Commedia Del Arte An Overview What it is

Commedia Del Arte An Overview

What it is § Commedia Del Arte means comedy done by professionals § Developed first in Italy during the late 15 th Century to enact popular folk tales through improvisation. § Traveled and became popular throughout all of Europe by early 16 th Century. § Professional actors would play a stock character for many years and companies were formed that would tour the countryside

More History § Groups would tour to trade fairs called Carnivals and “Lazzi” or comic bits would be performed within the stories they acted. § If the audience didn’t understand the language, the actors would mime, juggle, or tumble and do more physical “Lazzi. ” § The Commedia tradition lasted through the early 19 th Century when Gypsy bands would travel around the Slavic countries

Even More History § The Commedia tradition led to burlesque the Vaudevillian theatre of the Jewish population in Russia, Germany and other countries and immigrated to America through this culture. § Early film employed Commedia technique in the work or Charley Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd and Laurel and Hardy as well as the Marx Brothers comedy style.

Still even more § Television employed stock characters in the development of situation comedies and cartoon shows…all branches of the Commedia tradition of stock characters in new situations but with predictable behaviors and characters the audience knows and relates to.

The Mask § Not all characters in Commedia wore masks but all characters presented were said to portray “a mask” or an artificial face. The main comic characters wore half face masks made of leather. Arlequino or Haalrquin

The Stock Characters § The Zanni - Peasant or slave. Comic underling. § Arlecchino- Has an enduring magical power and is a servant to Pantalone- wore odd shaped patches. Source of Harlequin. Acrobat, prankster, agile § Brighella- Kind of the boss of the other servants. Might be a sergeant or other midlevel boss type (Moe in the 3 stooges or Groucho in Marx Bros) thief and bully

The Old Men § The Old Men: The old men were wealthy and lusted after young women but were usually fooled or made a fool of in the end. § Pantalone- Very wealthy, old and in charge but foolish. § Il Dottore- Bachelor or widower. When he does marry he is cuckholded. Often the father to one of the lovers. Friend to Pantalone, absent minded and full of jargon and double talk.

Still more characters § Il Capitano- Self appointed captain and braggart who in the face of real danger is a complete coward. Brags about female conquests he’s never had § Colombina - a female Zanni- A spirited, clever, flirt. A servant usually to Pantalone and usually assists the lovers in their quest to get together. Companion to Arlecchino.

Il Capitano and Isabella

More Characters § The Lovers: Young Male (inammorati) and Female lead (Innamortae)who’s love is blocked by the circumstances of the story. § Isabella - One of the most popular female forms of the lover who was kind of a primadonna, stuck up and openly flirtatious § Il Cavaliere - Young male who was a soldier and attractive to women for his virility. But he was very unfaithful in his love.

Pantalone and Il Dotore

More still § Pedrolino - The youngest son in a family. . the § § butt of jokes, a hunchback. Pulcinella- Means little chicken and that’s kind of what he was. Scapino - a lead Zanni, played multiple instruments or very accrobatic. Crafty but cowardly Scaramuccia - Means little fighter. He was a servant to a poor gentleman. Large mustache. Tartaglia - a stammerer or stutterer, frequently a lawyer

Il Capitano and Scaramouche

Zanni Masks

Pulcinnella and Brighella

The Lovers

Columbine and Isabella

Commedia Assignment § In Breakfast Club groups you will create a short § § § scenario using the “Simpson’s” or “I Love Lucy” television show characters as your stock characters. Create a 3 to 5 minute skit playing the characters in the scenario. Create Lazzi (comedy bits) inside the scenario. This is not a script and should be improvised from the plan.