in a physical way. Your body connects to it, whether it is conscious or not. It's sort of an amazing backwards way of communication, where we make the audience feel something first, and then analyze it in their brains later. When we watch Wile E. Coyote running around getting smashed by an anvil, we feel the conflict before we even put any words to what is going on. Plus, I might add, as a child watching these things, I knew that if a piano fell on me, I would not be ok. This is not violence that is meant to be realistic, it is a physical representation of something else that is going on internally. Now, I know I was a smart kid, but I never would have said that was what I was experiencing. But I was not relating to the pain in these interactions, I was relating to the physical action and release of the those performing the actions. I couldn't have expressed this as a kid (and can't very well as an adult), because it isn't something expressed in words. You feel it. And that is precisely what I want for my audience. An experience that is more than just words, something that resonates with them in a way that leaves their brains trying to catch up.

Commedia Today

I am taking up a big new project, that will possibly turn into a book or something, but for now it's just an exploration of thoughts that have been swimming about in my head.

Frequently Tut'Zanni and I have the conversation of "What is modern commedia?". What does it look like today? Most of the time the way this comes up as, "how are we going to modernize our shows?". What does a modern-day Arlecchino look like? What would a Brighella in America be?

But recently, I realized, we may be going about it all wrong.

Sure, archetypes are pretty timeless, but sometimes they come and go, and classes emerge and/or disappear. The real question shouldn't be, "what is a modern American Arlecchino", bu instead, "what is a modern American commedia character?"

Back when commedia dell'arte was first being born and developed, new characters were created all the time. Actors would come up with not just their own versions of characters, but entirely new characters themselves, created out of the regions they came from, and the cultures and classes they were familiar with.

This hit me last week when I was thinking about a show I have been writing about a sort of modern princess- When I had my big shift and decided to think of everything in terms of commedia and focusing on that, I was excited about making the show a commedia show. So then, of course, I found myself thinking, "Well then, which character is my princess? A Colombina? A Pantalona?" And that was the moment I realized, she could be, and should be, a new character. She is her own person, full of strong female attributes pulled from modern day stereotypes and archetypal characters.

I now find myself asking, "If commedia dell'arte was invented today in America, what would that look like? Who would those characters be?" I love commedia, and treasure the characters. And I intend to stay true to the form, because it resonates so strongly with me. But the new and exciting venture I want to explore is who are the characters now? I am not from Italy, and although I understand where the traditional characters come from, if I am really going to be true to my own roots, I need to pull from what I grew up with, what I know, and where I am now, the world I live in. The truth is, as Patrick and I were having a great conversation about today, Tut'Zanni is a group of young, white Americans, each coming from pretty diverse backgrounds. Diverse, regional, stereotyped backgrounds in modern America. We can, and should be commenting on ourselves and the society that we live in.

This is a great opportunity to explore what commedia is today, in America, to us and to our world. I am very curious and excited.

Waking (Rough Cut)

Here is a (very...VERY) rough cut of a new song I have been working on.

It's essentially about falling in love with someone in dreams. WOW that sounds so cheesy. Oh well.

Right now, it's called "Waking".

I TOLD YOU IT WAS ROUGH. Whatever. I like it.

You're welcome.

Epiphany, Commedia, and 2015

I have been going through a sort of angsty artist phase lately (not that it's anything new...). I've felt unfocused, and like I want to do so many things, but can't seem to follow through with any of them. I already wrote a little bit on wanting attention. But it's not just attention. It's that I want attention doing things that are important to me.

I moved to New York and went to part-time so that I could pursue my artistic career. But, suddenly confronted with so much time, I've had to actually look at myself and think: What does that look like? Who am I as an artist? I have gone on Broadway auditions, been writing songs, starting writing shows, doodling, and learning Japanese, just to name a few of my strange tangents that I've sort of been trying out. But this just leaves me feeling spread out, and like I'm not really good at anything in particular, and like I'm not actually progressing in any direction. I'm also stubborn, and refuse to let go of any of those things, lest I feel like I'm giving up or feel like I'm saying "I can't."

Today is the holiday of "Epiphany", and although it's really a religious holiday, I am choosing to take it at its name, and allow it to be more of a significant insight into myself and my life. I had an exceptionally productive meeting with a good friend and colleague, and discovered some things about myself that I think are really important.

Yes, I want attention. But not just attention for the sake of it. I stopped going on auditions, and was trying to figure out why. It's because really, if I were successful in that way, I would be receiving attention for what I would see as someone else's work. For the Spectacle. Sure, maybe I would grow my career to where my interpretations and development of characters and really making them my own would show my skills as an artist, I am definitely not saying that Broadway actors are not talented, but it's just not what I want to do. At least, not right now. I want to be respected and recognized as a true creator and innovator, and I don't believe that is that path that will take me there.

As an actor, letting go of auditioning and pursuing that path is extremely difficult. I've also stopped going for film auditions or any other type of auditions. This can be terrifying. Gaps in time on a resume can be harmful to a career, not putting yourself out there can be harmful, and, of course, every year, I am a year older. These are all very real things to take into consideration. But I also have been feeling like I need to pick something that I can throw myself into 100% and really go balls-to-the-wall (or tits-to-the-wall in my case?), and take a risk. But at least I'll know I gave it my everything. People can ask me "What do you do?" and I want to be able to say "THIS." So what is THIS?

3 years ago I started my own theatre company, Tut'Zanni. I did it because it was a big dream of mine, and because I saw it as a vehicle for all of my creative endeavors. If others weren't going to give me opportunities to pursue my artsy dreams, then I'd do it myself. The company had a magnificent first year, and has only continued to get better. Then I had my Epiphany. I can pursue all of my ideas and dreams- branching out into new media, working with film, animation, visual arts, music, writing new shows, everything- but I can re-focus it into commedia dell'arte. That is exactly what I had started the company for in the first place, I just somehow let that slip away over the stress of arts administration and regular human life stress. Commedia is something I am passionate about. I love it. I'm good at it. I want to be better at it. I see it everywhere, in everything, and constantly think about how I can apply it to everything, and everything to it. 

For the first time ever, I have found something that, at least for 2015 (because thinking too far in the future has literally never worked out for me), this is the something I can throw myself into. My company has reached a point where I can either have it maintain how it has been going (which means eventually fizzle out, because that is the reality of the theatre world), or I can really make it something, and make it a big part of my life.

So here's to 2015, Tut'Zanni, and myself as an artist. Happy New year, everyone!

Artsy Staring Contest

See who blinks first, me or you.

Ready.... Go!