1. Italian Renaissance Theatre: Commedia Dell’Arte
Photo courtesy of:

2. Brief overview of Commedia Dell’arte
Began in Italy around 1545
Means “comedy of artists”
Performed in markets and carnivals
Actors wore masks; the bigger the nose, the dumber the character being played.

3. Commedia Dell’arte
Seldom used scripts:
Used detailed scenarios and improvised dialogue
700 scenarios survive today.
Setting is usually a street because they were usually performed outdoors

4. Stock Characters
Definition: a character who displays the same character traits in many different productions.
Examples today are: The brainy nerd; the peppy cheerleader; the “dumb blonde”; The “jock”
Can you think of others?
Some Commedia dell’arte Stock Characters follow in the upcoming slides!

5. Pantalone Upper class Middle aged or elderly man
Generally the father of young girl
Overly protective of daughter and money
Has several servants (zanni)
(think Mr. Burns on Simpsons)

6. Dottore Upper class Pantalone’s arch-rival or best friend
Law professor or medical doctor
Lacks common sense/ absent-minded
Master of double talk and jargon
Black coat

7. Capitano Working class
Boastful, cowardly Spaniard who brags of battles never fought and romances never experienced
Cowardly guard
Big, bold movements to appear important

8. Harlequin (Arlecchino)
Either clever and wise-cracking clown, or a buffoon
Clever schemer and prankster
Excellent at acrobatics: always moving.
Usually the servant to Pantalone, Dottore, or Capitano
His mask looks a little like a cat's face.  The eyes are small, round holes   The forehead is low, and the eyebrows are a little crooked with evil intentions.  The nose is not very big, since he is very intelligent.

9. Other Zanni Zanni are clown-like servants!
Pulcinella: hunchbacked; “stupid”
Brighella: Thief and bully
Scaramuccia: mustached, sometimes clever, sometime cruel.
Zanni's movements are very big, broad, and exaggerated

10. Fontesca/Columbina Clever and high spirited Flirtatious
The maid, often to the Innamoratae
Often corresponded with Arlecchino
Ballet-like movement
Carried a basket and sometimes a tambourine

11. Young Lovers: Innamorati/Innamoratae
Upper class
Speak a refined, flowery language:
"My love for you makes all the diamonds on the earth look like grains of sand, and your beauty makes them all dull."
Very concerned with appearance; beautifully dressed to the style
Often spoke love poems which were memorized poems
Overly dramatic

12. d Performance How-To for Middle- to High School Students
In action
d Performance How-To for Middle- to High School Students
Commedia dell 'Arte A Brief History and Performance How-To for Middle- to High School Students

13. Scenarios These are some quick Commedia scenarios 1) Pantalone enlists Arlecchino's help in getting a date with Lavinia, who doesn't know he exists.  Arlecchino gives him a lot of bad advice about his clothes and how he should act.   2)  Capitano enters.  This is a new town to him, and he has heard that a rich widow lives here.  He wishes to marry her, and asks Zanni for his help in meeting her.

14. 3) Isabella has received a letter from her lover, Ottavio, and has taken all of his compliments the wrong way. She sees him on the street, and sends her servant, Zanni, to him with a verbal message. Zanni, of course, gets the message wrong, and Ottavio sends a message back to Isabella. Zanni is sent back and forth with messages, until the two lovers meet face-to-face.

15.  4) Alessandra tries to get her father Pantalone's permission to marry Fabian. Pantelone has promised her hand to Capitano in exchange for a large dowry.
  5) Arlecchino has stolen some money from Pantalone.  When Pantalone realizes his money is gone, he asks Zanni to fetch Dottore for advice.  When Dottore finally arrives, he gives Pantalone several medical diagnoses.

16. Thanks to the following for information and pictures:
Commedia dell’^C^Arte accessed 11/5/02. Info on Fontesca and picture of Columbina and “In action”
Commedia dell 'Arte: A Brief History and Performance How-To for Middle- to High School Students accessed 11/5/02 Info and pictures unless otherwise noted
Theater: Preparation and Performance by Charlotte Lee and David Grote, Published by Scott, Foresman, and Co, Glenview Illinois, 1982.
The Stage and the School by Harry H. Schanker and Katherine Anne Ommanney, Glencoe, New York, 1997.