Commedia dell'arte

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Commedia dell'Arte troupe Gelosi in a late 16th-century Flemish painting (Musée Carnavalet, Paris)

Commedia dell'Arte (Italian: "the comedy of art (of improvisation)") is a form of improvisational theatre that began in Italy in the 15th century, maintained its popularity through the 16th century, and is still performed today.^[1] Performances were unscripted, held outside and used few props. They were funded by donations and anyone could view the performance free of charge. A troupe consisted of ten people. Outside Italy the form was also known as "Italian Comedy".

Commedia dell'Arte faded from glory during the 18th century as new forms like comédie larmoyante gained in attraction in France. However, George Sand, Chopin and other literary elites rediscovered the ailing art form in Nohant, France in 1846. While exploring and discussing ancient forms of theatre, they discovered their interest in commedia dell'arte and constructed a theatre devoted to it in 1848. Commedia has received a great deal of attention from several 20th century theatre practitioners, including Jacques Copeau, Meyerhold, Jacques Lecoq and others, because of their wish to move away from naturalism.^[2]

Some theatre critics believe, however, that commedia may even date back to Roman times around 200 AD. It is thought that the Romans used commedia techniques in the theatre of the time, including some of the characters described below, although with different names. For example, the Romans had a character called Homerus who wore a military uniform and appeared to be brave, although when it came to battle he was always the first to flee. These are much the same characteristics of the more modern 'Il Capitano'. It is quite possible that this kind of improvised acting was passed down the Italian generations until the 1600s, when it was revived as a professional theatrical technique.

[edit] Characters

Designs for four commedia dell'arte figures by Claude Gillot, French, early 18th century

• Arlecchino - also known as Harlequin. Arlecchino is a clown. Typically acrobatic and mischievous, he is one of the zanni. He is a servant, and recognizable by the colorful diamond-shaped patches that traditionally were part of his costume. The part is sometimes substituted with Truffaldino, his son. His mask has a low forehead with a wart, and he sometimes wore a black stocking wound round the lower face and then up over the head. Arlecchino is often the servant of Pantalone, or sometimes of Il Dottore. He is in love with Colombina, but she only makes fun of him. He can often have a close relationship with the audience, involving them in the action or gesturing to them. The arlecchino character also tries to trick his masters and is always plotting and planning, but his plans never work.
• Brighella - plays either a shopkeeper or servant who is always looking for a way to profit from any given situation, and will cheerfully lie to save himself.
• Il Capitano (The Captain) - swashbuckling and bold, but not necessarily heroic, Il Capitano generally wears the military dress of the day. His attire is generally foppish and overdone. He is usually played as a braggart, a ladies' man, and a cavalier. He is motivated by his desire for sex. Il (or El) Capitano is in many ways similar (though usually younger than) Major Bloodnok of the Goon Show.
• Colombina - is the female counterpart of Arlecchino. She is also a servant and a member of the zanni. She frequently initiates the plot of the play and is usually portrayed as clever, crafty, and untamed. Her costume often had the same colored patches found in Arlecchino's outfit.
• Il Dottore - the doctor, appears to be a learned man, but generally that impression proves to be false. He is elderly, wealthy, and a member of the vecchi. Pedantic and miserly, he is hopelessly unsuccessful with women. In an attempt to impress, he prattles constantly about a topic. Everyone believes that what he is saying is true, but most of the time it is erroneous. This leads the dramatis personae into trouble and confusion.
• The Innamorati are the lovers. The innamorato and innamorata had many different names over time ("Isabella" was a particularly popular name for the woman, as was "Flavio" for the man). They are young, righteous, and hopelessly in love with one another. They wear the most fashionable dress of the day. They never play in mask. Often seen singing, dancing, or reciting poetry, they are frequently portrayed as the children of Dottore and Pantalone. This parentage depends on the circumstances of the plot. They are madly in love, but only manage to surmount the obstacles put in the way of their happiness at the end of the play.
• Pantalone - a member of the vecchi. He is the archetypal "old miser". He is quite wealthy but very greedy. He only cares about money and he will do anything to get it. His costume usually incorporates a long beard and red pants.
• Pedrolino - also known as "Pierrot" or "Pedro", is the loyal servant. He is hardworking, trustworthy, honest and devoted to his master. Charming and likable, he wears a loose white outfit with a neck ruff. When onstage Pedrolino tends to be the butt of physical jokes.
• Pulcinella - sometimes called "Punch," is portrayed as pitiable, helpless, and often physically disfigured. He usually has a hump, a distinct limp, or some other obvious physical deformity. In some portrayals he cannot speak, and expresses himself with squeaks or other strange sounds. His personality can be either foolish or sly and shrewd.
• Sandrone - is represented as a Modenese peasant who is crude, clever, and cunning. He wears a corduroy jacket, short corduroy pants, red and white cross-striped socks, flowers, a vest, farmer's boots, and sports a nightcap with a tassel.
• Scaramuccia - also known as Scaramouche, is a roguish character who wears a black velvet mask, black trousers, a shirt and a hat. He is usually portrayed as a buffoon or boastful coward.
• La Signora is the wife of Pantalone and the mistress of Pedrolino. She is tough, beautiful and calculating. She wears very wide dresses and very heavy makeup. She walks with a flick of the toe and her arms held far out to the sides of her body. She is often played by a man for comedic purposes.
• Tartaglia - short sighted with a terrible stutter, he is one of the stock old characters who appears in many scenarios as one of the lovers. His social status varies; he is sometimes a bailiff, lawyer, notary or chemist. Dramatist Carlo Gozzi turned him into a statesman, and so he remained thereafter. Tartaglia wears a large felt hat, an enormous cloak, oversized boots, a long sword, a giant mustache and a cardboard nose.
• Zanni - an eternally unfortunate servant.

[edit] Subjects of the Commedia dell'arte

Conventional plot lines were written on themes of adultery, jealousy, old age, and love. Many of the basic plot elements can be traced back to the Roman comedies of Plautus and Terence, some of which were themselves translations of lost Greek comedies of the fourth century BC. Performers made use of well-rehearsed jokes and stock physical gags, known as Lazzi and Concetti, as well as on-the-spot improvised and interpolated episodes and routines, called burle (singular burla, Italian for joke), usually involving a practical joke. Since the productions were improvised, dialogue and action could easily be changed to satirize local scandals, current events, or regional tastes, while still using old jokes and punch lines. Characters were identified by costumes, masks, and props, such as a type of baton known as a slapstick. These characters included the forebears of the modern clown, namely Harlequin (English for arlecchino) and Zanni.

The classic, traditional plot is that the innamorati are in love and wish to be married, but one elder (vecchio) or several elders (vecchi) are preventing this from happening, leading the lovers to ask one or more zanni (eccentric servants) for help. Typically the story ends happily, with the marriage of the innamorati and forgiveness for any wrongdoings. There are countless variations on this story, as well as many that diverge wholly from the structure, such as a well-known story about Arlecchino becoming mysteriously pregnant, or the Punch and Judy scenario.

[edit] Notes

[edit] Further reading

• The Strange Illness, by Rita Crump. Amazon.com, Players Press, Studio City CA Media:www.ppeps.com
• Commedia Dell'arte: An Actor's Handbook by John Rudlin
• Playing Commedia and Commedia Plays by Barry Grantham
• The Comic Mask and the Commedia dell'Arte by Antonio Fava
• The Innamorati by Midori Snyder is a novel with the commedia as its central conceit.
• One version of The Love Of Three Oranges is subtitled "A Play for the Theater That Takes the Commedia Dell'Arte of Carlo Gozzi and Updates it for the New Millennium". The authors are Carlo Gozzi and Hillary DePiano.
• Flamino Scala's Il Teatro delle Favole Rappresentative, translated into English by Henry F. Salerno as Scenarios of the Commedia dell'Arte.
• The Commedia dell'Arte by Kenneth Richards and Laura Richards is an overview of Commedia dell'Arte. It provides many original documents in translation including scenarios, lazzi and descriptions of characters, players and companies by contemporaries.
• Martin Green and John Swan's The Triumph of Pierrot: The Commedia Dell'Arte and the Modern Imagination discusses interpretations and adaptations of Commedia dell'Arte in 20th century literature, music, art, and film.
• An annotated bibliography from Judith Chaffee.
• Commedia dell'Arte: A Handbook for Troupes by Olly Crick and John Rudlin
• Screener for Commedia by Fava
• Description of Commedia Dell'arte