Commedia dell arte

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Commedia dell arte

• Stock Characters

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The MASTERS
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Who are the Masters?

• Pantalone
• Il Dottore
• Il Capitano
• Isabella
• The Lovers

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Pantalone

•  Origins Venetian Merchant
• Status Top of the order, Pantalone has money
• Costume Black jacket, red tights, yellow shoes

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• Stance Old mans stoop
• Walk Small steps
• Movement looking around, falls on back with bad
  news
• Gesture Hands Active/Behind Back

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• Characteristic Everything can be bought
• Animal Chicken
• Repertorio Never well, news is always bad

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Pantalones mask
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Il Dottore

•  Origins Carnival figure
• Status Bachelor or widower One of the father
  to the lovers
• Costume Black academic dress

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• Stance Big belly weight on heels
• Walk Small steps in a figure eight
• Movement Static
• Gesture Needs all the space for himself

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• Characteristic Knows everything about
  everything
• Animal Pig
• Repertorio I have a story about that..

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Il Dottores mask
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El Capitano

•  Origins fake Spanish mercenary
• Status A loner Pretends high status but loses
  it
• Costume Military attire

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• Stance In attention or stand at ease
• Walk Big steps maximum space
• Movement Straight back, big strides
• Gesture Extravagant and sustained

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• Characteristic
• - Political - if the Turks invade, he becomes a
  Turk
• -Total coward
• -Danger to himself
• -Thinks he is good looking and Gods gift
• Animal Peacock
• Repertorio Id crush you like an onion between
  my teeth

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El Capitanos mask
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 The Lovers

• Name Immorati
• Physical young, attractive, latest fashion
• Mask No mask
• Walk ballet/based on dance master
• Gesture Airy
• Characteristic Cant solve own problems

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Isabella

•  Origins from a 16th century
• Status Prima Donna daughter of Pantalone
• Costume Well dressed

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• Speech refined
• Characteristics -Flirtatious, provocative and
  stubborn

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The Servants
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Who are the Servants?

• The servants are made up of the ZANNI
• Working class and bottom of the rung but
  even they have a pecking order
• They include Arlecchino Brighella Colombina
  Perdolino PulcinellaTartagalia

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Arlecchino

• Origins Zanni servant from the country. Means
  little devil.
• Status Usually servant to Pantalone.
• Relationships In love with Columbina or Isabella
• Costume Peasant costume patches

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• Props Slapstick
• Stance Bent ready to jump, hands in belt
• Walk Zanni walk, more ballet/3time step
• Movement Mask first, then body
• Gesture Slow brain fast movement/hands

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• Characteristics never the loser not malicious
• Animal cat/monkey
• Audience Sometimes aware of them
• Repertorio Actions like falling down

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Arlecchinos Mask
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Brighella

• Origins First zanni brig means trouble
• Status Base Zanni/ Head waiter
• Relationship Unscrupulous will sell mother to
  make money
• Never a victim
• Costume White with green chord

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• Props dagger
• Stance first position ballet, chest forward
• Walk Zanni torso side to side, head straight
• Movement cat like panther

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• Characteristics Astute, humorous, quick-witted,
  sarcastic
• Animal Lazy cat toying with mouse
• Repertorio Always hungry, thinks hes cool

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Brighella mask
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Colombina

• Status Maid to immorati (lovers)
• Relationships Loves Arlecchino and is friendly
  pestered by other men
• Costume maids dress

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• Props basket
• Stance One knee bent - other extended
• Walk Flick of foot zanni walk
• Movements fast and nimble
• Gesture on hips, good mimic

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• Characteristics Only rational person,
  self-sufficient, non-negative
• Animal Doe
• Audience With them, can see what fools the rest
  are.

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Pulcinella

• Origins Means little chicken
• Status banker/lawyer
• Relationship has a loved one/ domesticated
• Physical humped back
• Costume baggy white costume with belt

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• Props crude short slapstick
• Stance weight on one leg
• Walk small/ jerky skip
• Movements slow and top heavy
• Gesture Broad and sparring

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• Characteristics Either played stupid pretending
  to be clever or clever pretending to be stupid
• Animal Rooster
• Audience Direct and quarrelsome

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Pulcinella mask
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Pedrolino or Pierrot

• Origins developed over time
• Status bottom of pecking order
• Relationship youngest son
• Physical small
• Costume baggy white costume doesnt fit

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• No Mask white face
• Stance Third position
• Walk straight lines
• Movements head moves like a chicken
• Gesture elbows up

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• Characteristics Strong in the face of misery.
  Totally honest always tired
• Animal Pack mule human animal
• Audience A loner sometimes doesnt speak a
  mute

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Tartaglia

• Origins Means to stammer
• Status banker/lawyer
• Relationship older man friend of the masters
• Physical pot bellied and completely bald
• Costume green and yellow

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• Stance weight on heels belly forward
• Walk a waddle
• CharacteristicsA stammer get stuck on words
  and has to use others
• Animal Duck

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