Virginia Scott
TEACHER * DIRECTOR * COACH * COMEDY FIXER
Whether we pursue together Clown, Commedia, Physical Comedy or any other style, we'll start with everything you bring, and make it work!
Commedia
Put your fun in your body.
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Move it around.
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Unstoppable!
Pantalona has some fun
What is Commedia?
It's acting. And it's comedy. (Although you don't have to be an actor - it's good for all kinds of performers and creators- and -as anyone who has splashed around in the comic world for long knows - you will also find beautiful and moving moments of tragic humanity!)
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It uses half-masks (which means you can talk!) and it is based on a theatrical style from Europe in the Renaissance. But at Fizgig, it is not the Renaissance. Wherever you are right now is neither. So Virginia has developed a particular approach to Commedia to make it truly contemporary. You will learn and grow lots in these two categories:
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1. Skills to create physically and vocally inventive and engaging characters that are based on archetypes. These archetypes exist across time, place and form (TV, theatre, film etc.) and represent a kind of cheat code to playing characters in almost EVERYTHING.
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2. An approach to improvisation/collaboration where you will learn to create a lot of super funny and beautiful material very quickly for your use as an actor, stand-up, writer, singer/musician, etc.
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And it is so fun to do and to watch. We tear open the door to the comic world and reveal how beautiful and hilarious you all are. My current favorite students quote "my face hurts from laughing so much!"
International Commedia Day!
Every year on February 25 it's International Commedia Day! ALL AROUND THE WORLD! On this day each year, artists get to hollerin' about the big, stupid, astonishing, inventive fun to be found under those bewitching half-masks of the Italian Comedy. We started offering Commedia Day events in 2016 in Los Angeles. Then the pesky Pandemic caused a very long pause in the hoopla. But now we're back, baby!
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February 25th marks the anniversary of the first commedia troupe's incorporation in 1545, and is a day for actors, students, and enthusiasts to celebrate the Italian improvisational theatre form through performances, workshops, and online events worldwide.
2026
It was our 10th anniversary of celebrating Commedia Day for FREE!!! We sailed our small but mighty schooner of nonsense straight into the topsy turvy swells and wavelets of the comic oceans and splashed around like gangbusters :) We had a big time in NYC with some sweet performances from the Brighella Brothers Boy Band, Peter Zanni Pan, a couple of moldy ol' c*nts, and Pantalone introduced us all to a club called hell. And we all banded together to find some fun for lonely Zannis, Harlequinos who like to smash AND dance, Capitanos on the make and Tartaglias who are very concerned about that make. And the wonderful John "Where Have You Been All My Life" Coyne, ushered us through it all with rhythm and melody. Huzzah!
Dropin
commedia class
Commedia Day
2025
Free Open Workshop
& a Little "Old Hands" Show
- downtown NYC
2024
In 2024 we had a big time! With 2 FREE events hosted by Brooklyn College and Pace University. Over 50 performers conjured the comic world under over 30 Commedia masks created by master artisans Den Durand, Bob Bueth and Mr. Face. After a little blah blah blah about how this Commedia gizmo works, we put the fun in our bodies and took those masks and the archetypes that go with 'em out for a spin! We had a blast, made connections, and succeeded like gangbusters riding the chaos and delight. To all who were there I say, BRAVA!
2020
Commedia Company Greatest Hits shows at The Cobra Club in Brooklyn.
2019
FREE Open Class
at CPR in Brooklyn.
2018
Commedia Company Opening Night!
at Jack in Brooklyn.
Were you there?! ​It was a magical night - kicking off 3 years of beautiful and hilarious work from the Commedia Company. This was the first ever lazzo we ever did do - and they demolished it!