The mask and commedia dell'arte
are essential to the work of the
Piccolo Theatre. We view commedia dell'arte as a living art. We train our ensemble in the art and develop the art through research and experimentation.

Much has been written about commedia and still little can be understood
as to what it must have been like to witness an actual performance.
It has been idealized certainly, but why?

One cannot help looking at pictures or murals of the characters and feel drawn into a world of vitality, eroticism, humor and truth. In Piccolo we look for an underlying human pattern, one that manifests itself clearly in the historical commedia and, we think, may manifest even more clearly now.

Piccolo seeks out directors and actors
who share this same fascination in order preserve the traditional form and in developing new theatre derived from this form. Through our work we have been happy to interact with Donato Sartori, Antonio Fava, Geoffrey Buckley,
Marcel Marceau, Jacques LeCoq,
Piccolo Teatro di Milano
and Carlo Mazzoni-Clementi.

We celebrate this actor's art
and invite you to experience the fruit
of our happy labor.