All the latest Commedia dell'Arte information, news, updates and articles from Commedia Unmasked. Find the latest Commedia dell'Arte information below in our regularly updated blog.
Discover why Tony Kishawi’s Commedia dell’Arte teaching is transforming Australian drama classrooms. Curriculum-ready, kinesthetic, and built for every student.
A working teacher’s guide to buying, fitting, and teaching with leather Commedia masks. Learn what to look for, how to choose, and where to buy in Australia.
Looking for commedia masks for sale in Australia? A 45-year practitioner reveals which masks survive Aussie summers, match the curriculum, and earn their keep.
Find the best Australian commedia masks for classrooms and troupes. Compare local makers, prices, and care tips to get masks that survive the heat.
For decades, I’ve watched students transform the moment they put on quality commedia masks. The body shifts, the voice finds its rhythm, and the character is no longer an idea but a living presence. This article is not a history lesson, and it is certainly not a shopping list. It is an argument, built across many years of ensemble theatre work, that the physical mask is the most efficient and visceral teacher in the room. You can read about Commedia dell’Arte all day, memorise the Lazzi, and study the stock types until you can recite them in your sleep. But…
Have you ever stood in your drama studio, watching a talented Year 10 student struggle to find the physical spark of a character because their flimsy…
END OF FINANCIAL YEAR OFFER Two Commedia dell’Arte Mask Sets for Schools & Theatre Programs Before the new financial year begins, I wanted to let educators know that the price of our Commedia dell’Arte mask collections will increase from July 1st. If your school or department is considering adding new resources to its drama or theatre program, now is an excellent opportunity to secure a set before the price rise takes effect. Why Schools Are Investing in Commedia Training I teach Commedia dell’Arte not as a museum piece or historical reconstruction, but as a practical actor-training tool for ensemble…
In this 10-minute talk, Tony Kishawi explores how his understanding of Commedia dell’Arte evolved by studying the work of the great “gurus” who revived the art form in the 20th century: Jacques Lecoq, Antonio Fava, Carlo Mazzone-Clementi, Carlo Boso, and the extraordinary mask-maker Donato Sartori. Tony traces how Commedia was originally created—not by directors—but by ensembles of actors who travelled and performed together, generating their own material, improvising with audiences, refining lazzi, and passing them on through performance rather than documentation. He explains how the modern revival of Commedia began in the 1950s when Lecoq rediscovered the Sartori workshop and…
Remi a year 12 student studying at Queensland Academy for Creative Industries sent some questions. So I requested that I answer the questions via video because I prefer talking to typing! 1. How would you describe the physicality of Commedia (in general)? 2. Are there solo exercises you’ve used to develop/get into the physicality of a Commedia character? What are they? 3. (If you are familiar with the Butoh style), What are some similarities and differences you’ve found between the two styles? Thank you so much, Remi If anyone has any other questions for me, just contact me via FB…
Tony Kishawi will run a series of workshops with Sunshine Coast actors and staff and students from Montessori International College (MIC). The workshops will run over two weekends culminating in a final performance for Primary College students as part of the MIC Creative Arts program and providing an opportunity for students to see their peers and staff members giving it a go on stage. Commedia dell’Arte is a traditional theatrical style performance using 16th-century Italian masks. The masks release inhibition, providing a wonderful opportunity for the actors to energetically perform a combination of slapstick comedy and audience interaction. In 2020,…