COMMEDIA DELL’ARTE
• Improvisational
Italian Renaissance
Professional
Comedic Theatre
GENERAL
INFORMATION
• Improvisational
theatre that took
stock characters and
placed them in
different situations
• Started in Italy in the
mid-1500s
• It developed out of
pantomime
• No one is sure who
actually started it or
the exact time it was
started
PERFORMED BY PROFESSIONAL TROUPES
• Often families
• Stayed together for
many years
• Actors would play
the same character
until they died or
left the troupe
• Troupes usually
travelled around
PURPOSE
• To entertain
• To make people
laugh
• To make money
• Artisans were
working people,
professional actors
who made their
primary living off of
acting
CONNECTION TO SOCIETY
• Was geared toward the common people and the
developing middle class
• Made fun of the upper class primarily, but the
lowest class was made fun of as well
• Never made fun of the church because they
were in Italy and the Roman Catholic church still
controlled most of everything
• Created to be a distraction from wars and
poverty and other negative things that plagued
their lives
• Made fun of their enemies especially the Spanish
CONVENTIONS
• Had a list of stock
characters
• Put the characters in
different scenarios.
• Scenarios – a basic
outline of the scene with
the ending goal and
any other important plot
or character points that
must be performed
CONVENTIONS
• Had lists of scenarios that
they reused
• Was improvisational but well
rehearsed
• Actors played the same
characters for years, so
they were able to quickly
respond to any situation in
character
• Actors stuck to the
stereotypes of the
characters and worked to
make those stereotypical
characteristics apparent
• Scenarios would be
practiced repeated trying
out new things each time
to see what worked and
what didn’t
SCENARIOS HAD SET LAZZI
• Character and different
scenarios had set lazzi
that they always used
• Lazzi - a repeated action
or line that is always used
in the same place at the
same time to establish
character or to let the
audience know what is
about to happen
CONVENTIONS
• Audience always knew exactly what was going
on even if the character did not
• Most of the characters talked directly to the
audience and some even interacted with them
• Characters posed whenever entering and exiting
the stage to get applause and establish
relationship with audience
• Actors were usually paid through donations made
by audience members
• Plays were performed in the markets and city
streets
CONVENTIONS
• Used music as well as other forms of
entertainment to keep the interest of the
audience
• Used phallic symbols and base humor to get
the people to laugh
• Had no sets and just a few props
• When it first started they did not even use a stage,
but over time stages were use but still no sets, so
they used dialogue and entrance points to
establish change in location
• All props were either phallic symbols or
representative of a character
STOCK CHARACTERS
A stock character is
one that is based on
common stereotypes
of the time and can
usually translate to
other time periods.
CONVENTIONS
• These characters
were easily
identifiable to
their audience
• Had masks or
distinctive
makeup to
show who they
were
• Wore costumes
that fit the time
period but more
importantly
showed who
their characters
were
PANTALONE
• First character to be
named
• From Venice because
this was the center of
commerce
• He thinks that he knows
what is going on, but is
usually being made a
fool of
• He thinks that he is quite
the ladies’ man, but he
suffers from impotence
• Obsessed with money;
loves money more than
anything else; always
trying to get more
PANTALONE
• Mask/Makeup
• Mask with long
downward
crooked nose
• looked like a
hawk
• Walk/Stance
• Hunched over
to show age
and to protect
his money purse
• Role in the
scenarios
• Usually the
father or uncle
of one of the
young lovers
• Usually the
master to
Arrlechino
• Always a central
character
Costume
Loose fitting
red top
Tight fighting
red pants
Black
overcoat
Large gold
medallion
Money purse
IL DOTTORE
• From Bologna, home of the first
university in Italy
• Had many professions –
medical doctor, academic,
lawyer
• Uses big words and Latin,
but has no idea what he is
saying
• Thinks he is the smartest man
alive, but is an idiot
• Usually fat
• Likes to eat
• Usually at the expense of
others
• Was an academic
• Did not have to do physical
labor
IL DOTTORE
• Mask/Makeup
• Mask with fat short
nose
• Walk/Stance
• Moves slowly with
stomach out
• Role in the
scenarios
• Always had a
connection to
Pantalone
• Friend
• Enemy
• Employee
• Generally a
central character
Costume
Black
Academic
robes
IL CAPTAINO
• Always a foreigner usually
Spanish
• Boasts to be a great
warrior but is actually really
scared of everything,
especially of mice
• Costume
• Overdone version of an
dress army outfit
• Large oversized boots
• Hat with lots of feathers
• Large sword, which he
never uses
IL CAPTAINO
• Mask/Makeup
• Mask with large long phallic nose
and large eye holes, so the actor
can show fear
• Walk/Stance
• Chest out
• Large overdone movements
• High-step march, but very small
steps
• Role in the scenarios
• Always a stranger
• Usually looking for a wife
or running from a fight
AMOROSO & AMOROSA–
MALE & FEMALE YOUNG LOVERS
•
•
•
•
•
In love with the idea of love
Innocent not sexual at all
Vain and superficial
Not very intelligent
Amoroso had various names
• Ex. Lelio, Flavio, and Orazio
• Amorosa had various names
• Ex. Isabella, Vittoria, and Angelica
• Costume
• What ever was most fashionable at the time
AMOROSO & AMOROSA–
MALE & FEMALE YOUNG LOVERS
• No mask wore makeup
• White base
• Red lips and cheeks
• Noticeable beauty marks
• Walk/Stance
• Light and airy on the balls of
their feet
• Amoroso - Upright but not with
chest out
• Role in the scenarios
• Usually son/daughter or
neice/nephew to Pantalone or
Il Dottore
• Always in love with each other;
trying to get together is usually
part of the main plot of the
play
ARLECCHINO
• A servant, but the hero of
the plays
• Not educated, but street
smart and clever
• Generally connected to a
cat
• Costume
• Suit of patch work that
shows that he doesn’t have
a lot of money, but he
always gets what he needs
• Slap stick
• Two pieces of wood held
together by leather that
make a slapping noise
when hit together
• Used to beat the Zanni
and to chase
around Columbina
ARLECCHINO
• Mask/Makeup
• Black mask that looks like a cat
• Walk/Stance
• Stays low to the ground
• Is constantly moving
• Very acrobatic
• Role in the scenarios
• Usually servant to Pantalone
• Usually the one that brings about the happy
ending
• Is usually in love with and chasing
Columbina
COLUMBINA
• General description
• A servant, but the
heroine of the plays
• Not educated, but street
smart & clever
• Always knows what is going on
• Desired by all men in the play
• Costume
• A less extravagant more
revealing version of the
Amorosa’s dress
• Usually has some patchwork on
it to show her connection to
Arlecchino
COLUMBINA
• Mask/Makeup
• Different troupes did this differently at
different times
• Mask that was similar to Arlecchino’s
• Mask on a stick, so she could use it to hide
her identity or to flirt
• No mask, but heavy makeup that was
meant to draw attention to her eyes
• Walk/Stance
• Very graceful and seductive
• Role in the scenarios
• Usually servant to Pantalone or the
Amorosa
• Usually the one that helps to bring about the
happy ending
• Is usually in love with Arlecchino, but does
not want him to know
ZANNI
• Refers to any low level
servant
• Obsessed with eating
and sleeping
• Will do anything for food
including taking it from
the audience
• Will fall asleep randomly
• Costume
• Loose white shirt and
pants, originally made
out of flour cloth
ZANNI
• Mask/Makeup
• Mask with wrinkled forehead
and low eyebrows to show
tiredness and dumbness
• Mask has a large nose
to symbolize stupidity
• Walk/Stance
• Hunched over from always carrying things
• Role in the scenarios
• Servants to all high ranking characters
• There to make people laugh and do any needed
dirty work or message delivering
Pantalone
Il Dottore
Amorosa
Amorosa
Il Capitino
Amoroso
Arlecchino
Examples of
Masks
HOW HAS COMMEDIA INFLUENCED
TODAY’S SOCIETY?