Ombelico Mask Ensemble Tackles Hamlet During 2016 Philadelphia Fringe Festival September 15-24

After exploring the Greeks last year, Ombelico Mask Ensemble is scrambling up the 2016 Philadelphia Fringe Festival with their madcap exploration of Shakespeare, Omeletto, Like Hamlet Only Scrambled. This World Premiere runs September 15-September 24, Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 6 p.m. at Liberty Lands Park in Northern Liberties. More information about the company can be found atwww.ombelicomask.org. Information about the Philadelphia Fringe Festival can be found at www.fringearts.com.

This year Ombelico is turning its madcap commedia skills towards tackling Shakespeare and Hamlet. For, Omeletto, Like Hamlet Only Scrambled they will use Shakespeare's script as their jumping off point, but from there audiences will have to see where the story goes.

Ombelico Mask Ensemble brings outrageously fun theater to outdoor spaces in Philadelphia and beyond, through the physically raucous style of Commedia dell'Arte. With a faithful eye to the past, the company hopes to reinvigorate Commedia and explore its relevance for a modern audience.

Performances
Thursday, September, 15 6 p.m.
Friday, September, 16 6 p.m.
Saturday, September 17, 6 p.m.
Friday, September 23, 6 p.m.
Saturday, September 24, 6 p.m.
All show are at Liberty Lands Park in Northern Liberties

About the Performers

Angelo Aiello, an inventive puppeteer, storyteller, director, and teacher of creative theater, began his journey as a burattinaio in the commedia dell'arte tradition in 2001 with the company Arrivano dal Mare! in Cervia (RA). This led him to participate in many festivals in Italy and abroad (France, Belgium, Austria, Israel, Poland). In 2007, he participated in La ci darem la mano, a show dedicated to Mozart's Don Giovanni, under the direction of Roberto De Simone. In September of 2013, Angelo participated in the World Wayang Puppet Carnival's International Festival of Puppet Theater in Jakarta, Indonesia. He is also a teaching artist for traditional burattino theater with the Ombelico Mask Academy in Italy. Since 2008, Angelo operates as a burattinaio and teacher, often collaborating with the Cultural Association "Mammalucco" in Taurianova (RC). He also offers workshops in puppet construction, utilizing recycled material.

Andrew Clotworthy is happy to be working with Ombelico again. He is a Philadelphia-based songwriter and performer, and a 2010 graduate of the Rowan University theatre program. Alongside a handful of past roles with OME, he has performed with the Maryland Shakespeare Festival, EgoPo Classic Theater, and the Philadelphia Artists' Collective. You can find some of his music, serious and comedic, atsoundcloud.com/clotworthy. Love to the cast, crew, his family and friends.

Brendon Gawel is a performer, director, teacher, mask-maker and Co-Artistic Director of Ombelico Mask Ensemble. Directing credits include Ombelico Mask Ensemble, Windsor Mountain Traveling Theatre, Mum Puppettheatre, West Chester University, Drexel University and Arden Theatre. Performance credits include Ombelico Mask Ensemble, Mum Puppettheatre, Enchantment Theatre, Lantern Theater, McCarter Theatre, and Clowns Without Borders. He holds a BFA in Acting from the University of the Arts, and studied physical theatre with Pig Iron Theatre and Commedia dell'Arte with Maestro Antonio Fava. For six years, he was a writer and puppeteer for the Sprout Television Network.

Originally from Philadelphia, John V. Bellomo is a Director/ Actor/ Movement Specialist. He is currently an Assistant Professor at West Chester University and is the former Artistic Director of The Maryland Shakespeare Festival and current Co-Artistic Director for Ombelico Mask Ensemble. His directing Credits include: Oedipussy, The Rivals, What the Water Gave Me, All's Well That Ends Well, As You Like It, Romeo & Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, The Do's and Don'ts of Time Travel, The Bros. Flanagan, The Capitano Duped, The Power of Magic, Fuddy Meers, A Lesson Before Dying, The Nina Variations, and Oleanna, in the U.S.; A Midsummer's Night's Dream, The Tempest, Twelfth Night andAs You like It for Teatro Delle Due, in Reggio Emilia, Italy. John's fight choreography has been nominated 6 times for a Barrymore Award, Philadelphia's theatre awards, and is a one-time recipient for his fight choreography on The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity. He received an M.F.A. in Directing from Temple University and a B.F.A. in Acting from the University of the Arts. He has taught Stage Combat at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, Teatro in Polvere in Milan, Accademia Internazionale dello Spettacolo in Calabria Italy, The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York, Rowan University in New Jersey and Temple University in Philadelphia. John is also a graduate of The International School for the Comic Actor in Italy where he studied commedia dell'arte with Italian Maestro Antonio Fava. As a founding member of Teatro Ronda, an international commedia dell'arte company, John has performed with actors from England, Poland, Switzerland and Italy. Their original commedia play, Two Servants for a Master was performed in Arden Delaware, Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Krakow Poland, and Monte Verita Switzerland. His one man commedia show, Dead Man's Mambo, played to rave reviews in Frederick and Washington D.C. and recently won Audience Choice Award at the 2016 Shenandoah Fringe Festival.

Claire Loiseau (Performer): Born in the South West of France, firstly photographer and teacher, Claire Loiseau has received a body and voice theatrical training ( J.Lecoq pedagogy -neutral mask, commedia dell'arte, buffoon, clown), studied dance ( Tango argentino, Lindy Hop) and singing ( jazz, polyphony) throughout various workshops all over Europe. Performer in corporal theatre as well as actress for cinema (short and feature films) and T.V, she combines her own creations and artistic collaborations in other companies (Ombellico Mask Ensemble, Tàbola rassa). Crazy about foreign languages, she keeps questioning the synergy of all performing arts.

Yarit Dor (Performer) works as a performer, movement director and fight choreographer in London, UK. She is a former dancer and dramaturge of Hagit Yakira Dance Company and currently coaches actors in movement, commedia dell'arte and stage combat in several drama conservatoires. She trained in contemporary dance at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance after which she continued her training in theatre directing at Rose Bruford College, in Jacques Lecoq's physical theatre and devising at LISPA and in stage combat with the BASSC. www.yarit-dor.com

Enric Ortuño (Performer) is an actor, fight choreographer and teacher living in London and has performed in productions combining puppetry, mask work, physical and musical theatre. He holds a BA in Musical Theatre from the Murcia Drama Conservatoire in Spain, an MA in Movement Studies from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and is a Stage Combat teacher with the BASSC.www.enricortuno.com

Rachel Icenogle (Cellist/Composer) is a versatile cellist with a mind for new and interesting sounds. Specializing in experimental music, she loves to explore the tonal palette of her instrument. Past Philadelphia theater and dance collaborations include Ombelico Mask Ensemble, BRAT Productions, Transmissions Theater, SWARM, and Birds on a Wire. She composes music for puppet shows with Compagnia Aiello, and is currently a member of Philadelphia bands Upholstery and Cast Shadows.

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