[MR] Commedia dell arte performance in DC tonight!

[scott_dean at mindspring.com]

Commedia Emergency!!
Hi - This is Sophia the Orange coming to you live from Manus's email account because Arlecchino ate my password.

There is an *AMAZING* live stage show happening *TONIGHT* in Washington DC - so if you have no chance of getting there today, just enjoy the URL at the end of this message.

This show, by the company "Faction of Fools," is a play in the style of commedia dell arte that is an *amazing* reproduction of period theater!  There are a few elements that they use that come from post-SCA period, but they're so minimal they do not interfere with the enjoyment of period recreation.  I strongly recommend seeing this show if you have any interest at all in commedia or if you just need a good laugh today!

The show is produced at the Fringe Festival theater near the DC metro stop at Mt. Vernon - a hop from Mt. Vernon park.  Tickets are a mere $20!

Now here's the *really* exciting news...The director of this company has served for the past few years as an assistant to none other than Antonio Fava!  The masks they use were designed by Antonio himself!  Antonio Fava is a world famous commedia master in Italy spending his life keeping the practice alive - just google his name and enjoy the reading!

So, Antonio Fava's assistant decided to stay in DC this summer, produce a show with professional actors with the coolest theater production company ever - The DC Fringe Festival!  They'll be back this summer at the Fringe's official festival time, so stay tuned for more info!  Maybe I'll have my technical difficulties worked out by then...

For the sake of education (Corporate Bob says we're *learning*), the post-SCA period elements that I picked out were these: use of the Pulcinella character, using a mask on the female servant, and use of a scenario from the 1700+ Napoli collection.  There may be more, but I was having too good a time to dig more than that.  They did use the method of improvising a bunch in rehearsal to then produce a script for the actual show instead of improvising on the spot, so maybe they're not the Greatest Commedia dell Arte Troupe In The Entire World, but they were still hilarious!

If you don't get to see these guys tonight, check out their web site www.factionoffools.org and watch out for them at the DC Fringe Fest this summer.  Chances are good I'll be organized enough by then to give y'all fair warning.

Go forth and laugh!!!  And let me know if you make it!  But email me next week after I get Arlecchino to regurgitate my password...

Gleefully, 
Sophia the Orange
PS: Totally family friendly!  No nudity or swear words!