Halley Dunn
We just finished our first week of intense Commedia training and the first weekend on our own. After hours of being chickens with Jacob and falling madly in love with a trash can with Jim, I would say this crazy process has begun. Not only is it completely different than any training I have ever had, but it is just plain fun. I’m not scared to embarrass myself in front of a group of people who are just as willing to dive into the work as I am. Jim and Jacob have created an environment where it is ok to go into uncharted territory and make it messy - like it or not that’s how life is. Jim’s favorite line is “make it worser”. He says it and laughs in his hilarious, wide-eyed way because it’s true. By making it worse for yourself onstage you are being truthful to the many twist and turns of life and making it more entertaining for the audience. After laughing at each other galloping around like horses, it’s safe to say our ensemble is beginning to like Florence.
We also had our first weekend off to explore and a small group of us headed straight to the ocean. Riccione, a beautiful little beach town. Jacob informed us that it is the birthplace of a delicious sandwich called the piadina. Picture this: melting, gooey burrata with olives and zucchini pressed between two slices of an Italian tortilla-like bread. Molto delizioso!
That reminds me, my Italian is improving. A bunch of us downloaded Duolingo and with additional help from Jacob, we are able to communicate with some of the staff and locals.
We have a crazy week coming up because we were handed the amazing opportunity of participating in new work right here on campus. One of the NYU Florence professors has written a full-length opera based off of the poem Furiosus and asked if we would be part of the chorus with Commedia Dell’Arte masks. Not only have I never been in an opera, but new work and in Italy is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. Next week we will be visited by André Baer who will teach us some Grotowski work, which will be a new technique for me. This Summer is full of exciting and new experiences that I am happy to share with a ridiculously talented ensemble.
Saluti to many more new experience in Firenze!