La Commedia dell'Arte
ARLECCHINO (Harlequin, Arlechino, Arlequin)
COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE (Italian Comedy)
La Commedia dell'Arte literally means "Artistic Comedy",
probably named as a contraposition to the standard way of making
theater in that period. Has been renamed in English as "Italian
Comedy" probably due to the fact it originates and had its high
points in Italy.
The Commedia dell'Arte had its start in the second half of the 16th
century, in a period when theater plays were classic, stylish, cold
and rigorous. Maybe as a reaction, here we go for the exact
opposite: loud, colorful representations blossomed everywhere in
Italy, and the rules of theater are subverted.
The Commedia dell'Arte bases its charm on the free improvisation
on stage. Free in the sense it is not codified, but of course it
follows very precise rules, and it needs good actors to work. The
time of amateur actors who learn by heart the dialogues and repeat
them without expression on stage is over.
A very distinct group of actors gives birth to the first nucleus of
companies, and start doing their act on simple stages set outdoors,
essential backgrounds (usually just a painting of streets and houses
made on a canvas).
The powerful mix of various elements gave strong impulse to the
initiative: popular themes, complex stories with lots of climax,
acrobatic jumps and mellow love scenes made it a success.
Arlecchino
Arlechin Batocio
Il Capitano
Scaramouche
Brighella Innamorati Isabella
Pantalone
Il Dottore
Zanni
Pulcinella
La Servetta & Colombina
Who does not know this mask, with his patched outfit and witty
tongue? The first Harlequin we hear of is Alberto Naselli, from
Bergamo, in 1572.
Harlequin, a poor character, wearing a colorful patched costume,
the patches probably remnants of richer costumes.
Harlequin's expression:
From a primitive naïve and simple character, he evolves into a
smart, more sophisticated one, that with his simplicity outwits all
the arrogant and greedy personages with whom he interacts.
Anarchic kind of behavior, always hungry and with no money, in
modern times he could have been a hippie.
ARLECHIN BATOCIO
BATOCIO (Bell's Clapper - Slapstick)
The "Batocio" is known for being Harlequin's short wooden club.
Kind of tool for carrying out his work as a Zanni (from which
Harlequin originates, in Bergamo). The Zanni were known as
"facchini" people doing a menial very heavy job, lower level in the
social scale.
The batocio in Harlequin's hands becomes a stage prop, something
that may be used in different ways, from mixing up the polenta, as
a knife or a spoon, the rare times he was actually eating (or
dreaming of). Sometimes the batocio became a sword or a bat, for
hitting other characters, fighting with the Zanni, for instance, using
it as a club or a dagger.
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The stage batocio was made of two strips of wood, and used as a
slap stick, a special effects prop, after all, being able to convey to
the public the blows which were given around and give action and
exaggeration to the scene it was used in.
This is how Harlequin once introduced himself in a play:
"Mi son Arlechin Batocio
Orbo de na recia e sordo da un ocio"
"My name is Arlechin Batocio
Blind in one ear and deaf in one eye"
PANTALONE (Pantaloon)
We see here the mask of Pantaloon (Pantalone in the original
Italian name), the Venetian merchant, rich, greedy and naïve. From
merchant to nobleman, always having to deal with people trying to
take his gold from him, always losing against wit and
improvisation, at times even pleasant for the trust he feels for the
others, that on the other hand don't care for anything different than
his money. … e Pantalone paga!!! (…and Pantaloon has to pay!!)
image of the Italian people been subject to the state's squeezing tax
system …
Old but athletic, Pantaloon plays the ideal counterpart of an
Harlequin always without money, the Zanni, poor immigrant
always hungry, Brighella (the name comes from briga, fight), and
countless other characters.
IL DOTTORE (The Doctor)
DOTTOR BALANZONE (Dottor Baloardo)
The name coming from "balle"(lies) gives well the idea of this
mask, which knows everything supported by his science, arrogance
and ignorance.
Born in Bologna, at the time in which the University was well
established in the capital of Emilia (second half of 16th century).
Balanzone is rather fat (fat = rich), always dresses in black, is well
groomed, rich looking, and talks and talks, a river of ostentatious
useless science, teasing the current exaggerated belief in science
and humanism.
The Doctor is the second old folk together with Pantaloon in the
Commedia dell'Arte, and first appears on stage in the mid 16th
century, with the name of Graziano (or Grazian Baloardo), which
later became Dottor Balanzone.
The Doctor character is normally used in the Commedia dell'Arte
plays to put a break in the action, with empty, pre-fabricated and
supposedly erudite monologues.
Sort of a drums or bass solo in Jazz, which gives the time to the
other musicians to take a break and go drink something or put a
new reed on their saxophone.
The Doctor is member of every academy (known or unknown) he
knows everything and makes citations in cultivated Greek or Latin;
too bad they are never right.
On stage he is very seldom a medicine doctor for real, he more
often impersonates a Lawyer, a Judge, or the Notary Public.
Popular belief, hostility toward these "I know everything"
characters, shows how the "Commedia dell'Arte" used to
characterize and make irony on everyday life, pulling the leg on
every established belief, anarchic force in a rigid and schematic
world, with the typical Italian humor and self-irony.
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IL CAPITANO (The Captain)
The mask of the Captain with all certainty widely pleased the
population which was oppressed by those mercenary occupation
armies, as very often happened in the Italy of 16th century (even
before and after, as a matter of fact ...), kind of a platonic revenge
toward the oppressor, and especially toward the mercenary
soldiers, mainly ignorant, violent brutes who would take advantage
in all senses of the poor subordinate populations.
First Captains ever in the Commedia dell'Arte were Italians in the
speech and uniforms, these being as much as possible an
exaggeration of the real ones, and changed with time, armies and
fashion.
The Captain mask later became of Spanish origins (Borboni!) and
with his heavy Spanish accent and pitiless irony built around his
figure sometimes created some animosity in the audience.
The Captain soon disappeared from the Commedia's usual cast, his
last appearances date from the beginning of the 18th century.
Several names apply to the Captain in his hundred and some years
of Commedia activity: Capitan Spavento di Vall'Inferna (Captain
Fright of Hell's Valley) was definitely the most widely known, but
also others, Capitan Fracasso (Big Noise, but also Failure in
Spanish), Terremoto (Earthquake), Spaccamonti (Mountain
Burster), Sangr y Fuego (Blood & Fire -Sp.), Matamoros (Moors
Killer -Sp.), Spezzaferro (Iron Breaker), Rodomonte (probably
deriving from the Rhodes Colossus, meaning a huge and very
powerful man).
Also Scaramouche starts up as a Captain, but later on he gets a life
of his own.
Long pointy moustaches, huge sword (never used), several daggers
at his belt, the Captain talks more than he actually fights, he's very
brave in his own words, but usually gets scared and flies off stage
when Harlequin enters with his "batocio", Harlequin's short
wooden club.
SCARAMOUCHE (Scaramuccia)
By year 1680 the Spanish Captain goes out of vogue, so another
kind of Captain, Scaramuccia (better known as Scaramouche as he
was widely popular in France and England) took over the image.
Scaramuccia literally means "small, fast fray" giving the idea of a
soldier who doesn't involve himself too much in the battle, and this
is his way of fighting too, a little touch here, a short attack there.
More of a woman hunter than a soldier, in reality, great friend of
Pulcinella, Scaramouche is less boasting than his predecessors, and
more adroit and clever, besides being lucky in his maneuvering, he
always finds a way of reversing the consequences of his acts on
somebody else.
The mask of Scaramouche is indelebly tied to Tiberio Fiorilli, who
impersonated it all his life, and made the character famous and
appreciated all around Europe. Wherever he went Scaramouche
was received with great enthusiasm, his success terrific.
Talented and artistic, the Fiorilli-Scaramouche was also strong,
agile, graceful, sang with a good voice and played the lute. This is
also why in most of the prints of Scaramouche show him with a
lute or a guitar
Fiorilli's fame spread fast into France and England, where he was
always invited to play for the Kings and Queens of the time.
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One of the more recognized talents of Fiorilli was his great ability
with the pantomime, and the ability he had to transmit emotions,
not only laughter, to the audience only through gesturing.
The Zanni defines more a kind of mask, but not a particular one,
although on several occasions he gets the name of Zany Cornetto.
He's friend / antagonist of Harlequin, of which he shares not only
the roots, but the basic needs, food and lack of nobility.
The ZANNI
PULCINELLA (Polichinelle)
Zanni, as much as Harlequin, is originary from Bergamo. The
lower Bergamo of course, "Bergam de hüta", where all the poor
come from, and he's part of that emigrant population that has to
mingle into an hostile environment to survive.
Zanni means the first name "Giovanni" in the dialect of Bergamo,
the most common of all Italian names, sort of a John Doe of the
times.
The Zanni can be recognized, with good approximation, as the
matrix on which other masks were created.
Harlequin, for instance, had (especially in his first years) so much
of the Zanni character, that was almost a reflection of it. In later
times we also have a primo and secondo Zanni that in a certain
way replicate that situation (the smart Harlequin, the dumb Zanni).
Pulcinella, also, in the way he dresses, the typical "poor folk"
uniform, is basically a Zanni, although developing a very personal
pattern very soon.
Brighella too, shares the hunger and the way he leads his life, no
real clue of what goes on, his life an improvisation after another
just trying to get by.
Typical feature of the Zanni: poor, desperate, ignorant but smart in
his own way, everybody makes fun of him. In a second period he
gets his revenge, though, and outsmarts many. He's constantly
hungry, and constantly exploited, the primo Zanni smart while the
second Zanni hopelessly stupid.
Pulcinella is another example of witty but somewhat different
character that emerges powerfully from the Commedia dell'Arte.
Philosophical, eternally melancholic, dreamer as only a
representative of the Neapolitan culture could be, Pulcinella has a
spirit all of his own. No tensions or despair, his melancholic
approach to life makes him coast problems, situations, live
adventures and at the end simply getting out of everything, in the
same simple manner as how he got involved.
A positive approach to life, his winning strategy.
Various masks or costumes were part of the character, as its
evolution went on, but what got in the imaginary was the white,
simple, poor costume with the sugar loaf hat (the "coppolone"), his
dreamy way of being, his poetry and simple philosophy.
BRIGHELLA
As much as Harlequin and the Zanni, Brighella is from Bergamo
too (somebody had some resentment toward the Bergamascos?
Who knows), with some resemblance in the basic character to the
Zanni. But if not smarter, Brighella's arrogance surely pays off as
he gets a little more respect than the Zanni himself.
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The name by itself (briga, brigare is Italian for quarrel, trouble,
intrigue) explains this mask well enough: Brighella is colleric,
violent, exaggerated in his behavior, womanizer.
Catlike and sordid in his quest for food, confirmed liar and
persuasive in his love pursuits, always ready for intrigue, always in
search for the next fight.
Brighella is a mask used to play different roles, kind of the perfect
substitute villain, thus leading to a good deal of variants: Buffet,
Flautino, Bagatino, Gandolino, Mezzettino, Fenocchio, Scapino
and Beltrame da Milano the most known.
GLI INNAMORATI (The Lovers)
The Lovers bring into the Commedia dell'Arte those little touches
of soap opera and feuilleton around which the action may easily be
developed. Important in their role as much as with a flat
personality (they're desperately in love ...) the Innamorati helped
the public to identify and sink deep in the stories.
Elegantly dressed as the last vogue required (usually of the same
color, just in case another couple of Lovers was in the play too, in
which case we talk about First Lovers and Second Lovers) they
reaffirm how much they were made for each other, the Innamorati
create those situations of contrasted love, envy, gossip in which to
implement the more famous/entertaining masks: Harlequin,
Pantaloon, Pulcinella.
Very often they are son and daughter of the two old folks,
Pantaloon the greedy and the Doctor.
The Lovers are young, wear no mask, and have a very strict but
essential role in the play, and are a constant of the Commedia
dell'Arte, and the action which gets the appreciation of the public
any time Harlequin gets on stage.
Isabella, Colombina (more versatile, playing the Soubrette too)
Silvia, Corallina, the more known Female Lovers, and Lelio,
Flavio, Orazio, Silvio, Leandro and others are the men, all with a
simple name, easy to remember (in contrast with the Captains,
sometimes with very elaborate and noble-like names).
The Lovers never really made it into becoming a strength of the
Commedia, but since the earlier times have always been present
and necessary for the development of the action and of the
canovaccio on which the stories were built. Not so different as
today's blockbusters from Hollywood, after all.
ISABELLA
The Isabella character is certainly the most known among all
female Lovers, due to the great intelligence and stage performance
of Isabella Andreini, (who received and made hers forever) the
Isabella role starting probably in 1578.
At the time in which the Commedia dell'Arte was a big hit, as
much as in the ancient Greek Theater tradition, women did not
perform on stage. So the novelty of having real women acting
added to the appeal.
And Isabella Andreini was a great, famous and cherished actress,
cultivated and a poet of considerable talent, and also quite daring
on stage.
Gossip says that several times she took out or ripped her clothes on
stage. Always motivated by the script, though.
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Anyway, as the old say goes: "Tira più un pelo di figa che un carro
di buoi". You won't have me translate this one, though. Sorry.
COLOMBINA
LA SERVETTA (The Soubrette)
Colombina debuts with this name only by the end of 17th century
as the Soubrette of the Commedia dell'Arte who gets more
personality of her own.
The Soubrette is one of those characters which appeared in the
Commedia dell'Arte in almost all plays, although keeping a low
profile which got more personality with time, developing into more
elaborate and important characters such as Colombina, Corallina,
Franceschina, Mirandolina and, in one of her disguises, also
Arlecchinetta.
But the original Soubrette which in Italy continued to fit in the cast
remained almost unchanged, usually simple at heart, witty, vane,
chatterer, a little clumsy, always present as a "spalla"
(counterpoint) to more defined and cherished masks, such as
Harlequin, Pantaloon.
Her dress always remained simple, wearing no mask, as most of
the female characters.
One of the Soubrette, Franceschina marries Harlequin with the
consent of Pantaloon, but sometimes she's Pantaloon lover, too.
Doubtful moral as a rule, the simplicity of the Soubrette coincides
with her availability, easiness and love of life and of intrigue to
play behind somebody's back.
Colombina is what the Innamorata is not: free, insolent, not slave
of love bonds, sometimes brilliant, vane always, chatterer,
gossiper, always prone to intrigue at somebody else's expenses. A
sort of Harlequin in female clothes, and in fact she comes up in
certain setups as Harlequina (Arlecchinetta), with a patched
costume duplicate of Harlequin's.
She is usually Harlequin's companion, and only woman to
sometimes wear a mask on stage, Colombina brings that female
pepper and intransigence to the plot.
Colombina is very often one of the reasons of fights among
Pantaloon (her employer, almost owner, sexual harassment was not
a concern at the time, more like a habit) and Harlequin (her lover).
We can easily imagine which kind of situations (and puns) may
originate from such a setup.
Carlo Goldoni uses the Colombina character quite a bit in his
plays, the wisdom of the simple, the truth revealed even if hard to
accept.
A woman with the freedom of betraying, of playing games of free
morals, but still a servant, nonetheless ...
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