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The mask in commedia dellВ’arte and ancient Greek comedy. A comparative and historical approach, with emphasis on the methodology of acting
Abstract
Our study forms part of a wider project seeking to cover a void within interdisciplinary research in drama studies: its focus is specifically the study of the history of visual arts and the Italian theatre of the Renaissance in juxtaposition with the ancient Greek theatre. Our study proceeds on the basis of an attentive engagement with comparative evidence as regards the methodology of acting and the use of theatrical masks up to the beginnings of the 18th century. It intends to cover a certain gap within the scientific study, in Greece, of the research area of the history of Italian art as well as the history of Italian theatre, while simultaneously focusing on the connection between, on the one hand, the theatrical genre of commedia dellВ’arte and, on the other hand, ancient Greek and Roman art. This interdisciplinary research project aspires at bringing to light evidence concerning the ancient Greek, Roman and modern Italian cultures. We intend to present as fully as possible the historical and cultural map of each period as regards both acting and the use of theatrical masks. The novelty of this research project lies in the fact that it aims at projecting a new scientific subfield, within the area of visual arts and theatre, as well as the art of acting, which is mostly untouched by both drama studies and historiography.
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References30
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