Commedia dell’arte is a later term for the troupes of itinerant Italian performers during the 16th and 17th century who improvised much of their material. Women as well as men were members of these companies. They were documented as traveling to Germany, France, Spain, England, and Poland. The actors played stock parts; a commedia dell’arte company required young lovers, maids (one usually quite old), a daffy scholar named Graziano, a pompous aristocrat named Pantalone, numerous clowns (the zanni), and additional characters as the story might require, depending on whether the drama was tragedy (usually tragicomedy) or comedy. The comedy they performed was often quite similar to the French farce. Actors often doubled in the roles, and the clowns played everything from gypsies to satyrs. Except for the lovers and maids, the commedia dell’arte players wore masks or other types of facial modifications. Costumes could be extravagantly colorful, such as those worn by Pulcinella and
Arlecchino (Harlequin). Staging was minimal, often consisting of trestle tables set up in a piazza and the second story of a dwelling used for any balcony scenes. The commedia dell’arte actors were multitalented, singing, dancing, and playing instruments in most performances. The actors were also quite witty, improvising on the texts of plays published by their contemporaries. In some instances, these improvisations were incorporated in revised editions of the plays. Two of the more famous troupes were the Gelosi and Accesi, both of whom performed for royal audiences.
World History
