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Hello and welcome

to your portal to Tutzanni!

 

ANNOUNCING:

A Digital Commedia dell’Arte Introductory Class - available for $25!

We know that bringing in a Commedia practitioner to teach and talk about the form is expensive and sometimes impractical. So we have put together a video lesson with a companion lesson plan to allow any teacher to integrate Commedia into their classroom.

LEARN MORE

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Our Mission

MISCHIEF · ADVENTURE · HEART

 
 
 

Tut’Zanni Theatre Company exists to create fun, interactive experiences that invite audiences to stand with us on the precipice of "what happens next?". 

As storytellers, we expand the views of not only what theatre can be, but what people can be. We bring people together to take them on an adventure that allows all of us to open our eyes, see our mistakes, comfort the heartbreak, celebrate the ridiculous, and remind ourselves that beauty and play exist everywhere. We believe that theatre is nothing if not entertaining, but the best theatre should also challenge our perspectives on the world and stir up the sediment so that we live truer, more just, more equal, more generous and more thoughtful lives. 

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Our Shows

We use masks, archetypal characters, physical comedy and improv to create a rough-and-tumble, “people’s theatre” style that is fun, relatable, and engaging. 

Our shows are all about the characters: the overworked and undervalued employee, their boss the tightwad business owner, the braggy social climber, and the power-hungry politician (sound familiar?). The characters in our shows invite the audience to join in the fun: to shout, suggest, support and heckle them along the way. Together, we are able to talk about our world and our struggles, and most importantly laugh.

Hungry for more? Explore our menu of shows.

 
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Though the theatre we create can seem like pandemonium, the form we employ actually requires a great deal of precision, so training is essential. Over the years, we have developed a series of exercises that now allow us to share our love of masked physical performance with students of all ages and levels. Check out the options available.

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Support Us

Want to send us some cold hard cash?  
We're going to make this real easy for you - just click the donate button!

We truly couldn't do what we do without you.
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, all donations to Tut'Zanni Theatre Company are tax-deductible.

Our Members

Don't be shy, click a face!

 
 
Featured
Archetype VS Stereotype
Archetype VS Stereotype

In our recently announced and currently available Digital Intro Class to Commedia dell’Arte, we talk about Archetypes VS Stereotypes and thought it was a great thing to share with more folks.

What is Commedia dell'Arte?
What is Commedia dell'Arte?

Let’s hit some broad strokes here. A lot of people have never heard of commedia dell’arte. Those who have often get a very specific interpretation by an individual or company. That’s because it’s old, it died for a long time, and now people have fallen in love with it again in different ways.

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Announcing: A Digital Commedia dell'Arte Introductory Class

Announcing a new way to bring Commedia into your classroom!

Liam chats with REP Radio about Tut'Zanni and Commedia dell'Arte on Zoom
Liam chats with REP Radio about Tut'Zanni and Commedia dell'Arte on Zoom

I had a blast chatting with REP Radio about working with Tut’Zanni and Faction of Fools on our Commedia-on-Zoom show [Digital] Top Rung…

Using Commedia dell'Arte as a Tool to Explore Contemporary Characters in Theatre
Using Commedia dell'Arte as a Tool to Explore Contemporary Characters in Theatre

In the show, actor Rachel Brodeur and I jump back and forth between over 20 characters, including the pilot, air hostesses, passengers, hijacker, reporters, Portuguese shepherd children, and even the Virgin Mary herself…

The Simpsons as Commedia dell’Arte Archetypes
The Simpsons as Commedia dell’Arte Archetypes

As the longest running American sitcom and a beloved cultural touchpoint that has entertained audiences the world over, there is no better contemporary parallel than The Simpsons to what Commedia dell’Arte was as an art form hundreds of years ago. Almost anywhere you go in the world, people know these characters and might have a favorite episode or catch phrase.

Puppetry: Beyond the Alive/Alone Binary
Puppetry: Beyond the Alive/Alone Binary

In the words of Tammy Faye Bakker and RuPaul Charles, “Everybody loves puppets!”.

But especially me. Why? It comes down to a certain feeling I get, one that’s kind of hard to explain. But I’ll do my best. I believe there’s a special switch in every person’s brain - the “on” switch position translates to *best Dr. Frankenstein voice* “It’s ALIIIIIVE!” and the “off” position is along the lines of *cue 80s synthpop beat* “I think we’re alone now”.

New Show, New Masks!
New Show, New Masks!

One thing we are always working on in the company is discovering new archetypes from our world all around us. Now working on [DIGITAL] Top Rung, I had the opportunity to make some new masks for some of the new archetypes and then characters of the show.

BREAKING: Tut'Zanni presents a theatre-from-home experience in May!
BREAKING: Tut'Zanni presents a theatre-from-home experience in May!

Tut’Zanni Theatre Company, in collaboration with Faction of Fools, is excited to announce its newest original masked theatre production, and their first foray into the world of online theatre, [DIGITAL] Top Rung.

Working with Masks on Film
Working with Masks on Film

I have always loved tiny little film sketches and comedy bits (basically what TikTok is, with a bit of YouTube mixed in there). So when the opportunity came to start exploring, I jumped on it.

 

Our Story

When a man loves a woman, and another man, and three other women…

We met in 2006 while attending the Accademia dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy. It was a special semester, to say the least. We won’t soon forget it. When the program ended, we scattered to the wind to continue our lives, thinking often of our incredible time together in the Tuscan hills.

In 2011, ALi and Dory called up Liam, Patrick, Allegra and Molly to realize a crazy dream: to come together again and devise an original work, called Art for Sale, as a new theatre company. With that, Tut’Zanni was born.

We come from all over. Outside Tut’Zanni we work as actors, directors, teachers, musicians, accountants, bartenders, dishwashers, administrators, and more, across the United States and Europe. As far away as we usually are from each other, we're hopelessly devoted to chasing the thrill of those magical moments that emerge when we're in the same room.

 

Want to Get to know us better? Have some questions?

Contact Us!

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