Organizing

• Commedia dell’ Arte
• Shakespeare
• Improv comedy
• Dance music - cello

Teaching Since 1993

throughout the SCA;

Professionally since 2022

Doing the administrative work to create Performing Arts and learning opportunities in the SCA and modern venues.

Performing

Teaching

SCA RESUME

Baroness Sophia the Orange

www.sophia.scottandlara.com

orangesophie@gmail.com

Last updated 28 FEB 2023

AKA: Lara Coutinho-Dean

Barony of Windmasters’ Hill

Kingdom of Atlantia

Summary

• 31 years of SCA experience in multiple kingdoms
• Professional level experience in Theater, specializing in Commedia dell’ Arte
• Offices held at local, kingdom, and global SCA Event levels

​

Updates from

OCT 2021 to DEC 2022

Professional Performing resume: CLICK HERE

• Hired as Producer and Actor for professional production of Midsummer Night’s Dream in Durham and

Cary, NC.

• Hired as Actor in professional company “Dinner Detective” performing in murder mystery dinner entertainment throughout central NC.
• Hired as the first ever Commedia dell'Arte Instructor for the Town of Cary - Performing Arts Education Department.
• Produced multiple performances (Self-produced and SCA) of two, new original Commedia scenarios with i Firenzi:
• “The Dog Servant” written by Master Christian of i Sebastiani
• “Midsummer Night’s Commedia” Co-written by Mistress Luceta di Cosimo and myself.
• Performed at Pennsic with Commedia All Stars 2022
• Took Actor’s Performance workshop from “Shakespeare and Co.”
• Performed new monologue: Hermione’s Trial Speech from Shakespeare’s “The Winter’s Tale”
• Created 3 new SCA classes in 2022:
• Commedia Everything in 50 minutes
• How to use the Atlantia Wiki
• Dancers Working With Live Musicians - Co-created with Mistress Azza and Lord Dafydd Arth
• SEPT 2022: Warranted as Editor of “The Oak” a newsletter online for the Atlantia Arts & Sciences Community.
• Created new version of newsletter online with Wordpress https://oak.atlantia.sca.org/

Updates from

JAN 2023 - FEB 2023

Professional Performing resume: CLICK HERE

• Started 3 year term as Atlantia Kingdom Minister for Arts and Sciences
• One year anniversary as Actor in professional company “Dinner Detective” performing in murder mystery dinner entertainment throughout central NC.
• Created Summer Workshop in Commedia dell'Arte for the Town of Cary - Performing Arts Education Department.
• Produced performance of “The Dog Servant” with i Firenzi for Atlantia 12th Night event
• Shepherded i Firenzi member’s special ceremony for induction into the Order of the Pearl for their work in Commedia.
• Self-Produced contribution to International Commedia dell’ Arte Day “Midsummer Night’s Commedia”
• Produced the show with a 3 hour rental at a local community center
• Created a new Commedia dell’ Arte track with 7 classes for Winter Session of Atlantia University:

Commedia dell'Arte Expert �with supporting skills in music, dance, improvisation, teaching and administrative production

Commedia dell’ Arte Expert �with supporting skills in music, dance, improvisation, teaching, and administrative production

Commedia dell’ Arte Expert �with supporting skills in music, dance, improvisation, teaching and administrative production

Commedia dell’ Arte Expert �with supporting skills in music, dance, improvisation, teaching, and administrative production

Performing

Special Project the band Musica Subterranea

Musica Subterranea (www.musicasub.org ) started in 1997 and continues today

• Co-Created a music ensemble for the purpose of making recordings of SCA period music for SCA dance that is arranged for SCA choreographies and copyright friendly.
• Copyright is owned by the band so that it can be easily licensed to SCAdians.
• Many videos have licensed MS recordings since COVID began
• Recently, 3 projects for the First Bardic War used MS tunes
• Recorded 104 dance tunes on 5 CDs between 1997 – 2016.
• Played live for dance events regularly from 1997 – 2007
• Special events performances at SCA 50 Year and Midrealm 50 Year events.
• Serve as the Producer and Lead Organizer for the band.
• Play the cello and occasional percussion.

Teaching – Where? Throughout the SCA

Teaching - Commedia

Created the following Commedia classes which I teach continually:

• Introduction to Commedia dell’ Arte
• Commedia for Non Actors
• Managing Troupes for Commedia dell’ Arte
• Commedia Workshop 201
• Improvisation Skills for Commedia Characters
• How to Perform Commedia Characters
• How to Run an Iron Commedia Session
• How to Make Commedia Happen in Your Local SCA Group
• Period Commedia Performed for Modern Audiences
• Commedia dell’ Arte by Barry Grantham
• Late Period Theater – CoTaught with Meriorie Matheson
• Body Movement for Commedia
• Commedia Everything in 50 Minutes

Special Project: Compleat Anachronist #173

• Wrote the Compleat Anachronist issue #173 “Bring Commedia dell’ Arte to Life”
• Delegated 3 specific pieces to Subject Matter Experts:
• Mistress Drea di Peligrini wrote a section on costuming
• Lord Eoin Drake wrote a section on making leather masks
• Master Manus MacDhai (my husband) wrote a section on building portable stages
• Mistress Luceta di Cosimo helped me with research
• CA #173 was written as a companion to #172 written by Luceta
• Compleat Anachronist #172 focuses on history, specific stock characters, and scenarios
• CA #173 and #172 are often used as class handouts throughout the SCA and at Pennsic
• CA #173 and #172 are currently being used as reading material for the Town of Cary Introduction to Commedia classes

Teaching – General Performing Skills

Created the following general performing skills classes:

• Creating a Performing Group in the SCA
• Improvisation Skills for SCA Life
• Responsible Performing in the SCA
• How to Create and Run a Kingdom Sized Performing Arts Program
• Finding Research Materials for Performing Arts in the SCA
• Bardic Circles 101 / “Running and Participating in Bardic Circles”
• Performing Arts Best Practices
• Performing Arts Feedback
• Taking the Teeth Out of Stagefright (my version) – class created originally by my sister Mistress Lucia Braganca a Firenze of the Midrealm. Sometimes we teach this together.
• Performing Arts Roundtables
• Theater in the SCA

Teaching – Dance and Dance Music

Created the following Dance and Dance Music classes:

• SCA Dance Music sources, both modern and historic
• Pentamere Dances Collection
• If David Bowie Had Lived In Period (Contrapasso in Due in three styles)
• Buffens Sword Dance from Arbeau
• Queen Adelhait’s Pavane and Other SCA Choreographies
• Dance steps for ~30 SCA period dances
• Dancers Working With Live Musicians

Special Project �i Scandali (Midrealm)

Special Project �i Firenzi

Special Project: Commedia All Stars Troupe At Pennsic

• Created a troupe that performs only at Pennsic
• Performing annually since 2014
• Troupe rehearses at Pennsic and performs on Thursday of War Week
• Members come from multiple kingdoms
• Provides the opportunity for commedia actors without a troupe at home to perform commedia with other experienced actors.
• Size of cast ranges from 10-15 people
• Production sometimes incorporates “extras” so any Pennsic attendee can participate in a small role

Special Project: Atlantia Royal Players

• A team of ~10-12 performers who also do the administrative work to create opportunities for performers of all kinds to perform in Atlantia.
• Started in 2016, during Royal Court at Pennsic, with the blessing and support of Queen Thora and King Dietrich of Atlantia.
• Members sign up themselves and only need to dedicate some time to supporting the team’s mission.
• A report of the accomplishments of each player is written once per reign and sent to the Crowns.
• Blog post for Year #4 Team: http://perform.atlantia.sca.org/atlantias-royal-players-year-4-biographies/
• Launch of Royal Players Program in 2016: http://perform.atlantia.sca.org/the-royal-players-of-atlantia-a-new-program/

Special Project: �Tri Kingdom University Tournament

• A game for encouraging participation in online learning via three kingdom universities: Midrealm, Meridies, and Atlantia.
• Originally inspired by a Tri Kingdom University Event that had been planned for September 2020 but cancelled due to COVID.
• Open to anyone throughout the world who teaches online and reports what they taught.
• Tournament ran from June 12 – July 18, 2021. Any class taught in that time frame counted.
• Teachers self-reported their classes via Google form and assigned their points to the kingdom of their choice.
• Totals: 363 classes reported; 103 teachers participated
• Winner announcement video: https://youtu.be/V4buR_nIfxI
• Details on website: https://university.atlantia.sca.org/tkut.php

Teaching – Other SCA Life and Online Skills

Created the following general SCA Life classes:

• Conflict Resolution Methods for 2 people (people not heraldry)
• Organizing Performing Arts in the SCA for Event Staff and Performers
• How to Create a Class From What You Know (Co-Created with my sister)
• “Courting Technology Part 1” How to create virtual courts and livestream them
• How to Create and Run A Virtual Event – Official and Unofficial
• How to use the Atlantia Wiki

Videos: Classes��I directed, acted, livestreamed, and edited video for each of these videos�except where noted

Videos: Classes��I directed, acted, livestreamed, and edited video for each of these videos�except where noted

• Royal University of the Midrealm (RUM) virtual classes
• All RUM classes livestreamed and edited by RUM staff
• Commedia dell’ Arte for the Audience, 11 MAY 20
•  https://youtu.be/esEYXy-RjxI
• Making Commedia dell’ Arte Happen in the SCA, 1 JUNE 2020
• https://youtu.be/0W6a6ezR7Ag
• Body Movement for Commedia dell’ Arte – Advanced, 20 NOV 2020
• https://youtu.be/bAZVjwCh0mc
• Taking the Teeth out of Stagefright, 8 JUN 20, Sophie and Lucia
• https://youtu.be/bqeLd7MucN4
• Use Google Resources To Mimic A Website For an SCA Hobby, 15 JUNE 20 
• https://youtu.be/DhIEDywRu88
• Conflict Resolution for People (Not Heraldry), 11 MAY 20
• https://youtu.be/gQ_K9cxc1tQ
• My sister’s (Mistress Lucia Braganca A Firenze) class “How To Create A Class From What You Already Know” was a class I was deeply involved in co-creating with her: https://youtu.be/acG2GQtWbKo
• Navigating eSCA, 17 MARCH 2021
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tF_LogAEKtM
• Creating Online Events 30 JUNE 2021
• https://youtu.be/dE3ubuL8_j4

Videos: Performances��I directed, acted, livestreamed, and edited video for each of these videos�except where noted

My �Ongoing Development

I take training from international Commedia professionals

​

• Barry Grantham, author of “Playing Commedia”, 5 day workshop in Oxford, England with the Chalemie School in 2019
• Fabrizio Paladin, Venice, Teatro Machera, 6 weekend long workshops online in 2020

Organizing Performing Arts

Official Atlantia�Positions Served

New in SEPT 2022: Editor of “The Oak” a newsletter online for the Atlantia Arts & Sciences Community

https://oak.atlantia.sca.org/

Atlantia University

• Created new position, Deputy for Online Learning, in response to COVID lockdown, in June 2020
• Chancellor Adriana le Bretton invited me to create the position
• I run consultation sessions as “Open Office Hours” in the weeks running up to each University session to help teachers create online classes
• I teach classes on how to use online tools like Zoom, You Tube, Facebook, and Google Applications for information sharing.
• I created the Tri-Kingdom University Tournament to encourage online teaching
• I have served as Tech Support for each university session since June 2020.
• I network with other universities to help them with their online options.
• From 2007 to present, I have 87 credits as an Instructor, and 58 credits as a Student.
• I am ranked as #6 in total number of classes taught in the history of the University of Atlantia.
• I was granted the Honorary Doctorate of the University of Atlantia from Chancellor Adriana la Bretonne on September 18, 2021.

Atlantia Webminister Deputy for �Virtual Courts Management

• Started September 2020
• Served as key staff in creating new services to enable virtual courts for TRMs Anton and Luned
• Other key staff included Lord Alfarinn and Master Melchior during creation phase
• Taught 3 new staff volunteers the system we created using Zoom and You Tube
• Developed online class for our system and taught at multiple events SCA wide
• Assisted in virtual court staff for 2021 Crown, Coronation, and other events demonstrating transition to new hybrid in-person and virtual livestreaming

�Kingdom Arts and Sciences Festival 2021 - Competitions Technical Lead�

Summary

• 30+ years of SCA experience in multiple kingdoms
• Proven leadership in teams
• Innovative problem solving before and during COVID
• Technical skills used to support SCA community
• Proven dedication to teaching
• Offices held at local, kingdom, and global SCA Event levels
• Specialties in Commedia, other performing arts, and technical services consistently donated to support SCA communities globally
• 3 Paid positions in modern venues doing similar work