New reading

reading goldoni
i served as a stand up voice --
i won't play in this

(Please look large, as there definitely is better definition - on my screen anyway)

The page is starting to turn - although I'll be going to all meetings and rehearsals until we've made our big move, I won't be part of the cast in the new production.

It will be Goldoni's I pettegolezzi delle donne (The Women's Gossip). Young Checchina is set to marry her lover Beppo, but a rumor has started in Venice: Checchina is not her father's daughter, therefore Beppo can't marry her, as it would tarnish his reputation. Mutiple turns to the plot ensue. The play features two well-known characters from the Commedia dell'arte, Pantalone and Harlequin (my all-time favourite character in the Commedia dell'arte - my grandmother made a Harlequin costume for me when I was a wee chap, complete with coloured diamond-patterned trousers and top, tricorn felt hat (maybe it was velvet, I'm not sure anymore) and a mask).

The reading was a blast! The rhythm of the play is just amazing! Characters enter and exit all the time, words fly... As there won't be enough comedians to cover all the characters in the play (and far from enough men, what's more) several arrangements will have to be made: everyone will play more than one character (a real challenge at the end of the play, where most characters are onstage!) and some of the ladies will have to play male characters.

This means lots of costume changes. To make things easier, the costumes themselves will be generic, and accessories will serve to signify the change of character. The (brilliant, in my opinion) idea is that the accessories will be onstage, and not backstage, allowing for a quicker change!

Of course it won't be directly in front of the audience, but behind a panel on the stage. To show that the comedians get "off the stage", the play itself will take place on a platform set on said stage. When comedians get off that, they're offstage and can go behind the panel to change their accessories to become their next character. Or at least that's Massimiliano's current plan.

I'm very excited to see the beginning of this new adventure!