[NEohioPAL] "The Miracle at Naples" - an amateur's review with commedia eyes

[Jess Rudolph]

Let me first clarify I'm not involved in this production nor am I an
experienced reviewer of theatre.

However, as a player of *Commedia dell'Arte* for now over six years, I feel
I should give me own take on
convergence-continuum<http://www.convergence-continuum.org/>'s
production of *The Miracle at Naples* by David Grim. I sadly did not get to
attend until two weeks into the run but I did go with several of my fellow
commedia players and we had a wonderful time.

As you all hopefully know, this is a play that concerns a *Commedia
dell'Arte* troupe. It is not commedia but incorporates many elements and
style and the culture that surrounded this art form. What fascinated me was
the depiction of Southern Italian *commedia*, especially that of Naples (of
course); much modern commedia performance and scholarly work is focused on
Northern traditions. It was refreshing to see this different take live and
not just in print and engravings.

The other reviews promote the bawdiness, lewdness, vulgarity, and
all-around-wholesome naughty fun we love. And let me tell you - it's greater
and worse (in the good way) than you can expect! Traditional Sixteenth
Century street theatre was just this risque, if not even more so. What was
considered acceptable in the streets of Italy over four hundred years ago
would be shocking and scandalous on late-night television in the
Twenty-First Century. This performance pulls us out of our comfort zone -
which is how it should be! Unlike many raunchy movie comedies that play for
only shock-value in the cinema these days, *The Miracle at Naples* connects
you with this world of course, debased, uninhibited yet still human
characters of lustful Napolitan and scandalous traveling performers.

The story highlights issues that audiences of any time can relate to. Of
course love, acceptance, profit, personal history, are all there... But what
grabbed me the most was the idea that these traveling performers were
experiencing the end of their art, finding it harder and harder to gain an
audience, acceptance from the community, and thus make enough money to live.
And yet, it wasn't just about the money - it was a dream and they were a
family. *Commedia dell'Arte* was obscenely (pun intended) popular in its day
but is now fringe theatre. But in ways, most theatre is struggling to keep
the attention it deserves in a modern world of constant distractions.
convergence-continuum stage and house are small and very intimate, very
community driven, a theatre that's still for the people and for the dream of
the art, presenting less main-stream productions - the fringe.

And lastly, on a more personal note: I read about but had no desire to
perform *Commedia dell'Arte* and little desire to act on stage before I saw
live productions of commedia and saw what it truly is. Seeing such wonders
with our eyes makes it real and then we'll want to keep it alive and going
for the future. And though I had read about such busking routines, the
introduction of Don Bertolino Fortunato's troupe to the City of Naples has
inspired me to try something similar when my own commedia troupe travels to
Pennsic XL next month!

forever foolish,
--Jess

Jess Rudolph (Niccolò Bartolazzi)
Capocomico of the Players' Patchwork'd Productions: The Confused Greenies &
i Verdi Confusi
http://filer.case.edu/org/commedia/

-a hungry, hapless, and hopeful harlequin

*Sors Ventus Stultus* - "Fortune Favors the Foolish"
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