Carlo Mazzone-Clementi
Encyclopedia
Carlo Mazzone-Clementi was a contemporary and colleague of the giants of modern European theater. He first gained attention in Italy in 1947 when he worked alongside Marcel Marceau
in the mime’s first tour outside of Paris. From 1948 to 1951, he assisted the master of movement, Jacques Lecoq
, while Lecoq taught and directed the Players of Padua University. In 1954, Mazzone-Clementi was in the Piccolo Teatro di Milano with Dario Fo
and Franca Rame
. Their young Italian company was on the forefront of the renaissance of Italian theatre in the ’50s.
While he was performing with Piccolo Teatro, the American theatre scholar and director Eric Bentley came to Italy to direct the company in the first Italian production of Bertolt Brecht. Then, with Bentley’s patronage, Mazzone-Clementi toured the United States in 1958, conducting workshops in mime and commedia, and introducing the leather masks of Amleto Sartori to this country. That led to a teaching assignment at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now known as Carnegie-Mellon University) and to similar work in colleges and universities around the country.
In 1973, Mazzone-Clementi and his wife Jane Hill, a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon, went to Humboldt County, California
to conduct summer workshops at their rural property. From this experience came the decision to re-locate permanently in Humboldt and to establish a full-time actor training program. In 1974, the couple purchased the Oddfellows Hall in Blue Lake, California
and co-founded the Dell’Arte School of Mime and Comedy (now known as the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre
). Hill also joined the faculty at College of the Redwoods, where the pair created the Grand Comedy Festival at Qual-a-wa-loo, a summer repertory festival that produced plays of Shakespeare in rotation with musical adaptations of those plays. Mazzone-Clementi served as the festival’s artistic director for six years.
Marcel Marceau
Marcel Marceau was an internationally acclaimed French actor and mime most famous for his persona as Bip the Clown.-Early years:...
in the mime’s first tour outside of Paris. From 1948 to 1951, he assisted the master of movement, Jacques Lecoq
Jacques Lecoq
Jacques Pierre Lecoq born in Paris, was a French actor, mime and acting instructor.He is most famous for his methods on physical theatre, movement and mime that he taught at the school he founded in Paris, L'École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq from 1956 until his death in...
, while Lecoq taught and directed the Players of Padua University. In 1954, Mazzone-Clementi was in the Piccolo Teatro di Milano with Dario Fo
Dario Fo
Dario Fo is an Italian satirist, playwright, theater director, actor and composer. His dramatic work employs comedic methods of the ancient Italian commedia dell'arte, a theatrical style popular with the working classes. He currently owns and operates a theatre company with his wife, actress...
and Franca Rame
Franca Rame
Franca Rame is an Italian theatre actress and playwright. She is also the wife of Nobel Prize winning author Dario Fo and the mother of the writer Jacopo Fo.- Life :...
. Their young Italian company was on the forefront of the renaissance of Italian theatre in the ’50s.
While he was performing with Piccolo Teatro, the American theatre scholar and director Eric Bentley came to Italy to direct the company in the first Italian production of Bertolt Brecht. Then, with Bentley’s patronage, Mazzone-Clementi toured the United States in 1958, conducting workshops in mime and commedia, and introducing the leather masks of Amleto Sartori to this country. That led to a teaching assignment at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now known as Carnegie-Mellon University) and to similar work in colleges and universities around the country.
In 1973, Mazzone-Clementi and his wife Jane Hill, a graduate of Carnegie-Mellon, went to Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
to conduct summer workshops at their rural property. From this experience came the decision to re-locate permanently in Humboldt and to establish a full-time actor training program. In 1974, the couple purchased the Oddfellows Hall in Blue Lake, California
Blue Lake, California
Blue Lake is a city in Humboldt County, California, United States. Blue Lake is located on the Mad River northeast of Eureka, at an elevation of 131 feet...
and co-founded the Dell’Arte School of Mime and Comedy (now known as the Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre
Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre
The Dell'Arte International School of Physical Theatre is located in Northern California in the town of Blue Lake, California in Humboldt County, California near the major population centers of Eureka and Arcata...
). Hill also joined the faculty at College of the Redwoods, where the pair created the Grand Comedy Festival at Qual-a-wa-loo, a summer repertory festival that produced plays of Shakespeare in rotation with musical adaptations of those plays. Mazzone-Clementi served as the festival’s artistic director for six years.