There has been an enormous revival of interest in Commedia dell'arte. And it remians a central part of many drama school courses. In Commedia dell'arte in the Twentieth Century John Rublin first examines the orgins of this vital theatrical form and charts its recent revival through the work of companies like Tag, Theatre de Complicite and the influential methods of Jacques Lecoq. The second part of the book provides a unique practical guide for would-be practitioners: demonstrating how to approach the roles of Zanni, Arlecchion, Brighella, Pantalone, Dottore, and the Lovers in terms...

A companion to John Rudlin's best-selling Commedia dell'Arte: A Handbook for Actors, this book covers both the history and professional practice of commedia dell'arte companies from 1568 to the present day. Indispensable for both the beginner and the professional, it contains historical and contemporary company case histories, details on company organisation, and tips on practical stagecraft.
Essential for students and practitioners, this book enables the reader to understand how successful commedia dell'arte companies function, and how we can learn from past and current practice...

This is an assessment of the work and influence as a director of Jacques Copeau (1879 1949), who has long been regarded as one of the fathers of twentieth-century French theatre. Along with Antoine and his own pupils Dullin and Jouvet, Copeau is known to have been instrumental in restoring the traditional values of theatre at the same time as seeking, through training and experiment, a vital contemporary function. The work of Brook's company and research centre in Paris today is, for example, in direct descent from that of Copeau. John Rudlin examines the course of Copeau's directorial...