Çağdaş Drama Derneği – Kocaeli Üniversitesi
“Theatre and Drama Education”
Kocaeli – Turkey, 2011, November 17, 18, 19, 20

Workshop
An urban Commedia dell’Arte

The workshop starts from a basic introduction to half-mask and, through the setting up of different working groups (Turkish school teachers at all levels, cultural operators and professors) it tries to retrace and perform the trouble of living in a foreign country (with a different language and culture), the difficulties in respecting or violating “Urban” rules which may be far apart from those of one’s native country, the attentiveness towards the “other”: an almost abandoned concept of kindness towards all the people who share this planet with us. The final, ironic show will be a verbal and physical expression of stylised characters representing the changes occurred in social habits during the last ten years within an urban context where inattentiveness has become the bad habit of disrespecting others and ourselves.
It is interesting to note how, following the reference points given to the groups in order to outline the scenario for the final show (trouble, rules, infractions, kindness), tradition and innovation combine together through old Commedia dell’Arte characters (Pantalone, the Doctor, Harlequin and Brighella) and possible “new” characters, perhaps more general, who have always existed in our society, but were never placed into the frame of Commedia dell’Arte typical rules and stylistic features.