Commedia Mask: Il Dottore

I chose to recreate the mask of the stock character Il Dottore, because I found his personality amusing, and the shape of the mask interesting. Il Dottore, which means “the Doctor”, is an old man who plays the part of a lawyer or doctor in Commedia pieces, and is often father to one of the lovers. He is both a close friend and/or a rival to Pantalone. He is a stubborn know it all who refuses to listen to reason or take advice from those around him, and believes he is always right. He is generally depicted as having great wealth, and having been from Padua of Bologna, where two great universities of the time were located (though he did not necessarily attend them). He believes himself to be a scholar, but if he is, then he is a poor one. This character’s humor is found largely in words, rather than action. He is known to speak Latin often to show off his learning and intellect, but does it at inappropriate times and usually incorrectly. He is very greedy and gluttonous. He is fond of drinking and eating. He is physically very large, with an expansive belly. His cheeks were reddened to make him appear to be a little drunk. Being very pompous, his physicality was minimal and usually deliberate. He lead with his belly, and moved with pride and purpose. His stances were well balanced, in contrast to the bent-over, gestural movements of Pantalone.

Some of his lazzi include:
Diagnosing someone of an ailment they obviously do not have (such as a male being pregnant)
Lazzi of the enema
Very large and strange medical instruments
When he comes upon a well known fact, tries to make it appear to be a great discovery he has made
Tries to enlist assistance to help him perform experimental surgeries on himself and others.
Performs silly experiments in the name of science and medicine.
Mispronounces words often, such as Pantalone’s name.

The mask intrigued me because it was unique to other masks I had seen in that it only covered the forehead and nose. The forehead section is large and often wrinkled; the nose is large and bulbous. Large eyebrows, which could be made to look angry or thoughtful, were added, as was a mustache on occasion. I created my version of the mask by using masking plaster. I had someone create the basic shape on my face, and then added the details such as eyebrows and wrinkles on the forehead. The nose was made from play-doh, which I added to the mask and then plastered over it to make it sturdy. The mask could either be black, or flesh colored with hints of rouge added. I chose to make it black, with hints of bronze to make the details stand out a little more. I think, over all, my mask is rather authentic in terms of shape and look. However, the mask would have originally been made from leather, not plaster.

project#1: reflection

This project was interesting to me, because it allowed me to see how time and location, as well as artistic sensibilities and creativity effect the timeless art of Ancient Greek theatre. These plays are centuries old, and the stories (to so many of us) are nothing new, yet I could see the distinct fingerprint attached to each production in these photographs.

One thing that struck me as I was putting this morgue together is that in many cases one could divide the colors of the lighting, costume, and set design into two groups: one being stark, neutral, dark tones and the other being vibrant shades of many colors, ranging from deep reds to cool blues. The mood of so many productions could be determined by looking at the designer’s use of color, and also I felt I could see what aspects of Greek theatre the director chose to focus on, be it the heavy, dramatic elements of the stories themselves, or the beautiful, exciting elements of the language and performance style.

While there are few photos that I picked that I do not like, some really captivated me in a particular way. My hands down favorite is the photo of Medea, in which the actress is behind a screen of fabric, which makes her look as though she were swimming in a sea of beautiful, soft colors. The picture stunned me completely. I had to do research to make sure it was really from the production, and not a poster design, because I thought there was no way it could possibly be created on stage that perfectly. But it was. It just looks like a painting, and captures the ancient beauty preserved in the poetry of Greek tragedy.

Another that really captured my imagination was the one with the man in the mirror, wearing the white wig. He plays Pollux and Castor in Electra, and I thought the image was highly intriguing. Greek theatre, in so many cases, is either beautiful and lavish, or dark and weighty. This seemed to be neither. There is something simultaneously comical and sinister about the costuming and use of props. I felt that that production would have kept me on my toes.

The photo of the 1971 production of Trojan Women was also interesting to me, not because I like it necessarily, but it is perhaps the best example of how a specific time period can impact a production. I looked at several pictures, and the groovy, “trippy” elements of the set and make-up are indentifiable immediately as being from the early seventies. It had an extremely clear visual perspective, and it made me wonder what the hippes would have had to say about Greek theatre.

This project was, again, a wonderful reminder of the creative world that theatre truly is. These pieces that have existed for ages and ages are given new life and meaning every year, across the globe.