maybe, wait for the toilet

life is not life without stench

He is remembered by many as a master, a legend. We knew him as a madman in a stained shirt. When Dario Fo won the Nobel Prize for “Accidental Death of an Anarchist” Carlo called him with the whole school to congratulate him.

I’m talking about my teacher, Carlo Mezzoni Clemente, one of the cofounders of the Dell Arte International School for Mime and Physical theatre.

He introduced us to Marceau as well. We met the master in person, backstage after a show.

Marceau was not impressive. He was in the dressing room as he was on stage. He said little with his mouth and his ‘performative’ expressive face said much less. Take away an expressive body and all that was left was an old grey man with a glass of bright red wine.

It was as though he could only sustain so much expression in any given engagement. It was as though he could speak with his body or speak with his voice. He was extremely economical with both when he met our class.

I still fantasize about Marceal playing the ‘Tin Man’ in Wiz…