A talk by actress and theatre director Bianca Bonino
International Women’s Day
On the 8th of March the world celebrates International Women’s Day to encourage gender equality in contemporary societies as well as to promote women empowerment across a variety of socio-cultural contexts. On this occasion, the Italian Cultural Institute has the pleasure to host a lecture on the emerging role of actresses in European drama between the 16th and 18th centuries. The event will take place on Thursday, March 9th at 6 pm and will focus on the Commedia dell’Arte, whose fast establishment and wide appreciation across Europe was arguably pivotal in fostering the development of pioneering female awareness.
The Commedia originated in Italy and rapidly expanded throughout the continent thanks to the witty and inherently unpredictable features of its plays. Masks were used to enable the identification of recurring characters, recalling the origins of classical theatre. However, this historical period was marked by a new, groundbreaking presence that had hitherto been denied access to the stage: that of women. The advent of female presence on stage within the context of the Commedia dell’Arte is thus increasingly recognized as a turning point in the role of performing women not only as charming and attractive figures, but also as fine intellectual and artistic players.
The unique improvisational nature of this artistic movement provided actresses with relative freedom in terms of interpretation and verbal expression, allowing them to fulfill a fundamental role in the creation of performances as well as in the development of female characters on stage. By leveraging on an unprecedented freedom of expression, these actresses contributed to defy the established socio-cultural context by playing with power relationships that characterized plays as much as reality.
The broader perspective on the role of women in theatre comes as a result of a deep and comprehensive analysis of texts and historical accounts and by following a more sensitive approach to feminist issues and proto-feminist voices. This new historical enquiry thus focuses on the contribution by female artists in highlighting oppressive aspects of the patriarchal system and the attempts to disengage from it, which they did by actively shaping the progressive evolution of some of the Commedia’s fixed social types, the Innamorate and the Servette.
Bianca Bonino is an actress, stage director and acting trainer. In Italy she attended the Centro d’Arte Drammatica di Torino (1984-1986) and was cast by the Teatro Stabile di Torino under the direction of Ugo Gregoretti for several productions. She migrated to Australia in 1996 and graduated from the University of New South Wales in Theatre and Performance Studies. Since 2006 Bonino has been involved in staging Commedia dell’arte productions in Sydney. She has trained extensively in Commedia dell’arte under the direction of Antonio Fava and Carlo Boso in Italy and has organized several Commedia dell’arte workshops in Sydney led by world-renowned experts in the field. In 2022 Bonino successfully completed her Honour year at the University of New South Wales with a thesis focused on the feminist aspect of the contribution of women to the Commedia dell’arte. Her natural inclination to improvisation and her acute artistic sensitivity make her one of the most refined and versatile performers of Commedia dell’arte on the current Australian stage. Bonino also regularly collaborates with various cultural associations in Australia, producing cultural events and poetry readings in Italian.
The presentation will be in ENGLISH.
Free entry. Limited seats.
Booking essential: www.eventbrite.com.au