Commedia dellArte: Overview

Origins
Commedia dellarte English translation: comedy of the artists (or professionals).
Pronunciation: co-MAY-dee-ah del AR-tay.
Formal performances began in Italy in the mid-1500s, soon spreading to France and Spain
(where they were very popular) and other parts of Europe.
Eventually died out about two hundred years later in the mid-1700s.
Most popular period was 1550 to 1650.
Some scholars argue the Commedia can be traced back to the farces of Roman times.
Most notable for its mix of masked and unmasked characters, plus the fact that women were
acting on the Commedia stage well before they were allowed to act in England (Charles II,
Restoration, 1660).

Characters
With few exceptions, all characters of the Commedia dellarte belonged to one of three
categories: masters, lovers, servants.
Masters: adults, landowners, merchants, businessmen etc. (Pantalone, Dottore, Capitano)
Lovers: young attractive ladies, handsome men.
Servants (zanni, pl.): typically young, most often male, witty (sometimes stupid), physical.
Most popular and recognizable servant was Arlecchino (Harlequin).
All characters were:
one-dimensional
stereotypical
caricatured
satirical
stock qualities (conventional, repeated, anticipated, unchanged)
Commedia characters did not develop or learn from previous mistakes.

Masks
As a general rule, characters who were lovers were unmasked.
Master and servant characters were masked.
Plot and Structure (Scenarios)
Scripts consisted only of scene descriptions, known as Scenarios.
Dialogue, while rehearsed, was improvised and could differ from one performance to another.
Plots were often risque and bawdy.
About 800 Commedia scenarios survive today.

Lazzi
-From the Italian lazzo, a joke or witticism, Lazzi are stock comedic routines.
-Performers had many of these "bits" in their repertoire, and would use improvisatory skills to
weave them into the plot of dozens of different commedia scenarios.
-
These largely physical sequences could be improvised or preplanned within the performance and
were often used to enliven the audience when a scene was dragging, to cover a dropped line or
cue, or to delight an expectant audience with the troupe's specialized lazzi.

Performance Spaces
Initially performances occurred outdoors: in the streets, at market places and fairs.
Performances moved indoors when public theatres began to be built in the 1700s.

Acting Techniques
Often very fast dialogue.
Physical comedy (precursor to modern physical theatre style).
Adequate projection essential, due to outdoor performances and surrounding noise.
Comedic qualities such as singing, dancing, acrobatics, tumbling etc.
Slapstick an essential ingredient, particularly for servant characters.
Exaggerated gestures, arm and leg movements.
Fast-paced action.
Exemplary comic timing.
Many individual characters have specific acting techniques unique to their character.