The Greek masks of Comedy and Tragedy have become synonym of “theatre” to the point that everyone knows what they mean. They’ve even made it into the emoji world. Yet, theatre performances involving masks are rather rare nowadays. Except for the occasional Commedia dell’arte production, masks have become more or less a piece of theatre history rather than an active tool in front of an audience.
And that may just be changing. Chris Browne Valenzuela is bringing “Arachne Behind the Mask” to IATI Theater in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, a fully masked one-person show.
Not only that, but the mask used is a “Neutral” or “Noble” mask. Neutral masks are full face masks with no facial expression, and most importantly, they don’t have a voice. How is a story told without a voice? And, especially when we’ve become so used to the movie close-up, without facial expressions? Chris says: “Body and Breath.”
“The mask has preserved itself a sanctuary in acting education. Its innate restrictions actually free the body, and make the actor rely on their breath. This makes the work more visceral, and therefore more honest.” He adds. Chris trained as a mask performer and teacher with Shelley Wyant, actress and director who has been doing this work for over 40 years, and by now, has probably taught every working actor in New York City.
How does this translate from the classroom to the stage, though? “Shelley developed this exercise called ‘Hinge Moment.’ It’s a moment of incredible change for a character, in which the world is no longer the same. You normally only get one or two in an entire play. And you use all the tools of the masks to bring that moment to life,” explains Chris.
The moment chosen is, of course, the mythical Arachne being transformed into a spider by a spiteful Athena. “Arachne Behind the Mask” was already performed at the Moving Body Salon hosted by Mary Abrams at Moving Body Resources, where Chris impressed an audience of artists with his honesty and clarity without using a single word. After its success, it’s moving to IATI Theater as part of the Tertulia series, celebrating multidisciplinary artists Sunday February 25th.
While unlikely that Chris’ efforts will cause a full-on revival of the mask, this nevertheless impressive showcase in an important New York City theatre will no doubt expose more people to this tool’s power.
Chris Browne Valenzuela
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