Commedia Dell'arte Flashcards
What does commedia dell’arte translate to?
Comedy of skills
What style of theatre is it?
Improvisational style
When did it flourish?
Europe 200 years ago
What originated from?
Clown-like and slap stick
Where did travelling companies perform?
Travelling companies of professional actors performed outdoors to the townspeople in places such as the public squares, backdrops, crops
How many people were in the travelling companies?
10 to 15 people
What did each person in a travelling company do?
Each member played a particular stock character. For example the tricky servant, greedy old man and young heroin
What were the masks and costumes designed for?
Designed for the characters personality
What type of story line was for each performance?
Generic story line for each to performance and did not have a script
Did the Masters wear anything?
Mask and costume
Did the Lovers where anything?
Paint in white
Did the Servants wear anything?
Mask and costume
What did they incorporate in their improvising dialogue?
Incorporating jokes, physical comedy and joke bits
What was the rule of this type of acting?
There was no script. Performance always played the same character the only changes their situations
What does comedy of skill refer to?
Refers to the skill that the professional comic actors develop
What type of skills did each professional comic actor develop?
They each had a set of jokes, funny speeches, comic insults, physical stance
Who were the great silent movie comedians?
Charlie Chaplin, buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd
What was the great silent movie industry?
Acrobatic physical comedy. For example sleep on the banana, punch, slap
What type of humour did the commedia troupes have?
Energetic and improvisatory humour
What was the commedia troupes similar to?
Similar to work done by contemporary improv comedy groups
What are examples of contemporary improv comedy groups?
Second city, the groundings, upright citizens Brigade
What did stock characters deal with?
Stock characters live on in modern sitcom characters and deal with challenging situations each week
What is the exact origin of commedia?
The exact origin is unclear. Most scholars believe it was influenced by ancient Roman and Greek comedy
What happened traditions did commedia have?
Mediaeval traditions of carnival acrobats and jugglers
Where did the first performance of commedia take place?
Padua Italy in 1545
How was the Italian society was swarming?
literary, scientific, scullery academics
What were the names like when the Italian society was swarming?
Illuminati, Intrepedi, Animosi Gelosi, Uniti, Confideti
Who were troupes run by?
One leader or director
What’s the type of masks did the actors wear?
Elaborate half masks that covered the top half. It had exaggerated facial features to convey the characters personality
What were the three plots?
- Two young lovers (inna morati) were kept apart by
- Old men, fathers (masters)
- Servants (zanni) helped outwit old men - bring lovers together
What would the plots like?
Scenarii - simple
What would happen once the performers resigned?
Someone else would take over the role
What did the tropes travel with?
Everything they needed props, costumes, portable stages that was set up in any outdoor
What were they designed to perform in front of?
Basic backdrops of street lined houses public square
How did the troupes become more successful?
Acquired wealthy patrons who provided theatre
What did they keep to the minimum?
Even when they have permanent homes they kept props and scenery to the minimum. Their focus was on comic performance
When did the tropes travel throughout Europe?
During the 16th century they travelled throughout Spain, France, England, Germany and eastern Europe
What did the boisterous comedy influence?
Writers and performers all over the continents such as William Shakespeare, Ben Johnson and Molliere
Where women permitted to perform in theatre?
No they were not permitted
What happened when they were breaking tradition?
Actresses became famous for comedic an improvisational skill
What was commedia surrounded by?
Surrounded by love and they were short. Everyone with main characters
Who is Isabella Adreini?
1562 - 1604. Member of the il Gelosi (troupe). Most well-known women performing the character of the young lover Isabella was named after her
Who were the Gelosi troupe?
Isabella and Franco (husband)
When did the Gelosi troupe disband?
When Isabella died in 1604
Who published of comedian scenarios in 1611?
Flamino Scala worked with Il Confidenti and il Gelosi
Who was the representative of the Theatre of Enacted Fables?
Il Featro Delle Favole
When was commedia transformed?
17th century
What was the transformation of comedia?
Leading performers were Italian. They found success. Found more success out of Italy
What kings liked these performances?
French Kings Louis XIV and Louis XV
Louis XV banished the Italians performers from Paris because?
They mocked the mistress Marquise de Maintenon but were invited back
Why did popularity begin to fade?
Most skilled actors retired/died, companies dissolved, audience enthusiasm waned
What are the requirements of actors?
- Physical abilities
- Vocal characterisation
- Trained on job
What did playwrights draw on?
Commedia charters and situations
What was Carlo Goldoni’s most popular play?
1753 play Arlecchino Servitory di due Padroni (servant of two masters)
How was a play not proper?
Without actor improvisation
The play was not proper, what did this do?
Left no room for performers to display full range of comedic skill, as it adds to the script
What did Venetian aristocrat do?
Tuned poetic or dramatist Count Carlo Gozzi, wanted to return original style
What helped Sacchi company?
Financial support, writing new material to help them re-gain glory
What did Gozzi feel plays were destroying? Why?
Commedia, as it was transforming to ordinary scripted theatres
What did Gozzi use material from in order to tailor material to talent of his acting company?
Fairy tales and folk stories
True or false. Commedia is not a skill
False
What influenced commedia?
Nationality
How many groups to the character is divided into?
Three groups
Name the three groups of characters
- Il vecchi (old master/masters)
- Il zanni (zanny servants)
- Gli innamorati (lovers)
What role did the three group characters play?
The masters try to keep the lovers apart but the servants help one side or the other
What does pantalone mean?
Mr. Big Pants
What does pantaloons come from?
pantalones
What were the Pantalones?
Wealthy, misery old man who is lecherous (offensive sexual desire)
What did the Pantalones look like?
Hooked nose, wrinkled face, bushy eyebrows
What type of costume did the Pantalones wear?
Baggy red pants
What did the Il vecchi consist of?
- Pantalone
- Il Dottore
- Il Capitano
What did Il Dottore mean?
The doctor
Who were the Il Dottore?
Smug know it all professor who actually knows nothing
What type of mask did the Il Dottore wear?
Round stubby nose (pink), chubby cheeks, bushy eyebrows, moustache
What costume did Il Dottore wear?
Mortarboard (graduation), broad brimmed hat, black academic robes
What did Il Capitano mean?
The captain
Who were the Il Capitano?
Posting macho soldier who is actually a coward underneath
What type of name did Il Capitano have?
A long absurdly of the pretentious
What does the Il Capitano tell?
Tells tales of victory but is actually frightened easily and treats in high voice of surprise
What is prop does Il Capitano have?
Sword
What mask does Il Capitano wear?
Long nose, wide eyes, exaggerated handlebar moustache
What costume did Il Capitano wear?
Fancy, exaggerated military uniform with plumbed tricorn and has a sword
What happened with the characters in the Il vecchi?
Pantalone and Il Dottore worked as a pair (friends/rivals). Il Capitano was new in town
What did the Il zanni consist of?
- Arlecchino
- Brighella
- Columbina
Who is Arlecchino?
Harlequin, clown like. Stupid is but funniest. Nimble, aerobatics, tricky servant. Childlike and not too bright but wins in the end
What mask does Arlecchino wear?
Sly, cat like face, short hose
What costume does Arlecchino wear?
Tight fitting tunic, pants, pattern of multi coloured diamonds
Who is Brighella?
Brawler, Knuckles, bruiser who is ready to fight. Tough guy servant, good liar and it’s always out for himself. Wise guy older brother
What type of jobs would Brighella do?
Bartender, innkeeper, shopkeeper
What mask did Brighella wear?
Green half mask with a greedy expression
What costume did Brighella wear?
Loose fitting servants uniform or smock. Carries dagger or slapstick
Who was Columbina?
Little dove. Why is cracking made who is the smartest character. Flirtatious and playful
What is the type of jobs did Columbina participate in?
Servant, best friend, confidante, leading lady, Arlecchino’s girlfriend
What’s mask did Colombina wear?
Sometimes a small half mask
What costume did Colombina wear?
Low-cut maids uniform carrying a tambourine
Who were the Gli Innamorati?
Young, graceful, attractive, fashionable who wore no mask they were slightly vain and not always bright. They were sincere
What were the Gli Innamorati known?
Known by various names. The popular ones were Flavio and Isabella
Who was Isabella named after?
Gli Innamorati. After Isabella Andreini in the Gelosi troupe
What gender were the Masters?
Never women
What gender was the lovers?
Males and females
What gender were the servants?
Male or female
When does the name of the character change?
Changes due to the context and place
What were lazzi?
Many jokes (lazzo). It was physical and spoken. Comic bits and gags
In terms of lazzi what did each character have?
Had their own lazzi. A good performance would have dozens of lazzi, to draw on any situation
When did it begin?
Began in Italy during the sixteenth century
