Newman's Commedia Mask Company

Handmade Leather Performance Masks

Maskmaker extraordinaire, Newman makes leather Commedia Dell'Arte and Neutral masks specifically for performers and actor training.

The leather masks are made from 5 to 6 oz (3mm to 4mm thick) vegetable tanned cowhide; wet formed on hand carved wooden matrices and shaped and refined with bone smoothing tools and horn mallets. Using traditional Italian techniques and self discovered innovations; Newman's leather masks are strong, lightweight and comfortable to wear.

About Newman

A native of London, England, Newman studied:

• Philosophy at the University of Warwick, England.
• Western Saddle Making with Gail Denman in a program offered by Portland State University, Oregon.
• Mask Carving and Ritual Mask Performance with Ida Bagus Anom in the village of Mas, Bali.
• Commedia Dell'Arte and the use of the Neutral Mask for physical actor training at Dell'Arte International School in California under Joan Schirle.
• The Italian techniques of Commedia Dell'Arte and Neutral Mask Making with Donato Sartori in Padova, Italy.

Curriculum Vitae

Newman has made leather performance masks for:

• Cirque du Soleil Saltimbanco (Paris)
• Teatro Zinzanni (San Fransisco)
• and many other performance troupes throughout North America, Australia and Europe.

Leather Neutral Masks and Commedia Masks for Theatre training programs at:

• The Central School of Speech and Drama (London)
• Globe Theatre (London)
• The Swedish National Theatre (Stockholm)
• The University of California (Berkeley and Fresno)
• and countless Universities and Schools throughout Europe, Australia and the Americas.

Prices

All the Leather Masks on this website are US$175.00 each.
Purchases of six or more masks are US$150.00 each.
Plus Shipping.

The more than forty Leather Stock Commedia Character Masks made by Newman are divided into six "families":

• Arlecchino and Brighella
• The Principle Zannis & Lesser Zannis
• The Capitanos
• The Pulcinellas
• The Dottores
• The Pantalones