Commedia dell'arte
v Italian Renaissance
Ø Late 1300s to about the1600s
Ø Period of great cultural change and achievement
Ø Transition between Medieval and Early Modern Europe
Ø Rekindled interest in Greek and Roman
§ Thought,
§ Literature
§ Art
Ø Two form of comedy in Italy:
§ Commedia erudite
· Learned comedy
· Private performances
§ Commedia dell’ Arte
· Popular comedy
· Professional and open to the public
v Commedia dell'arte
Ø "comedy of professional artists"
Ø "comedy of humors"
Ø Improvised Comedy
Ø 1550 - 1750
§ most popular between 1575 and 1650
v Contents of Commedia dell’ Arte
Ø Improvisation
Ø Masked fools
Ø Acrobatic tricks
Ø Intrigue plots
Ø Satire
Ø Music
v Its beginnings: ??
Ø Before 16th century not much is known
§ Fragments from letters and diaries indicate its existence before the 16th century
§ First mentioned in history in the 1560s
Ø Two playwrights of Roman comedies are credited for influencing Commedia dell’ Arte:
§ Titus Maccius Plautus: 254 BC – 184BC
§ Publius Terentius Afer (Terence): --159 BC
v Place & Performance
Ø Drum announces the actors’ arrival to a city
Ø Performances held almost anywhere:
§ In town squares or at courts
§ Indoors or outdoors
§ On improvised stages or in permanent theaters
v Themes
Ø Adultery
Ø Jealousy
Ø Old age
Ø Love
v Scripts
Ø Rough storyline: summarization of the situations, complications and the outcome
Ø Also called scenario or canvas
Ø Actors perform spontaneously by improvising their dialogues
Ø Thus, details differed at every performance
v Actors
Ø The heart of Commedia dell’ arte and the only essential element
Ø Usually 10-12 actors per troupe
§ 7-8 male; 3-4 female
Ø One actor rarely played more than one character
Ø Performances were spontaneous; thus each actor must be quick and witty to respond appropriately
v Stock Characters
Ø The same characters appeared in every play
Ø The most essential part of Commedia
Ø Identified by their costumes, masks or props such as slapstick
Ø Divided into 3 categories:
§ Lovers (Innamorati)
· Most realistic roles
· Young and handsome
· Did not wear masks
· Dressed in latest fashions
· Were children of the masters
· Come in obvious pairs
¨ Masculine and feminine versions of the same name
Ø I.e. Flavio and Flavia or Ottavio and Ottavia
¨ Dressed in similar colors
· Often required to sing, play an instrument or recite poetry
· Lust, romance, vanity, and little sense were usually their characteristics
§ Masters
· Pantalone
¨ Elderly Venetian merchant and the father of one of the lovers
¨ Obsessed with money
¨ Mean and miserable
¨ Costume: tight-fitting red vest, red breeches and stockings, soft slippers, a black ankle-length coat, a soft, brimless cap, a brown mask with a large hooked nose, and a scraggly gray beard
· Dottore
¨ Pantalone’s friend or rival
¨ Possessed a high profession such as lawyer or doctor
¨ Loved to show off his “supposed wisdom” through his speeches in Latin
¨ In reality, was gullible and easily tricked
¨ Dressed in academic cap and gown of the time
· Capitano
¨ Originally was a lover, but over time transformed into braggart and coward
¨ Boasted of his prowess in love and war
¨ Costume: a cape, sword, and feathered headdress
¨ Typically an unwelcome suitor to one of the young women
§ Servants (Zanni)
· 2-4 per troupe—at least one clever and one stupid
· Fantesca (female maid)
¨ Normally young, witty, and ready for intrigue
¨ Had her own affair while assisting the mistress with hers
· La Ruffiana
¨ An old woman, either the mother or a village gossiper
¨ Whore
¨ Shady
· Cantarina and Ballerina often took part in the comedy, but for the most part their job was to sing, dance, or play music.
· Arlecchino (Harlequin)
¨ Also known as: Truffaldino and Trivellino
¨ Originally of minor importance, he soon became the most popular
¨ Was both cunning and stupid, a stunning acrobat and dancer
¨ Could usually be found in the middle of any intrigue
¨ Illiterate, but pretends to read
¨ Costume: evolved from a suit with irregularly placed multicolored patches into one with a diamond-shaped red, green, and blue pattern, a rakish hat above a black mask, and a slapstick
· Another male servant, usually went by the name Brighella, Scapino, Mezzetino, or Flautino
¨ Harlequin’s partner
¨ Thrives on double dealings, intrigue, and foul play
¨ Cynical liar and a thief—would do anything for money
¨ Sleazy, seductive, and often cruel
¨ Costume: mask with a hooked nose and moustache, a jacket and trousers ornamented with a green braid
· Pulcinello
¨ A Neopolitan
¨ Had various functions
Ø Servant
Ø Host of an inn
Ø Merchant
¨ Had a huge hooked nose, a humped back, and wore a pointed cap
¨ Cruel bachelor who chased pretty girls
¨ Ancestor of the English puppet Punch
v Lazzi
Ø Stage business
Ø Humorous interjections which had nothing to do with the play itself such as:
§ Humorous remarks
§ Acrobatics
§ Juggling
§ Wrestling
Ø Each actor has a notebook filled with well-rehearsed comic action such as:
§ Sententious remarks
§ Figures of speech
§ Love discourses
§ Rebukes
Ø Used to:
§ Fill up time
§ Occasionally amuse the audience
§ Create a change of pace
Ø Different forms of Lazzi: Lazzo of…
§ Fear
§ Weeping and laughing
§ Knocking at the door
§ Fight
Ø Influence of Commedia dell’ Arte
§ By 1600s, it became popular in other European countries
§ Moliere—French playwright during 17th century
§ Punch and Judy show
§ Shakespeare’s plays such as “The Tempest”
§ The silent treatment of mime
§ Beaumarchais’ Le Barbier de Seville
· Innamorati of the Count and Rosine
· The zanni Brighella is Figaro
References
Ball, Robert J., and Oscar G. Brockett. The Essential Theatre. United Kingdom: Thomson Wadsworth, 2000.
Chaffee, Judith. Judith Chaffee’s Commedia Website. < http://www.commedia-dell-arte.com/>
Claudon, David. A Thumbnail History of Commedia Dell’ Arte. 15 Oct. 2003. http://www.davidclaudon.com/arte/commedia.html
Commedia dell’ Arte. 20 Sep. 2006. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commedia_dell%27arte
Herrick, Marvin T. Italian Comedy in the Renaissance. London: University of Illinois Press, 1966.
Smith, Winifred. The Commedia Dell’ Arte. New York: Benjamin Blom, Inc, 1964.