Renaissance Italy Around 1400-1700 Theatre around 1500- 1700 RENAISSANCE = REBIRTH Mona Lisa (Da Vinci, 1503-1506)
2 Forms of Italian Theatre Commedia dell’arte Courtly Dramas
Commedia dell’arte Refresher Italian, 1500s- 1700s Improvisational Theatre Unscripted, Free to watch First female performers
Commedia dell’arte Refresher Lazzi, burle Innamorati, vecchi, zanni Stock characters including Arlecchino, Pantalone, Flavio, Isabella, and Pedrolino
Courtly Dramas and Neoclassicism … … … …
Neoclassicism or What’s With the Fancy Word, Mr. S? ALL you need to know: Neoclassicism means new classicism After discovering classic books by Aristotle, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes, artists of all sorts wanted to create art based on Greek models
Italian Courtly Dramas Members of the wealthy class built permanent indoor theatres Era is not well known for dramatic lit, most scripts are lost Comedy/tragedy after Roman model Major example: Mandragola (The Mandrake) by Machiavelli
Italian Courtly Dramas Pastoral Drama Nymphs (?) & shepherds in love. Appeal: nostalgia, simple life New style: intermezzi Allegorical plot + spectacle Courtly audience Plays are written in the Neoclassical style
Structures & Stages Teatro Farnese, 1618 First permanent proscenium arch stage! Creates perspective (connects to painters of the time)
Scenic Technology WINGS! Angled Vs. Flat Groove system (wings slide in grooves)
Scenic Technology
Famous Renaissance Italians Niccolo Machivelli Petrarch Leonardo Da Vinci Copernicus Descartes Galileo Michelangelo
What Can We Do? A Play A Presentation A Song A PowerPoint A Poster Wall Requirements: Everyone must speak Treat whatever you do like a performance