Published in: Glam Adelaide, Apr 11, 2014
Author: Rod Lewis.

Corinna Di Niro has modernised 16th Century Commedia dell’Arte and will be staging workshops in Adelaide in late August.

Commedia dell’Arte is the 16th century Italian form of theatre, which gave rise to a number of spectacles such as opera, melodrama and pantomime. Typically performed in its traditional style where stock characters reappear in classic storylines surrounding love, greed, and hunger, it has now been re-realised, re-formed, re-established and re-invented by Australian-based practitioner Corinna Di Niro.

Di Niro, who’s mission is for Commedia to be seen as an “ever-contemporary” genre of theatre, is embarking on a 4 month Commedia road show to the US, New Zealand, and across Australia to introduce her method to performers and teachers alike.

Di Niro is finalising her PhD in Commedia dell’Arte in and for contemporary times, has trained with world expert Antonio Fava, and runs her own Commedia company, Commedia con Corinna.

Her technique combines knowledge of the root form and an understanding the historical trajectory of Commedia dell’Arte, with contemporary methods for ensuring the genre is relevant and meaningful to current day audiences.

As part of her road show, Di Niro will be delivering workshops in San Francisco, New York city, Auckland, Feilding, Christchurch, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Launceston, Perth, Canberra and concluding in her hometown of Adelaide on 30-31 August 2014.

For workshop bookings and more information, visit stagesecrets.com.au.