1. HCCMS Drama Commedia Dell’Arte The origin of Improvisational Theatre

2. What is Commedia Dell’Arte?
La " Commedia Dell’Arte" is a distinct theatrical genre that evolved from outdoor performances by acrobats, jesters and the first professional actors during the Italian Renaissance.

3. With stylized masks, gestures and improvisations over a plot, the Commedia repeatedly satirized well-known "types" as Arlecchino, the bungling servant, Pantalone, the rich tyrannical master,Columbina the flirtatious coquette, the Spanish Captain, the Doctor, and others. Between the 16th and the 18th century’s the Italian troupes of Commedia Dell’Arte spread all over Europe performing in streets and squares but even in front at the main Courts of the age.

4. Commedia dell'Arte was a circus with a plot....
Commedia dell'Arte is a theatrical style with origins in Renaissance Italy. The style lasted for more than two centuries, before it declined in the eighteenth century and was replaced by more formalized theatre.

5. Commedia dell'Arte was a circus with a plot....
The first Commedia dell'Arte performances were put on by charlatans, Italian market place merchants selling their goods in the plazas. To attract attention they would stand on benches and call out their wares, while masked jugglers and acrobats leaped about. After a satisfactory amount of wares had been sold, the charlatan would leave the bench to the performers and a play would begin.

6. Commedia plays, called lazzi, became so popular that the actors eventually broke away from the market place and formed troupes which performed all over Italy. By the seventeenth century Commedia dell'Arte had spread throughout Europe.

7. Commedia dell'Arte was the popular entertainment form of its day, and it's the source of much of the humor prominent in, for example, vaudeville, the Marx Brothers' films, Gilligan's Island, and Bugs Bunny cartoons.

8. There are two main distinguishing traits of Commedia:
A Cast of Stock Characters or Masks
Improvised Scripts or Scenarios.

9. Stock Characters
The foundation of Commedia dell'Arte was composed of a set of stock characters, each of whom was well known to its audience.

10. Stock Characters
In Commedia dell'Arte the plot was almost insignificant. People watched the shows because they wanted to see how these familiar personalities interacted with each other in various situations, not for the unfolding of the story. But this isn't any different than a Marx Brothers movie, or a Bugs Bunny cartoon, or even most television situation comedies.

11. Stock Characters
The plots of the various Marx Brothers films are quite forgettable. But then they were never loved for the plots so much as for their crazy antics, word play, and general high energy humor. That's what kept people wanting to see them, again and again. Similarly, the plots of Bugs Bunny cartoons are simply vehicles to getting Bugs and Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd together, so that they can act out their respective characters with predictable, but highly enjoyable results.

12. Stock Characters
In most television situation comedies too, the characters don't grow or change in any significant way at the end of an episode. They are same when the story begins as they are when it ends. As a result, you can usually watch any episode regardless of whether you've seen the previous ones and still get the gist of the story. Of course, you may find that a given character changes over the years of a given show, but this is also true of Commedia. Harlequin, for instance, started out his career in the late 1500s as a particularly dim-witted character, but by the mid-seventeenth century he had evolved into quite an intelligent and elegant servant.

13. Improvisation
The second unique feature about Commedia dell'Arte is that the entire performance was improvised. There is quite a bit of debate among historians as to how much was improvised, but there clearly was no script. Instead, the performers had what were called scenarios. A scenario described the plot of the play, providing a sentence or two about what action was to occur in a given scene. The actors would then go on stage and improvise the scene.

14. Improvisation
There were a few factors which made improvisation easier than it might first appear. Most Commedia actors played the same characters their entire professional lives. They were so familiar with their characters that they didn't really need a formal script; they knew intuitively how each character would behave in the various situation detailed by the scenario.

15. Improvisation
even though they were improvising, most actors had a large body of memorized speeches (concetti), and stock repartees (battue) available to them to insert in appropriate places.

16. Improvisation What was so great about this improvisational element?:
Much of the genius of the Commedia lay in its spontaneity. No doubt this power varied from performance to performance depending on the alertness of the players and the responses of the audiences. We might compare Commedia performance to jazz sessions, no two of which are alike, even if the same songs are played.

17. Masks
One of the principal distinguishing characteristics of Commedia dell'Arte is that it is composed of stock characters, or Masks.

18. Masks
(Since the term "Mask" has two distinct meanings in the context of Commedia, it can be confusing. To clarify, a mask can either refer to a stock character type - such as the Harlequin Mask - or it can refer to the physical covering worn on the faces of some of the actors.)

19. The stock characters of Commedia dell'Arte can be grouped (with a few exceptions) into three categories: Lovers, Vecchi, and Zanni.
The Lovers are pairs of young men and women trying to get together. They are often described as defining the structure of the plot.
The Vecchi (or old men) are the ones who, for various reasons, try to keep the lovers apart. Their function is to destroy the plot.
The Zanni (or comic servants) are responsible for distracting from the plot; their humor is quite similar in style to that of the Marx Brothers. The word zany, in fact, comes directly from the comic business of the zanni.

20. ZANNI

21. ZANNI
Zanni is both singular and plural. The Zanni are at the bottom of the pecking order. Zanni is that regrettably eternal unfortunate, the immigrant worker, a peasant, a worker of odd jobs. The survival instinct of the Zanni is the strongest of all the Commedia Masks. He suffers from hunger – hunger for food – hunger for life. His hunger is a basic everyday condition; he is, as a result, insatiable but capable of being spiritedly ironical about his plight. This great hunger leads to an outlook on life that everything is ingestible. The Zanni is a glutton. He lives totally in the present: he never, for example, looks for somewhere to sleep, sleep just happens to him, often in totally unsuitable situations. All of his reactions are emotional. The Zanni contributes to the confusion of the plot.

22. HARLEQUIN
Harlequin has an enduring, magical power. He is a servant, usually to Pantalone. Harlequin, also known as Arlecchino, seems to be a cross of Zanni with a medieval figure from the French popular tradition, a kind of wild man covered in leaves. Harlequin is a character of extremes – he either speaks continuously without pause, or doesn’t speak at all and is completely silent. Harlequin is never pathetic, he is never the loser. He never just does something, for instance, in the heat of the moment, his slapstick gets left on the ground, he somersaults to pick it up again. He has a dull mind in an agile body. The fact that he cannot read would never hinder him from telling another character of the contents of a letter. Arlecchino is in love with Colombina, but he has a large appreciation for any female. He will ogle and drool visibly when they pass him.

23. BRIGHELLA
Brighella’s name is derived from briga (trouble) and brigare(to intrigue) and also imbrogliare (to deceive or confuse) because of his ability to find a solution for every difficulty. Whenever he appears he is always first zanni – he’s the boss. Brighella can instruct those with higher status than himself. He might, for instance, be seen teaching one of the Lovers to break into another Lover’s house in secret. Brighella exploits everybody. He will sell you his sister; his only redeeming feature is that he does not have a sister, but you won’t find that out until it is too late to get your money back. Brighella is tireless in weaving intrigues. He breaks up some marriages and arranges others, he starts rumors, and sells love potions (which do not really work). He is astute, ready for anything. He is humorous, quick-witted and makes a mockery of the entire world with his wit. He likes a good time but is also a criminal. He is, however, immoral rather than evil. His sole purpose being financial gain.

24. The Vecchi

25. PANTALONE
Pantalone is top of the pecking order. Pantalone is money; he controls all the finance available within the world of the Commedia, and therefore his orders have to be obeyed. He is the employer, giving order to his servants. He is the father, dictating to his children, controlling the social structure. His goal is to hold onto the Old World order. He keeps the Lovers in order and prevents any sort of take-overs from the Zanni. Pantalone operates on the assumption that everyone and everything can be bought and sold. This turns out to be true, with the exception of loyalty and love. He also loves money for its own sake and will only part with money when there is no other option. He always wants to marry his daughter to a wealthy man – and avoid giving her a dowry. When things do not go his way he quickly slips into emotional extremes and becomes a petty tyrant. He has a long memory and never forgets or forgives the slightest past transgression. Pantalone is mean to his servants, narrow-mindedly dictatorial with his children, fawning to Il Dottore, scheming with Il Capitano, lecherous with Columbina, and indulgent to himself. Pantalone serves to impede the action of the Commedia. He often wants to marry the same woman as his son, Flavio, or he is too mean to provide a dowry for his daughter, Isabella.

26. IL DOTTORE
Il Dottore is a bachelor or a widower. When he does eventually marry he is immediately cheated on. He is often father to one of the lovers. Il Dottore specializes in everything and can talk a load of old baloney about it. He is very oral, both in and out: he eats a lot. He is essentially belly, not intellect centered. He makes crude jokes. If Il Dottore were an animal, he would be a pig. He is neighbor and friend or rival of Pantalone and since he is a natural parasite, he sees the advantage of being patronized by him. He is often the Master of Pedrolino (Pierrot), whom he treats badly since he is envious of true creativity. Il Dottore gives the other characters a break from physical exertion by his prolixity – sometimes to the point where he has to be carried off stage by them, still talking. For this reason he stays a relatively long time onstage. He is a survivor rather than a target figure like Pantalone.

27. THE LOVERS

28. Four Lovers are usually required - two would-be pairs – for a full scenario. In Italian they are called innamorati. The lovers are of high status, but are brought low by the hopelessness of their infatuation. The primary characteristics of The Lovers are: fidelity, jealous and fickleness. They are vain, petulant, spoilt, full of doubt and have very little patience. They seem to take twisted enjoyment in enforced separation because it enables them to dramatize their situation, lament, moan and send messages, etc. When the Lovers do meet they are almost always tongue-tied and need interpreters (i.e. the Zanni) who proceed to misinterpret their statement either through stupidity (Zanni), malicious desire for revenge (Brighella) or calculated self-interest (Columbina). Their attention span is short like young children’s. The fear that they might be nobodies keeps them hyper- animated. The Lovers exist very much in their own world – and in their own world within that world. Self-obsessed and very selfish, they are more interested in what they are saying themselves and how it sounds than in what the beloved is saying. There is no viciousness in them, and their faults seem limited to vanity and vapidness, which, given their parents, they can hardly be blamed for. They represent the human potential for happiness.

29. The Lovers are indispensable to the plot
The Lovers are indispensable to the plot. Without them and their inability to resolve their own problems, there would be no function for the zanni, no struggle between the ineffectuality of youth and the implacability of age. The lovers are never alone on state – they always have someone with them or spying on them.
The Lovers relate exclusively to themselves – they are in love with themselves being in love. The last person they actually relate to in the course of the action is often the beloved. When they do meet they have great difficulty in communicating with each other (usually because of nerves). They relate to their servants only in terms of pleading for help. The lovers love each other, yet are more preoccupied with being seen as lovers, undergoing all the hardships of being in such a plight, then with actually fulfillment. Consequently they frequently scorn each other and feign mild hatred. After a quarrel the male may try a serenade to win back favor. The lovers are entirely full of themselves and how they appear. Because of their vanity, they frequently look in a hand-mirror and only become upset by any minor imperfection which is discovered. They are always looking to see if a ribbon or a sequin is out of place.

30. Il Capitano – This character is really one of the Zanni, but he believes himself above the Zanni. Il Captano is an imposter. He pretends to be a Captain, pretends to be Spanish, but really he is just an ordinary Zanni. One of an actor’s first duties as a Capitano is to invent a new name and lineage, preferably several lines long. His costume should be militaristic. His costume is most often slashed and cut in places to reveal a frayed and tattered leather jerkin. Il Capitano always claims that his tattered undergarments are caused by the amazing, virility of his body hair busting through whenever he gets angry. His Mask is one of a very very long nose. Il Capitano carries a long sword. This weapon is part of his personality, a gestural extension like zanni’s slapstick, not an accessory. There are four types : Politic – if the Turks invade, he becomes a Turk. Total Coward – he wets his pants and plays dead. Really courageous – but he is a danger only to himself and his own side when he fights. Non- masked, Il Cavaliere – thinks he’s good-looking and God’s gift to women (He is considered a lover) Whichever type, there’s only one thing he ever does – PRETEND. Il Capitano exists in the plot to be ‘de-masked’ by the plot. Always complete final transformation from pride to humility , confidence to panic.

31. Columbina- Columbina is the female of Zanni
Columbina- Columbina is the female of Zanni. She is the personal maid to the prima donna innamorata. She would be similar to the gypsy from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. She is strong and attractive. She is usually unmasked, but the eyes are wide and well made-up. She often carries a basket. Columbina loves Arlecchino, but sees through him. Feels a need to look after him, educate him in the hope that he too can break the bounds of being a fixed type. She therefore scolds him, punishes him, deserts him, takes him back, but in the end he does not change and she has to accept him for what he is, which is still more lovable than Il Dottore, Pantalone, Il Capitano, etc. She is very affectionate to other characters and her affections seem to flow through her physically. Men, especially Il Capitano and Pantalone, constantly pester her. She is always ready to help the lovers, perhaps through natural sympathy with their plight. She has a very strong relationship with the audience, almost confidential in the sense that she too can see what fools the rest of them are. She flirts with spectators, moving closer so they can see her eyes -–but not too close. She is the only rational person in the entire world of the Commedia Dell’Arte.

32. Pedrolino ( also known as Pierrot)- Pedrolino would be the youngest, most child-like member of the Commedia troupe. He is, therefore, at the bottom of the pecking order, the one who has to sleep in the straw with the animals. He is often the butt of jokes, especially concerning his cowardice, but he never loses his dignity. Pierrot is stoic in the face of misery. He survives oppression by pretending to be simple – or an idiot. He hides his sensitivity by pretending to have no feelings. He expresses feelings only when alone. He is totally honest. He is always tired because of being forced to sleep with animals, and he frequently falls asleep – especially when asked to watch over something. He is always full of remorse at the slightest harm to another.. Pierrot takes a child-like delight in practical jokes and pranks, but otherwise his intrigues are on behalf of his master – he is too honest to do otherwise. At times, however, the best he can scheme for is to escape the punishment others have in store for him. Pierrot wears baggy white clothes that are obviously hand-me-downs and are too big for him, sometimes even with sleeves too long for his hands to be visible. He has a tunic to keep a variety of small objects, usually only of sentimental value. He wears a small close to the head cap. He does not wear a mask. He is the original white face from which clowns have developed.

33. Harlequin

34. Il Dottore

35. Pulchinello