User:CandySunday101/sandbox/Anna Cottis

Anna Cottis is a Franco-British actress, director and playwright known for working with masks in theatre, notably Commedia dell'arte, and for her film and television work.

Biography
Anna Cottis was born in Wandsworth and grew up in London. From a young age she was part of Group 64 Youth Theatre in Putney, acting and directing. She initially studied Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge University then moved to Paris in 1989 to study theatre with Monika Pagneux and Philippe Gaulier, later becoming Monika Pagneux's assistant. She then studied acrobatics and clown at L'École Nationale du Cirque Annie Fratellini (later l'Academie Fratellini). As a clown she worked at the Cirque de Martinique, Cirque Christiane Bouglione, Cirque Nova, le Grand Cirque de l'Europe de l'Est and the Cirque de Paris.

Theatre
While at the Cirque de Paris she became interested in mask and in 1997 she participated in a Commedia dell'Arte workshop given by Carlo Boso in Paris with the Compagnie du Mystère Bouffe. A year later she took part in a second workshop and became part of the company, appearing in shows and teaching Commedia. She later began directing and writing her own shows, including Cendrillon s'en va-t-en guerre, L'histoire du sexe pour les femmes and Peste soit des avares !