Commedia del Arte

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Commedia del Arte
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Origin of Commedia dell Arte

• Emerged in Tuscany, Italy around 1550.
• Began in the Renaissance (rebirth) as a result
  of a rise in the middle class (merchants,
  scientists, artists, educated)
• Theatre moved away from religious
  morality/passion plays
• Art became more realistic, a move away from
  religious art, a focus on humans rather than
  gods. Secular.

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Origin of Commedia del Arte

• Roots founded in the comedies of ancient Rome
• Masked characters
• Stock characters
• Presented in the homes of wealthy patrons or town
  squares
• Preordained situations about jealousy, adultery,
  old age, love
• Sometimes satirized local scandals or current
  events

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Commedia del Arte

• Characters were identified by costumes, masks,
  and/or props
• Performances spread throughout Europe during 16th
  and 17th centuries to Spain, France, and England
• Evolved in 18th century into vaudeville and
  influenced animated cartoons, situation comedy,
  and even professional wrestling
• Root of Improvisational Theatre

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Commedia dell Arte

• Male comedic characters masked, female characters
  and lovers not masked
• Del Arte company consisted of 10-12 traveling
  players. Each assigned a stock part.
• Versimilitude true to life
• unity of TIME, PLACE, ACTION

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Commedia dell Arte Characters

• Zanni Clever male servants (orig. zany)
• Arlecchino
• Spoke directly to audience
• Acrobatic
• Used slapstick wooden stick
• Wears cat face mask diamond print costume

• Brighella
• Slow, dishonest, cruel
• Will do anything for money
• Musician

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Commedia dell Arte Characters

• Il Dottore friend of Pantalone, a quack,
  pompous, fraudulent, overweight

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Commedia dell Arte Characters

• Pantalone a rich, old, miserly merchant, with a
  young wife or adventurous daughter

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Commedia dell Arte Characters

• La Ruffiana mother or gossipy townswoman who
  intrudes on lives of lovers

• Inamorata/o leading woman/man, did not wear a
  mask, beautifully dressed, refined language