Commedia Dell'Arte
Created | Updated Jan 14, 2010
An Italian style of comedic theatre, originating from the 16th century.
The style is mostly improvised and very lightly scripted – one scenario and couple key scenes, while the rest was embellishment and comedic scenes. Actors would have a prompt book backstage which consisted only of a scenario and made sure that no actor would miss his cue or play the wrong scene. Due to this style of improvisation and nearly no script, no “true” Commedia plays exist – the style itself runs against the idea. Despite this some plays do exist – they are the written out forms of scenes that were improvised so many times they ended up following the same thread over and over again, enabling a written script.
Comedy
Commedia's comedy consists of mostly slapstick and physical humor since it was aimed at the poorer folk who were out on the streets while the troupes put on their shows. In fact the style became defined by the environment it was performed in; the actors would arrive in a city and parade around in their costumes, advertising their show. Afterward they would drag their carts to a marketplace or city square where they would begin their performance. Being out in the open meant that the actors had to have a busker-like approach to performing – everything had to be big and loud and colourful in order to attract and keep the attention of passerby's (keeping is the key here – if the audience didn't last till the end of the show, the actors couldn't collect their donations).
Apart from slapstick comedy, the Commedia actors also made fun of society and stereotypes, which is very visible through their choice of stock characters.
Stock Characters
Stock characters are character that reappear from play to play, changing names (and occasionally appearance) but retaining the same personalities. They are divided into three sections: Servants or zanni; the lowly and more less civilised characters, the Masters; the nobility of the Commedia universe, and the Lover; young, tragic youths who add more serious drama to the comedies. Stock characters spread even farther than just Commedia Dell'Arte; many of the stock characters can be found in modern media. Tigger from Winnie the Pooh is an excellent example of Arlecchino and Fezzik from the Princess Bride exemplifies the big Brighella. The standard list of stock characters is:
+Arlecchino – a servant and trickster, is very agile and mischevous.
+Brighella – a servant and slightly more intelligent version of Arlecchino, although Brighella is very fat and very easily distracted by food (and occasionally women).
+Columbina – a servant, usually a maidservant. She is the female counterpart of Arlecchino and therefore very mischievous as well. She uses her feminine assets to get ahead.
+Franchescina/Betia – a servant, also a maidservant. She appears devoted to her masters but is secretly bitter towards them.
+Pedrolino – a servant, stuttering and shy. He is also intelligent but rarely has the courage to show it.
+Pantalone – a master, usually a wealthy merchant/miser who varies from senile to cruel.
+Il Dottore – a master, the doctor of everything and nothing. A classic know-it-all who makes up diseases and cures since he is actually quite stupid.
+El Capitano – a master and a braggart. He is (sometimes) a former military man who constantly brags about his achievements. In truth is cowardly and runs at the first sight of danger.
+Lelio/Flavio/etc. - a lover/innamorato or amoroso. He is young, usually educated and more wealthy than a servant.
+Isabella – a lover/innamorata. Also young, educated, nearly always desires by all other males, and usually the daughter of a wealthy man like Pantalone.
Additionally...
Traditionally each actor in the troupe specializes in only one character, whom they develop and play their entire lives. The Commedia characters always follow certain rules and defined characterists, but beyond that the actor can tweak and adjust the character without changing him or her completely. Young actors usually start out as lovers to gain experience, then they chose their permanent character.
Few Commedia troupes exist now, as the style has fallen out of fashion or been turned into something else (a prime example is children's theatre, which highly resembles Commedia's colour and enthusiastic acting style). Yet some troupes still exist and put on Commedia shows. Like the rest of traditional theatre, it is fighting for survival.
