Vth International Conference “Theatre and Drama Education” Athens, March 17, 18, 19 2006

Organized by Hellenic Theatre/Drama & Education Network

Workshop
Picasso Theatre
The inter-culture of languages in the propaedeutic to Commedia dell’Arte

Picasso Theatre is a propaedeutic workshop to Commedia dell’Arte aimed at applying the languages of poetry and painting to Commedia techniques and production.
Picasso and some of his works are included in the activity, whose purpose is to produce an interchange between the different art languages constituting the cultural heritage of theatre: word, motion, painting, music. Word undergoes a metamorphosis through Picasso’s images, and each theatrical piece evolves from a poem’s narrative trajectory (the poem’s outline – a sketch for the actor’s staging).
The students participate in choosing a number of poems most suited to the activity’s pedagogical and artistic purpose; then images are put together, explanations about texts, authors and painters are given, working groups are set up (a group for each piece).
All this in order to prepare the students for the use of half-mask through a “stage writing” work which will involve body and word in a dimension of full awareness of one’s expressive media: body, voice, text, space, light, objects and working groups. All these necessary elements will help Commedia dell’Arte actors to become independent and master in creation and improvisation on stage.
This propaedeutic workshop to Commedia is not only important as technical training work. It also gives the opportunity of considering the different art languages from a historical, political, social and geographical perspective, as well as of learning about literature, poetry and visual arts. This gives actors a global cultural background, without which they would hardly be able to grow as individuals and artists.

Hellenic Theater/Drama & Education Network   www.theatroedu.gr

Italian Publication – English Publication